10 Wedding Etiquette No-No’s to Avoid When Planning the Big Day
Get ready to pop the champagne and raise your pinky fingers because we’re about to embark on a thrilling journey through the land of wedding etiquette no-no’s! From dodging cringe-worthy speeches to sidestepping dance floor disasters, we’ve rounded up the ultimate guide of what NOT to do at weddings. So, buckle up your seatbelts, and prepare for some playful, engaging, and sometimes downright hilarious lessons in wedding decorum!
Say I Don’t To Bad Manners
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Don’t say “I do” to these wedding etiquette don’ts. Recently, some members of an online forum shared some helpful tips for avoiding wedding disasters and improper decorum. Don’t worry; I promise it won’t be as stressful as trying to catch the bouquet.
1. Throwing a Huge Wedding Just for the Gifts
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Bridal showers can be a wholesome concept, provided you invite people who hold value for you. Folks find it challenging to comprehend how having a big event with people giving fancy gifts is meaningful when you could call a few friends who can wish you well and give you memorable trinkets.
2. Inviting Strangers and Hoping for the Best
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Weddings are an area for hosting random guests. Some people are sending invites to folks they’ve never even met before. Not to mention, these unknown guests can also bring uninvited people or uninvited children to the wedding. It’s like a real-life version of “Where’s Waldo?” except it’s your actual wedding guests instead of Waldo.
3. Adding “And Guest” on Invitations
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Don’t forget the importance of personalized wedding invitations. “And Guest” just doesn’t cut it. If you want someone to feel special, you must put in a little effort. And by effort, I mean don’t put your registry information front and center on the invite. A more polite way to put such information is subtly in the corner of the invite or as a wedding website.
4. Destination Weddings: Because Your Loved Ones Don’t Matter
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Picking a venue for your wedding is a challenging feat. However, choosing a destination you know your close family and friends cannot attend is inconsiderate. Of course, this doesn’t mean you can’t go to that place with your partner. Save the exotic locales for your honeymoon, folks!
5. Sound Like a Greedy Bridezilla
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It is no surprise that weddings can break the bank. However, don’t expect your guests to foot the bill for your dream wedding by asking for cash and gifts. If you are expecting other people to pay for your lavish wedding, you ought not to have such a fancy event in the first place. Of course, voluntary contributions are always welcome.
6. The Guest List Dilemma
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It is rude not to invite people with whom you are close just because you don’t find their appearances befitting. Contrastingly, not asking people out of courtesy is also not as considerate as you would imagine.
As a user suggests, not inviting someone close because they are sick, old, divorced, or widowed because you think they’ll be better off is a false assumption. Instead, send out the invite and let them decide. At the very least, they’ll feel good about being remembered and being included in your guest list.
7. Start Your Marriage in Debt
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As much as lavish weddings appear to be the norm, planning a wedding that you can’t afford is like digging your own grave. Because of poor budgeting, brides or grooms may expect the goods and services to be discounted so they can enjoy an extravagant wedding without paying appropriately. If you can’t afford it, don’t make other people suffer because of your luxurious tastes.
8. Testing Your Guests’ Endurance
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Holding an all-day wedding event in various venues is a bad idea. It is logistically inconvenient because of the time and distance. However, if you choose to do so, you must make provisions or arrange for a resting place for guests from afar. At least have a wedding hotel room block arranged for guests who may want to stay overnight.
9. Not Sending Thank You Notes
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Here’s how you can make a relative angry with one simple trick: not sending thank-you notes. If you receive gifts, promptly sending thank you letters is best practice and considered good wedding etiquette. Always acknowledge the efforts made by those who shared your joy.
10. Ignoring Your Guests
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Finally, don’t forget actually to talk to your guests. They’re there to celebrate with you, not just to be background noise unless you invite so many people you can’t keep track of who’s who. In that case, it may be time to trim the guest list. Quality over quantity, friends!
This story was inspired by Quora and does not necessarily reflect the views of The Budget Savvy Bride.
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