Wedding Guest Etiquette

 

WEDDING GUEST ETIQUETTE

Yvonne Salas

 

September and October are considered the Peak of Wedding Season in the United States. Therefore, it is now a good time to have a short refresher on Wedding Etiquette if you are invited to attend one.

Being invited to a wedding is a fun and exciting event because you will be sharing a memorable day with a family member or a dear friend. You are very much appreciated by at least one member of the couple getting married, otherwise they would not have invited you. Right!

So, as their guest, there are some basic etiquette rules that you must abide by in order to be a good “Wedding guest”

First of all, read the invitation, carefully. It will have all the information you need to navigate attending with the appropriate response, dress and attitude. This means to be in the lookout for whom was the invitation addressed to. Does it include your significant other, or your children? If they are not mentioned in the envelope, then they are not invited. Pretty simple, so don’t make the mistake of assuming that if they invited you, you can bring along others.  You cannot!

Secondly, RSVP promptly.  Let me remind you that RSVP is French “Répondez S’il Vous Plait” and simply means Please Answer -It is important that you reply as soon as you can once you have confirmed that you are available to attend on the set date. Couples are waiting for your reply in order to give headcounts, assign guest table seating and all the details of the gifts for the attendees. It is basic courtesy to confirm and then to show up. The only excuse not to go to the event is a medical or family emergency and then you will let the couple know as soon as you find out!

Lastly, for now I remind you to follow the couple’s Dress Code, if indicated on the invitation. If it has not been expressly stated, use your good judgement by considering the venue and the time of day that the ceremony will take place.

There are many other aspects to consider for a good guest but we will discuss them in a future blog.

Enjoy the wedding season and always display your good manners.