Wedding Etiquette

Is it time to tie the knot and you don’t know what to do? Well, proper wedding etiquette mentioned here is required for different aspects of the wedding. From taking care of the invitations, to the transportation, reception details, location and the church, everything has a corresponding proper wedding etiquette to follow.

The Engagement:

Proper wedding etiquette should already be observed during the engagement. The news should be announced first only to immediate family. A gathering of both families should be arranged. If either one has not met each other’s parents; they should break the news to one family at a time. It can come as a shock! As for friends, the proper wedding etiquette is to announce to them personally after the family.

The Wedding Preparations:

The first thing the happy couple should agree upon is the wedding theme since everything else follows suit. Thankfully, there are wedding planners who can coordinate everything for the couple and is a great help for the bride and groom in organizing their special day.

The question of when and where the wedding will be held is an important topic to consider. The couple must also decide what kind of ceremony they want to have. Will it be a church wedding or a civil one? The proper wedding etiquette is to consult the religious preference of the couple. Sometimes even if they share the same religion, a couple can still insist on the informality of a civil wedding.

The Location:

The couple must be considerate of the guests. The reception area should be close to the wedding location so that the guests and the couple won’t be too tired when they get there. Don’t forget about transportation. Apart from the bridal car, it’s proper wedding etiquette to provide for those who have no access to vehicles from the wedding location to the reception area. The couple can ask guests beforehand on who will bring their own transportation so they can estimate how many vehicles they will have to provide for the group, be it a fancy car or limousine.

The Reception:

The reception is very important. Although the atmosphere is more informal, you should have a program. It should really be about the couple, wishes from their family and guests, a time for gratitude and a celebration of the new life ahead for the newlyweds.The menu, cake, table décor, centerpieces, sound system, and entertainment should be arranged months beforehand. Follow the allotted time frame for each element. All of this will entirely depend on the couple’s taste and budget.

The Dresses:

For any traditional wedding, there’s a white gown for the bride and a favored color for the bridesmaids, entourage and sponsors. However, other color schemes are now suitable for the bride. The groom and groomsmen usually do not have trouble with their clothes since they wear what is appropriate to the theme and whatever the couple has decided on for the design.

The Budget:

All this preparation will go to waste if the couple cannot provide for any of the wedding items. It used be the bride’s family had to pay for the wedding. Today, just 27% percent of weddings are paid for by the bride’s family. Even a simple affair can have a significant cost, so it is not surprising that families address this in different ways. The bride’s family may pay. The couple themselves may pay, or the groom’s family, the bride’s family and the couple may share expenses.

What’s important is that the bride and groom-to-be discuss the budget early to ensure a smooth path to the altar. You can have as many or as few attendants as you want. Even at a big, formal wedding, just one or two attendants on each side are acceptable. Because groomsmen and ushers have the responsibility of seating guests at the ceremony, the rule of thumb is one usher for every 50 guests, and it’s fine to have more ushers than bridesmaids.

Bridal Bouquets:

Bouquets can be as beautiful and varied as the brides who carry them. Vibrant wildflowers, lavender roses that match the bridesmaids’ dresses, the groom’s favorite flower, etc.-all are acceptable and wonderful.

Mother of the Bride Attire:

Traditionally, the mother of the bride chooses her dress and then notifies the mother of the groom of its style and shade so that she can purchase a dress that complements but doesn’t exactly match the bride’s mother and attendants. Today, the mother of the groom should select an outfit that she feels beautiful and comfortable in and that is appropriate for the time of day and formality of the wedding. If the bride’s mom hasn’t contacted the groom’s mom, it is perfectly fine for mom of the groom to initiate that phone call to discuss dress details.

Wedding Gifts:

Any gift is fine. Some couples today have already combined households and may not need another blender, compact toaster oven or set of thirsty bath towels. Gift registries are now in vogue. Don’t be surprised by a registry that may contain non-traditional items like chipping in on vacations and mortgage payments.

Guests’Attire:

Women can really wear white as long as it doesn’t look like a wedding dress: it’s the bride’s day. If you wear black, it should look like you are attending a wedding, not a funeral. Also consider time of day, location and any rules of attire specified by religion (for example, bare shoulders or too much cleavage or leg showing.

Helpers:

Designate a point person to take care of the minor details on the wedding day so the groom doesn’t find himself responsible for tracking down the DJ or rounding up friends for photographs. This person can either be hired or a friend, but be sure they have a schedule of approximate times that the bride and groom plan to share their first dance, toss the bouquet and cut the cake.