Be a Good Wedding Guest

It's wedding season!  I've been helping couples plan and execute their big days for about 10 years now and during that time I've seen some things.  Some things you should not have to see at weddings.  Today on Thinking Out Loud Thursday I'm sharing a few tips on what you should not do as a wedding guest.

                                              

If an RSVP is requested, please PLEASE respond.  "RSVP" comes from the French expression répondez s'il vous plaît and means "please respond".  The bride and groom care enough about you to invite you to share in their special day, so care enough about them to respond!  If the invitation states "regards only" and you plan to attend, you don't need to do a thing.  If they are asking for an RSVP, please respond if you plan to attend OR if you aren't going to be able to make it.  Respond either way!  Bottom line - RESPOND!!  When you open the invitation and you know you are going to attend, respond immediately so you can not worry about forgetting to do it.  If you're not sure, put a reminder on your phone to respond by the date requested.  

Plan on arriving 10 or 15 minutes before the start of the wedding.  Mapquest the location ahead of time and make a plan.  It's hard to be sitting guests as the bridal party is trying to make their entrance.  Get there a little early, find a seat, and enjoy the beauty of the day.

If you are asked to sit at a specific table for dinner, please sit there.  After dinner, you can roam and sit wherever your heart desires.  But for dinner, the bride and groom would like you to sit where they have assigned you to sit.  If you're worried about having to sit with people you don't know, think of a few conversation questions you can ask.  Some examples are "How do you know the bride and groom?", "What song do you really hope the DJ plays tonight?", "How far did you have to travel to attend the wedding?", "What's the craziest thing you have ever seen at a wedding?".  

The bride and groom have a lot of things to do at their wedding and reception.  They want to be able to enjoy their time with all their family and friends gathered in one spot.  Be mindful of how much time you are monopolizing them!  If you want to spend more time with the newlyweds, set up a dinner in the weeks after the wedding.  Join them on the dance floor and spend time having fun.  Write them a note and drop it in the card box with any special thoughts you want to say.  It's fine to chat with the bride and groom to express your congratulations, just don't pull them into a lengthy conversation that will make it hard for them to visit with their other guests.  

Dance, drink, and be merry - but not so merry that you will be embarrassed the next day!  Open bar doesn't mean drink yourself into oblivion.  

When the party is over - leave.  If you're not done celebrating, feel free to continue at an after-party.  Many times the bride and groom need to have everyone gone and the venue cleaned by a certain time or they will get charged for the extra time.  If the lights are on and the music has stopped, that's a pretty good sign the party has ended.  Time for you to move out.

Now it's your turn - what are you thinking out loud about today?  Link up and share!  I'd love to hear from you.

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