Proper Wedding Etiquette

Although most couples start the planning process months before the wedding, there have been many cases where guests were not happy or there were some problems during the ceremony. One of the main reasons behind this is that many people do not know about ideal etiquette.

So, if you have decided to tie the knot or you have been invited to attend a wedding, here are some tips that you should keep in mind.

It is customary for the couple to inform their parents about their engagement before they tell anyone else, including their grandparents, siblings, and close friends. Once the couple has told their parents, it is the groom's mother's responsibility to initiate contact with the bride's parents by inviting them for an informal dinner or lunch.

Traditionally, the responsibility of paying for the wedding was the bride's parents. But, this trend has changed in the recent years, and nowadays most weddings are funded by the parents of both the bride and the groom. As couples are marrying later in life and have their own savings, many of them decide to share the expenses without involving their parents.

For instance, the bridal shower should always be organized by one of the bridesmaids or the friends of the bride, while the bachelor party is usually hosted by the groomsmen or the best man. Also, according to etiquette, the groom's parents have the responsibility of hosting the rehearsal dinner.

The 'save the date' card is sent only to inform your close friends about the date of the wedding, so that they can keep themselves free from any other commitments. If you do not want the guests to bring their children to the wedding, address the card only to the couple and do not mention the name of the children.

If you want to invite children above the age of 18, you've to send a separate invitation, otherwise they are considered to be uninvited. Don't forget to send an RSVP card with the invitation, and you must include return postage on them. Guests who haven't replied to your invitation by a week before the big day should be called to confirm their attendance.

Another way of informing your guests about the place you have registered is by starting a personal wedding website where you can share all these details. However, when it comes to bridal showers, you can mention the place of registration in the invitation.

Nevertheless, you should not use the gifts that you receive for your shower before you are actually married. This is because if your wedding gets canceled or postponed, etiquette says that you have to return the gifts that you have received. Also, avoid opening the gifts in front of the guests at the reception.