Guests at a Wedding
As an invited guest at a wedding, you will want to maintain a certain poise and decorum.
It all starts with the invitation. A reply card is normal to send with the invitation. Did you send it back? Be sure that you send it back in a timely fashion, so that the wedding planner or mother of the bride or groom does not have to call you. The final phase of planning takes place in the last 4 weeks before the wedding. Much of what has to get done depends on the number of guests attending.
Many reply cards say number attending. Look at the address. If your invitation is addressed to Mr. and Mrs. John Smith and you can both attend, write in two. If you have children of ANY age, and their names are not on the envelope or inner envelope, they are NOT invited. Do not say you are bringing them.
Every wedding has a budget. It is likely that the per/person spending could reach or exceed $100 a person. How would you like it if you had to spend an extra $3000 or more for uninvited guests.
The bride and groom spend huge amounts of time planning their wedding with their wedding planner and parents. Be sure that if you accept the invitation to the wedding, you follow some simple tenets.
1. Dress appropriately for the venue and for the special occasion.
2. While an Open Bar is normal at a wedding, that does not mean to drink until you drop. Be moderate.
3. Your Girlfriend/Boyfriend may not be known to the couple. Don’t bring someone not invited. This is not a charity ball, it is a life celebration.
4. One of the most difficult tasks is preparing a seating plan for the guests. If you don’t know everyone at your table, decide that is an opportunity to get to know some new people, and don’t complain about the choice of table mates to others. After all, you only have to sit there during dinner.
5. Remember that a wedding is about the Bride and the Groom, not about you. Be gracious,
At least half the weddings we hear about have some large or small story about the ungracious guest. Be sure that you are not one of them. Do your part to make the wedding day a joyful day for all, especially the Bride and Groom.