At some point in everyone’s lives, there has been a wedding of some sort that they have attended or at least been invited to. Weddings are fun celebrations and exciting times for close friends and families of a bride and groom ensemble, so as a guest, it is important to act accordingly. Minding your P’s and Q’s can keep the craziest of days from going from angelic to a nightmare. This means that staying on your best behavior from ceremony to reception will give you an A+ in guest etiquette and make you total #guestgoals for years to come.
1. Never Upstage the Bride:
This has to be one of the most important golden rules. This is the bride’s big day
and you have been invited to spend it with her, so do not take advantage of that! Weddings, as any big event can be, are stressful for anyone, and generally, the bride-to-be is already preparing for the worst. At most, it is just plain rude to shift the attention of an event that is about someone else to yourself. This means bold colors, patterns, looks, statements etc., are out of the picture.
2. Never Invite an Uninvited Plus One:
Unless your invitation has explicitly stated that a plus-one is guaranteed with the RSVP, do not do it. Special circumstances do arise, so if there is someone you would like to bring (i.e. a significant other, a child, etc.,) then of course, ask your bride/groom. Never bring a surprise to the wedding!
3. Practice Responsible and Mindful Drinking:
If you happen to be lucky enough to be invited to a wedding with an open bar, then it is important to know your limits. Acting responsibly and reasonably as a guest is not only safe for you, but respectful to the newly-weds. Again, you have been fortunate enough to be asked to share this special day with the happy couple. No one likes a disruptive guest at any sort of celebration, so it is essential to mind your manners. To stay on the safe side, follow a two glass limit for drinking alcoholic beverages.
As the guest, you have one of the easiest jobs: to celebrate! Your mindset should always be that you are there to cheer on the newly-weds. At the end of the day, isn’t that the most important part?