Tag: wedding etiquette

The Top 5 Wedding Etiquette Mistakes!

Posted on by Glendalough Manor

Wedding etiquette and traditions vary widely across the world for different reasons.  I will be the first to point out that traditions and etiquette have been broken over the past few decades.  However, I am a firm believer in tradition as many of our etiquette guidelines were established for a reason.  Weather it be to honor a culture or simply make a seemingly stressful day one that everyone can enjoy.  So, what are the most influential mistakes that both the bride/groom and their guests make?  Well, I am here to tell you the top five mistakes made!  Take note.

First:  Bringing the wedding gift to the wedding.  It is actually customary to mail the wedding gift prior to the wedding day (guest mistake).  This not only allows the bride and groom to unpack and address thank you cards before the big day, it also alleviates lugging all those wedding gifts home with a family member at the end of the night.

Photo Provided by: Southern Bliss Photo

Second:  Not sending a thank you note for ANY gift you received for your wedding.  This is a BIG no – no!  Believe me, as much as I could care less if my friend sends me a thank you note, there are those that take it very seriously (especially older family members).  Kidding aside, this is probably one of the rudest mistakes that you can make.  While they love you very much, all of your guests took time and money out of their life to witness your wedding day and a simple thank you for coming and for the gift is the least you can do.

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Third:  Not offering enough food at your wedding!  I know, I know, weddings are expensive these days and you want to have enough money to buy that beautiful dress, flowers, cake, ect…  However, be warned that if you chose to skimp on your wedding fare, it will NOT go unnoticed.  I am guilty of this even after over 15 years in the wedding industry, I still get disappointed when I come hungry to a wedding and there is not a sufficient amount of food.  Point is, don’t leave your guests hungry!

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Fourth:  Being late to the ceremony!!  You can go ahead and put this at the top of your list on things NOT to do at a wedding.  Being late is perhaps the most over looked expectation at a wedding.  The couple has spent A LOT of money on their big day and there are many factors that are affected when things don’t run in a timely manner; i.e. dinner could be delayed and not fresh, they may have only paid for a certain amount of time in the ceremony space, the whether could be sketchy, ect…  So, do everyone a favor and arrive at least 15-30 minutes prior to the ceremony start time.  This also ensures that you will get a good seat and not walking in the same time the bride is!

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Lastly:  Not R.S.V.Ping to the wedding!  Guys…this is everything!  Since it is customary at most weddings to provide each guests with an escort card, sending in your RSVP is very important.  Bottom line, if you don’t RSVP, you will not have a seat in the reception.  Which means that you are not accounted for in the food and beverage count either.  There is nothing more embarrassing that not having a seat and the staff having to scramble to find you a seat and possibly collecting more money from the bride and groom on wedding day.  Save everyone the trouble and put the already self-addressed envelope back in the mail!

Wedding Etiquette! Everything You Need To Know!

Posted on by Glendalough Manor

You’re engaged!  The beginning of what will be one of the most exciting days of your life.  After hours of Pinterest surfing, you have nailed down your dress, colors, flowers, ect.  However, remember not to get so caught up in the details of the planning and decor that you forget about basic etiquette.  I like to re-visit a lesson on wedding formalities a couple times a year because let’s face it, we live in the South and wedding etiquette is extremely important!

I have answered the most common questions that brides have to ensure that they are following proper wedding customs!

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1.  Tipping:  this is probably one of the most commonly talked about topics amongst brides and wedding professionals!  So, who should you tip?  Well, the answer is, pretty much everyone.  We all know that budget is important so if you are not able to tip everyone, here is a good rule of thumb.  The important people to tip would be your wedding planner (if you did not already pay a wedding planning company), the DJ, the florist, the photographer, the chef or caterer, the minister (since often his/her services are free) and any extra help that day (i.e. assistant coordinators, make up artists, ect.).

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2.  Escort cards:  this is a misconception between place cards and escort cards so I am here to put the speculation to rest! place cards (pictured above) are placed on a table just outside the reception space and will include the guest’s first and last name as well as the table number or name that they will be sitting at.

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3.  Place cards: Unlike place cards, escort cards identify the specific seat that the guest is to sit at each table.  Therefore, they will pick up their place card outside the reception and then find their seat at the table.  It is perfectly acceptable to just provide place cards and let your guests choose where they would like to sit at the table.  Escort cards are generally used for a  formal plated meal service where sitting in the right seat is critical for the dinner service to flow properly!

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4.  Formal place setting:  Above is the proper way to set a table for a formal plated meal.  You can however, opt for a butter knife next to the dinner knife and add a bread and butter plate at the top of the setting.

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5.  Are save the dates really necessary?  Well, not technically but they are a great way to control your guest list and give your family and friends ample notice to plan for your big day.

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5.  Wedding Gifts:  A lot of people do not know this common mistake.  By tradition, you are actually supposed to mail the wedding gift prior to the wedding and save the cards for the wedding day.  Only about 20 percent of wedding guests do this and the rest bring the gifts to the reception.

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6.  Thank you cards:  this is NOT an option!  Sending thank you cards has been a tradition that we adopted many many decades ago.  Your guests sacrificed a lot to be part of your day so the least you can do is thank them for spending the day with you and kind enough to give a gift.

Happy Planning!