Wedding etiquette for guests

Everyone will probably have questions about wedding etiquette for guests at some point in life. If you’ve been invited to a wedding this season, you may be wondering what your role should be. When do you RSVP, what do wedding attire is appropriate, how should you behave? We have all those answers here.

Your first order of business as far as wedding etiquette for a guest once you receive a wedding invitation is to RSVP as soon as possible. The bride needs to know how many guests will be coming so that she can plan seating and catering for the reception.

If you wait until the last minute or don’t RSVP at all and then show up, she may find that she is short of plates, which would be very embarrassing. If you do RSVP and later have to cancel, you should let the bride know as soon as you can so that she can make the proper adjustments.

You should also make sure that if a guest is invited, you RSVP whether you will be bringing someone or not. If they do not include “family” or “guest” then you should not bring your children or a date.

The next question you may have probably concerns the gift. Proper wedding guest etiquette says that you should send the gift to the bride’s home well before the wedding. If you attend a bridal shower, you can deliver the gift then.

Technically, it is not against wedding etiquette for guests to bring the gift to the reception or to send it up to a year after the wedding, but that is not very considerate to the bride and groom. Consider that someone will have to transport gifts on the day of the wedding, which can cause confusion.

If you wait to send the gift too long after the wedding, you risk looking inconsiderate also. If you are invited to the wedding, reception, or a shower but cannot attend, it is good etiquette as a wedding guest to send a gift anyway.

What do I wear? Wedding etiquette for guests’ attire is determined by the time of day and the location. If it is an evening or late afternoon wedding, guest attire should be more formal. This means suits for the gentleman, and even a tux if the invitation requests “black tie.”

The ladies should were more formal dresses, which can be floor length for black tie, and more elaborate jewelry. If the ceremony is held within a church, the ladies’ shoulders should be covered with at least a wrap.

For less formal weddings held earlier or outdoors, wedding guest attire can be less formal almost to casual. If you have questions as to how casual or formal, you can always as a member of the family or wedding party what they are wearing to get an idea for yourself.

On the day of the special event, you have other responsibilities according to wedding etiquette for guests. Of course, you should strive to be on time. It is very distracting from the ceremony if you find yourself interrupting to come in late.

Once the ceremony has started leave the picture taking to the professionals. It is distracting and can ruin the photographer’s shots if you are snapping pictures left and right during what is supposed to be a sacred and serious ceremony.

Of course, during the ceremony and reception both remember that it is bad form according to wedding etiquette for guests to drink too much alcohol.

If there is a bar at the reception, drink responsibly so as not to embarrass the bride and groom on their special day. Keep all other behavior civilized as well so as not to take attention away from the happy couple.