Weddings are great fun – make no mistake – there’ll be lovely food, bubbly, dancing, the chance to meet lots of happy chatty people, and, of course you’ll see two people you know come together as one.
But in order to fully enjoy it, you need to be aware of certain behaviours that might seem quite normal in day-to-day life, but at a wedding are considered very rude indeed. From the moment you receive your wedding invite to the big day itself, here’s how NOT to be the guest everyone talks about for the wrong reasons.
RSVPs
These are the cards sent out long before the wedding day, asking if you’ll be able to attend. You need to reply to this straight away because the couple will be planning their big day around how many guests will be attending. If you don’t hit the RSVP date, you might be the one holding up all their plans.
Bringing a plus-one
Only do this if the invite says you can, or you’ve checked it’s okay with the bride and groom prior to the wedding (if they say no, don’t be offended). Turning up with an extra person unannounced is rude, and could lead to extra costs for the now less-than-happy couple.
The gift
It’s expected that you bring a gift to a wedding. After all, the party’s being thrown at great expense, so it’s only fair. The bride and groom might provide a wedding gift list in advance. Feel free to buy something for them from there, or bring your own present if you have something special you’d like to give them.
Get chatting
Weddings are a little different to catching the Tube. You’ll probably be surrounded by strangers, but you’re expected to talk to them and get to know them. You’ve all got something in common – you know one or both of the happy couple – so there’s your conversation starter. You’ll find the chat flows more freely than you might think.
Dress code
The wedding invite should say what the dress code is, and you need to adhere to this, otherwise you’ll look terribly out of place, and you might even ruin the photographs. And definitely, definitely, don’t wear white. The bride, who normally wears white at a wedding, should be the centre of attention, and wearing the same colour will draw eyes away from her.
Attending with kids
Though a lot of fun, weddings can often see you waiting around while photographs are being taken, and so on. So make sure you bring plenty of snacks, games, books, crayons and anything else your children love so they’re distracted and happy.
If they cry or shout during the ceremony, and don‘t look like stopping any time soon, just take them out of the venue until they’ve calmed down, then you can bring them back in.
Follow these tips, then follow what others do on the day. You’ll find you can soon let your hair down and have a thoroughly good time – that’s what everyone’s there for, after all.