For most ordinary folks, wedding etiquette sounds like a complete stranger, like taking a trip to unchartered territory, but this is the most important aspect of social graces that should be observed.
In every social gathering, there is always an appropriate decorum to be observed, and a wedding event is no exemption. As years gone by, lots of changes and development occurred regarding the proper etiquette in the wedding ceremony, nevertheless, refinement and propriety are still expected to be exercised from both parties.
The Invitation
The words to be composed on the wedding invitations depend on who are hosting the ceremony, unlike in the past where the bride’s parents are the hosts, today, it is normally the couples themselves, so the invitation message should be acknowledged under their names.
Example:
“We, together with our parents (state the names of your parents), invite you to join us as we express our deepest commitment through the marriage vows….”
“Mr.and Mrs. (groom’s parents) and Mr.and Mrs (bride’s family) request the honor of your presence to witness the wedding of our children, George and Natalie
At the end of the paragraph you put your names (for example: George and Natalie), never, never say such thing as:
when in the Bridal Entourage section of secondary sponsors you will state “To Clothe Us as One”, “To Bind Us Together”, the logic simply messed up and the whole purpose of the invitation horribly turns upside down. Be logical.
According to some wedding organizing experts, couples should never attach a gift registry notice in the wedding invitation, it suggests impropriety. The couples’ friends and relatives should be the one to spread the registry.
Couples may choose to announce this on their wedding website, that’s why it is a must to insert the link of the site to the wedding invitations at the bottom of the message after the reception venue is mentioned. Only the menu card is included in the wedding invitation. Be precise and concise with your invitation message, if necessary mention some details and expectations.
Couples may choose to announce this on their wedding website, that’s why it is a must to insert the link of the site to the wedding invitations at the bottom of the message after the reception venue is mentioned. Only the menu card is included in the wedding invitation. Be precise and concise with your invitation message, if necessary mention some details and expectations.
Example of a precise wedding invitation:
We, together with our parents,
Mr. & Mrs (groom’s parents) and Mr. & Mrs. (bride’s parents)
invites the honor of your presence to come and witness us as we express our deepest commitment through the marriage vows on (date) at (name of the church and address).
Kindly come wearing summery attire to go with our Springtime wedding theme. We would appreciate it very much if you can share your precious time with us. Please let us know if in case you are not available on that date.
Reception follows at the (name of the reception venue).
Anticipating for your presence,
George and Natalie
RSVP: (your contact numbers)
Official Site: (your wedding site link)
The Menu Card
This is where you would list down the foods and drinks to be served on the reception. This is traditionally part of the wedding protocol and always included in the wedding invitation. The significance of distributing a menu card is to inform the guests of the kind of meal and drinks to be served in the reception. Some of them might have allergies on a certain food. Others might expect something on the meal. Menu Card will give them an idea what to expect on the reception.
The Uninvited
There are past that are hard to bury, your partner knows this by heart, especially if that name you hated most seems to appear always in your conversation. If you still have some unresolved issues or feelings with your ex, then do not invite him/her in your wedding out of respect to your future partner.
If your wedding is controlling the number of guests do not address your invitation with “Mr. and Miss Smith and family”, you could just imagine the throng of people attending your reception. Try to be very specific when sending an invitation, be sure you specify how many seats you will reserve so the recipient would know if he/she will bring another family member.
If your wedding is controlling the number of guests do not address your invitation with “Mr. and Miss Smith and family”, you could just imagine the throng of people attending your reception. Try to be very specific when sending an invitation, be sure you specify how many seats you will reserve so the recipient would know if he/she will bring another family member.
At the Aisle
In a Christian Wedding, it is always the father who will accompany the bride down the aisle. The mother of the bride will be accompanied by her son during the bridal march. The groom will walk with his best man behind (historically, the groom never accompanied by his parents to the altar).
Based on history, the meaning why the bride is accompanied by her father is to usher her in her journey to married life and to indicate that she will no longer under his turf and that she will be taken care now by the man whom she chooses to live for the rest of her life.
The reason why the groom should walk alone is that it implies his manhood, of being independent, of being the head of the family and does not need an anchor to support him and that he could stand and handle the pressure and rigor of married life. Parents of the groom will march after the latter.
Coins and rings should be carried by the Best Man and the mother’s groom not by a young page boy (read the explanation in Wedding Elements).
Based on history, the meaning why the bride is accompanied by her father is to usher her in her journey to married life and to indicate that she will no longer under his turf and that she will be taken care now by the man whom she chooses to live for the rest of her life.
The reason why the groom should walk alone is that it implies his manhood, of being independent, of being the head of the family and does not need an anchor to support him and that he could stand and handle the pressure and rigor of married life. Parents of the groom will march after the latter.
Coins and rings should be carried by the Best Man and the mother’s groom not by a young page boy (read the explanation in Wedding Elements).
Bouquet Anxiety
Personally, the reason why I refused to attend wedding reception recently is because I don’t want to endure another round of humiliation by being rudely force to catch the bouquet, “find the match” and mimic what the bride and groom are doing with guests laughing on top of their lungs.
I could not understand why the newlyweds allowed this because it never appears so funny. This is an embarrassing ritual for singles that should be reinvented. You are not staging a carnival or extravaganza to ridicule other guests and to make your wedding day a funny event at the expense of singles, that is not the way entertainment is defined socially.
Be considerate with other’s feelings. If you are eager to include the tossing of bouquet in the program just be creative in facilitating the event.
I could not understand why the newlyweds allowed this because it never appears so funny. This is an embarrassing ritual for singles that should be reinvented. You are not staging a carnival or extravaganza to ridicule other guests and to make your wedding day a funny event at the expense of singles, that is not the way entertainment is defined socially.
Be considerate with other’s feelings. If you are eager to include the tossing of bouquet in the program just be creative in facilitating the event.
THANK YOU note
It is customarily to send a “Thank You” note to all the people who attended the ceremony, who had helped the preparation of the whole event and to the people who send gifts. You can make your own note card by printing a carefully chosen message in a clean stationary like that of your wedding invitation.
Gifts
There’s no specific rule that say you will open the gifts before the bewildered guests at the reception. This is not recommended because gifts are precious presents, so the “opening” should be kept private. In fact some modern rule even stated that no gifts should be brought to the wedding reception.
Guests send their gifts when the couple return from their honeymoon, but practicality-wise and to save time and money, guests often bring the gifts in the reception, if this is the case, the gifts should be put at the specific table. In some weddings, there are persons, usually usherettes, who take charge of keeping the gifts.
Guests send their gifts when the couple return from their honeymoon, but practicality-wise and to save time and money, guests often bring the gifts in the reception, if this is the case, the gifts should be put at the specific table. In some weddings, there are persons, usually usherettes, who take charge of keeping the gifts.
Receiving the Guests
In most wedding I attended, I rarely see newlyweds personally welcome their guests and engage in a conversation except for table hopping portion, what puzzles me most is their “distant” mood towards the guests at the reception as if they are unreachable and couldn’t be disturbed, I don’t know if it is part of anxiety or wedding nerves but isn’t it nice for the bride and groom to be more gracious and casual to their guests?
After all it is their big day and the last thing to happen is to be figuratively hostile to their invited guests. Some wedding etiquette books say that couples should receive and welcome the guests personally in the reception venue. They (with their parents) must greet their guests individually before making their way to the head table and personally thank each guest during souvenir-taking.
After all it is their big day and the last thing to happen is to be figuratively hostile to their invited guests. Some wedding etiquette books say that couples should receive and welcome the guests personally in the reception venue. They (with their parents) must greet their guests individually before making their way to the head table and personally thank each guest during souvenir-taking.
Change Outfit
For a small wedding reception, the bride and groom have an option to change their outfit to be more comfortable, mingle with the guests and engage in a conversation before heading to their table. The surrounding is more relaxing and momentous if the couple will join guests on the ground for a time and exchange pleasantries.
For the Guests
Proper etiquette says that guests are expected to behave and act appropriately when attending a wedding event. Avoid rude manners and remarks during the ceremony. Maintain tactfulness and refinement.
You are not invited to put the couple in a hot spot, you are there to share precious moments with them and not to embarrass them.
Exercise a proper code of conduct by consistently behaving all through out. It is always proper to inform the bride and groom when leaving the reception venue and not just fade in the background for unknown reasons.
You are not invited to put the couple in a hot spot, you are there to share precious moments with them and not to embarrass them.
Exercise a proper code of conduct by consistently behaving all through out. It is always proper to inform the bride and groom when leaving the reception venue and not just fade in the background for unknown reasons.
No comments:
Post a Comment