Eight Things Not To Do When Attending A Wedding
Regardless of how carefully a wedding is planned, there are some things that a bride to be simply cannot control. And one of those things is the guests behavior.
Despite the fact that a brides wedding day is supposed to be the best day of her life, some guests have too much to drink, others insist upon making cringe worthy toasts and at least one person says something that they really shouldn’t have.
Should you find yourself on the guest list of an upcoming wedding, here are eight things not to do on the big day.
Drinking too Much
First off, we have the small matter of drinking too much. There’s nothing wrong with getting a little merry at a wedding but there’s a big difference between merry and sloppy. The bride and groom have spent a lot of time and money on planning their perfect wedding. They’d probably prefer it if you didn’t dance on the tables. If you find yourself getting a little too tipsy, take a seat and enjoy some of the free food.
Forgetting Who You’re Talking to
When attending a wedding, it’s important to keep in mind that most people know each other. In other words, it’s important to watch what you say. A sly comment to a stranger mightn’t seem like a big deal at the time, but that stranger can easily turn out to be a close relative of the bride. In general, if you’re at a wedding and you can’t think of anything nice to say, you’re probably better off not saying anything.
Wearing the Wrong Clothes
Just because you haven’t been told to wear anything in particular, that doesn’t mean that you can wear whatever you want. You don’t need to purchase new clothes but you are expected to wear something both clean and reasonably formal. This means that guys should avoid sneakers and women should avoid short skirts. Women are also expected to avoid looking too much like either the bride or the bridesmaids.
Bringing an Uninvited Plus One
Brides to be generally plan their weddings with specific head counts in mind. Bringing a plus one without asking in advance is therefore not to be recommended. If your wedding invite doesn’t include the words “plus one”, you’re generally expected to show up alone. And if you’re unhappy with this arrangement, the day of the wedding is not the time to question it.
Hitting on the Bridesmaids
Contrary to popular belief, if you’re a guy and you’re invited to a wedding, you’re not actually obligated to make a pass at one of the bridesmaids. In fact, most brides to be would probably prefer if you didn’t. The same logic applies to their mother, their sister and their friends. A little bit of flirting is harmless but always border on the side of caution.
Making the Wrong Toast
If you haven’t been asked to make a toast, it’s generally expected that you don’t make one. And if you have been asked to, it’s generally expected that you keep embarrassing stories to yourself. There’s a big difference between stag/hen party humor and wedding day humor. Keep in mind that the bride and groom are surrounded by all of their family and friends. If it seems risque, it probably is.
Arriving Empty Handed
As a guest at a wedding, you’re generally entitled to both a free meal and an open bar. In return, you’re expected to show up with some kind of wedding gift. You don’t have to make a generous donation to the honeymoon fund but you do need to arrive with something. Even a well written card will save you the embarrassment of showing up empty handed.
Ruining the Wedding Dress
Finally, we have the small matter of the brides wedding dress, be very careful around it. If there’s one thing that you don’t want to do at a wedding, it’s spill your wine on the bride. It might sound obvious but it’s an embarrassing mistake that happens more often than you’d think. If you want to talk to the bride, always leave your drink down first. All it takes is one bump and you’re that wedding guest that nobody wants to be.
Author Bio:
Matt Moogan, writer of this post, works at xerodigital.ca as a wedding photographer. Xerodigital is a leading photography firm in Toronto which specializes in wedding photography and videography.
Top 10 Ways To Keep Your Wedding Guests Happy
An often overlooked part of planning the perfect wedding is the small matter of how to keep the guests happy. After all, it might be the brides big day but it’s also a day that quite a few people have sacrificed their weekends to be a part of.
The good news is that keeping wedding guests happy isn’t difficult. All you need to do is keep their needs in mind when making all of the big decisions. Here are ten simple tips for a wedding that your guests enjoy almost as much as you do.
1. Choose a Convenient Date
The first rule of keeping your guests happy is to simply choose a convenient date. Avoid major sporting events, long weekends and of course, your best friends birthday. And don’t forget to provide plenty of notice. Wedding invitations are generally expected to be sent out at least two months in advance.
2. Make it Easy to Get to
If some of your guests will be visiting from out of town, try to provide clear driving instructions. Stressful car journeys tend to lead to stressed out guests. Creating a list of cheap hotels in the area is also very much recommended. Just because you’re willing to splash out on a fancy hotel, that doesn’t mean that your guests will be.
3. Allow Plus Ones
If money is tight, plus ones can seem like an unnecessary expense but the reality is that nobody wants to go to a wedding alone. If you want to invite somebody single, don’t hold their relationship status against them. The old “no ring, no bring” rule is not a popular strategy among wedding guests.
4. Keep Things Short and Sweet
Everyone loves a beautiful wedding ceremony but very few people want to spend hours inside a church. It’s your big day and there’s certainly no need to rush but do you really want a two hour ceremony? Remember, the less time you spend at the church, the more time you’ll have at the party afterwards.
5. Don’t Leave People Standing Around
A common wedding mistake is to leave the guests standing around for an hour while the bride and groom are getting their photo taken. The last thing that you want to do is rush your wedding photos but it’s important to offer your guests some kind of entertainment while they wait. Consider some outdoor music, some free champagne and some games for any children in attendance.
6. Let Them Sit Where They Want
Most brides to be obsess over seating arrangements but did you know that professional wedding planners generally recommend against them? Nobody likes being told where to sit and weddings are no exception. Rather than allocating seats, just allocate tables and let people sit next to whoever they want. The result is less planning for you and more freedom for your guests.
7. Keep the Music Down
Music is a vital part of any wedding party but it’s important to keep in mind that not everyone likes to dance. And it’s pretty difficult to have a conversation when you can’t hear what the other person is saying. There’s nothing wrong with occasionally turning things up but try to be considerate of those who are more interested in talking than dancing.
8. Offer a Choice of Food
One of the most common sources of wedding guest complaints is a poor selection of food. Different people have different preferences and it’s important for you to keep this in mind when planning your menu. Find out if any of your guests have specific preferences or food allergies. And don’t forget to provide at least one child friendly choice.
9. Pay for a Free Bar
If you can afford it, nothing makes wedding guests happier than free booze. Offering your guests a free bar doesn’t necessarily have to be that expensive either. There’s no rule that says you can’t limit the beverages to beer and wine. A word of warning however, some people do seem to mistake the term “free bar” for “drinking competition”.
10. Cut the Cake on Time
Finally, we have the small matter of the cake cutting, it’s generally recommended that you don’t leave it too late in the night. The reason for this is simple, nobody wants to leave before the cake gets cut but not everyone wants to party past midnight. By getting the cake cutting out of the way, older wedding guests will be able to leave early, leaving you free to party the night away.
Author Bio:
The author of this post, Arnold Parker, has a keen interest in wedding planning as well as photography and resorts to guest blogging to share his thoughts on it. He is part of the team at Jamieson Dean Photography and is the best wedding photographer in Toronto.
Essential Wedding Tips For The Mother Of The Bride
When you have raised your daughter through all the good and bad times, watched her grow and then find the man of her dreams it is a very emotional and momentous occasion when she gets married. Making all the arrangements that will allow her to have the best day of her life is the natural aim from your point of view, but it can be easy to take too much of an active role in certain aspects of the planning. It is not always simple to know where to draw the line between being there to help out and taking control of things that your daughter would rather you left to her. Here are some tips for mothers of the bride in the build-up to the wedding to ensure that you get the balance right.
Make Suggestions
If it is your daughter's first wedding then although it is incredibly exciting it is also guaranteed to be a nervy experience planning everything, and that is before she even walks down the aisle. As the mother of the bride it should be your job to be on hand to offer her any help and support that she requires and you should not be afraid to give your suggestions on certain aspects. If you think there is a better way of doing something then tell your daughter but always make sure you do it in a way that is not at all pushy. It is her big day and ultimately what your daughter wants is more important than anything.
Double-Check the Guest List
A wedding can often reunite family members who may have drifted apart in recent years but you should not automatically assume that your daughter will want to invite all her long-lost relatives. It could be a very inconvenient scenario if you go ahead and ask someone to attend on your daughter's behalf without having checked with her first. Let her draw up the guest list and if she wants you to get in touch with certain family members then she will ask.
Maintain Grace
There are so many special elements to a wedding and much to enjoy as the mother of the bride but you should always remember to stay graceful. Offer your opinions but never be tempted to let your personal feelings for certain arrangements or people get in the way of the wedding. Even if your daughter or her partner want to invite people that you are not a huge fan of, you should put it all aside and keep the peace so everyone can enjoy the day.
Author Bio:
Sara Davey has three daughters and saw her eldest get married in a wonderful ceremony. They found the perfect flowers for the day from http://www.silkblooms.co.uk/.
Wooing Your Wedding Guests
If you are planning your wedding or a friend’s wedding, the most important thing to realize is that this is a celebration of two people who will be professing their love for each other in front of families and friends. So, it is necessary that this day be memorable and special. Contrary to popular belief, when it comes to weddings, that does not mean you have to break the bank to create the perfect day. There is something for every budget with each option being just as special as the next. Below are some ideas that range from simple to extravagant. Regardless of what you select or what is affordable, they are all the same in that they help create a moment that will last a lifetime.
Top Wedding Ideas
Destination Weddings
A destination wedding is one that takes place far from home, usually requiring long distance travel and in some cases, is held out of the country. This will require guests to stay at your target location for a couple of days, which is nice because they can celebrate and relax before embarking on the journey back home. This sort of wedding is a bit complex to hold as couples that are soon-to-wed, have to worry about their own budgeting as well as the budget for their guests. Destination weddings require couples to consider many factors. For example, will their guests be willing to spend enough money for travel? Do their guests’ schedules permit them to travel without causing any inconveniences to their home or work life? How will you get all your accessories, food, and destination wedding favors there? These are intangibles that are hard to predict and can change at any moment. But if everything works and family and friends are in a position where they can travel without budgeting or scheduling issues, then a destination wedding will surely be the perfect choice!
Small Intimate Weddings
This can of course, be a more budget friendly option. You can host an intimate wedding in a restaurant, a theatre, a lodge/country club and let us not forget the traditional option of hosting it in a Church with the possibility of a follow-up reception at one of the locations previously mentioned. If you want to be original but still have the budget for a small wedding, you can even consider having a wedding on a boat, a farm or outdoors in nature. These are just a few of the many options for venues to host a small wedding. If you can be creative about the destination, it will surely be a hit!
Large Weddings
If you want to go all out on your wedding day, but so many hindrances have prevented a destination wedding from taking place, then you should probably consider having a large wedding in a place that will be near to you and your guests. Again, creativity and original thinking can make this wedding even more memorable for everyone. You can have it in a historic place such as a castle or maybe a museum, or on a beach. If hosting a beach wedding, you can even plan for a beach party afterwards. Other options include hosting at a winery or if into drinking beer, a brew pub. Originality is the key to any wedding so do what is going to make you and your future spouse happy. Although the happy couple or their parents are hosting the special event, the day really should be all about them.
Author Bio:
This article discussing various wedding venues was written by author Sarah Smith in promotion of Atlantic City Country Club in Northfield, New Jersey. For up-to-date information on golf courses and country blubs in and around the Atlantic City Area, follow- @acgolfer.
Is Your Online Wedding Registry Rude or Greedy?
You’re getting married, and it’s one of the most exciting times of your life. You can’t wait to embark on a new life with your husband after you walk down the aisle, but there is so much to do before that can happen. Wedding planning can be a nightmare. One thing that isn’t so bad, however, is picking out items for your wedding registry.
As you check out the things you dream about having in your new home, it’s easy to get carried away. You have to remember that your friends and family will be looking at this list, and they’re going to feel obligated to buy your presents from it. You don’t want to be considered a Bridezilla, so it’s important to make sure your wedding registry doesn’t make you seem rude or greedy. You might not even realize if it does, so here’s what to watch out for.
Multiple Registries
Before you decide what items to put on your registry, you first have to decide where you’re going to register at. There are lots of places that are classic for wedding registries, like Bed Bath & Beyond, Pier One, Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn, Macy’s, and more. Most people choose just one place to register, but some can’t narrow it down and decide to create more than one list. If you are going to have multiple registries, be careful. Any more than two registries starts to seem rude. You may think you’re giving your guests lots of options, but they may see it as you being too picky and particular, so try to narrow it down as much as possible.
High-End Stores
There’s an obvious price difference between stores like Wal-Mart and Pier One, and your guests are going to have budgets that vary just as much. Most of the time, people aren’t expecting wedding gifts to be cheap, but you need to think about where you register. Registering at the most expensive, designer store only, for example, is being greedy. It’s a better idea to pick one mid-priced store that is suitable for all your guests with a range of options. If you really can’t let go of the idea of designer stuff, add the store as your second registry with fewer items on it.
Expensive Gifts
When you’re checking out a store’s stock, you’re often going to find many different choices for the same type of item, such as several name brands of appliances, and they’re going to have a range of price, too. Don’t pick the most expensive choice for all your items, or you’re going to seem very rude and greedy. For example, don’t add a $150 waffle maker to your registry when the $70 option would do. People want to purchase you the exact items you want, but it’s unfair to expect everyone to stretch their budgets when there are more reasonably-priced choices.
Customizing your wedding registry is fun, but there is a fine line. Remember that it’s more important to have friends than gifts, so don’t demand too much or you could lose both.
Author Bio:
Mary Velazquez is a wedding planner focused on latino weddings. Mary uses wedding wordpress themes to organize each of her weddings in a way that can be shared with the whole family.
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