A wedding is a pious ceremony when two people start a unique journey of life together and so this ceremony should be conducted with due respect and care. Not only do the bride and groom have to follow certain rules and etiquettes, but also do the guests. There are certain rules and etiquettes for the guests regarding arrival at the wedding, wedding gift, photographing the ceremony, what to do if you are unable to attend the wedding, bringing additional guests with you, and so on. Let’s see, what are various rules and etiquettes for wedding guests.
Arriving in Time
It is always good and mannerly to arrive at the wedding in time and not to be late. If the ceremony is to start at 6 pm, ensure that you reach the venue 15-20 minutes earlier, so that you can get a seat and settle down. Arriving early at a wedding can also be of help to do small last-minute chores to help the wedding couple and their family.
Photographing
If you want to take photographs, don’t do that while the ceremony is going on. You will get ample photos of the moment from the photographer appointed for the job. After the ceremony is over and party time begins, you will get a lot of fun moments of your friends and family to catch in your cell phone or camera.
Gift
As a matter of fact, it is inconvenient for the wedding couple if you give gift on the day of wedding, especially if it is bulky, because they wonder how to take it home. As a norm, you can give gift to the new couple anytime within a year after the wedding. So, unless you or the new couple are moving to a distant place for a long time, you don’t need to give gift right on the day of wedding. However if you couldn’t attend the wedding, it is expected that you send a wedding gift.
Uninvited Guests
Don’t bring guests with you who are not invited on the wedding. The expenditure per person invited in a wedding is considerably high and therefore it is very ill-mannered to take unexpected guests along with you. Even children should not be taken unexpectedly.
Reply Promptly
You might have seen RSVP at the end of a wedding invitation. It is the short form of the French phrase, “Répondez, S’il Vous Plait”, meaning “Please reply”. It is very important to reply the invitation promptly, because many decisions of the wedding couple depend on the number of guests attending the wedding. It is expected that you reply possibly on the same day. Plus, if you can’t attend the wedding after replying that you will attend it, convey the cancellation message as early as possible.
And last but not the least, if you don’t like something in the wedding, don’t state it immediately. Tell the couple that you enjoyed the wedding and are happy for them. Later when you meet them, you can tell what you didn’t like, but don’t spoil their big day by telling your choices. This is the right way to enjoy a wedding!