Proper Wedding Etiquette

Couples commit themselves to a life of love, respect and mutual trust on their wedding day, thereby taking their relationship to a deeper and meaningful level. This makes the wedding day one of the most special days of their lives. Hence, they would want this day to be cherished. However, planning and organizing a wedding is not a child's play and therefore, it is important to start the planning process much before the actual day. Although most couples start the planning process months before the wedding, there have been many cases where guests were not happy or there were some problems in the wedding ceremony itself. One of the main reasons behind this is that many people do not know about ideal wedding etiquette. So, if you have decided to tie the knot or have been invited to attend one, here are some tips that you have to follow.

Proper Etiquette for Wedding

From the time the couple gets engaged, there are various etiquette that they have to follow till the day of their wedding. It is customary for the couple to inform their parents about their engagement before they tell anyone else including their grandparents, siblings, very close friends, etc. Once the couple has told their parents, it is the mother of the groom responsibility to initiate a contact with the bride's parents by inviting them for an informal dinner or lunch. In this way, everything that the couple does for the wedding has certain rules attached to them. Hence, let us take a look at some of the important wedding etiquette.

Who will Pay for the Wedding?
Traditionally, the responsibility of paying for the wedding comes to the bride's parents. However, this trend has changed in the recent years and nowadays, most weddings are sponsored by the parents of both the bride and the groom. As couples are marrying late and have their own savings, many of them decide to share the expenses of the wedding, without involving their parents. Actually, it can be said that there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to the question who will pay for the wedding.

Pre-Wedding Celebrations
Before the wedding day, it has become a trend to celebrate the upcoming wedding with small parties or functions. However, none of these pre-wedding parties should be hosted by the bride and the groom. For instance, the bridal shower should always be organized by one of the bridesmaids or the friend of the bride, while the bachelor party is usually hosted by the groomsmen or the best man. Also, according to etiquette, the groom's parents have the responsibility of hosting the rehearsal dinner.

Proper Wedding Invitation Etiquette
While sending invitations, there are some etiquette that the couple have to follow. One mistake that many of them make is that once they send the 'save the date card,' they think that it is not necessary to send the wedding invitations. However, this is not true, rather save the date card is sent only to inform your close friends about the date of the wedding, so that they can keep themselves free from any other commitments. If you do not want the guests to bring their children to the wedding, address the card only to the couple and do not mention the name of the children. However, if you want to invite children above the age of 18, you have to send a separate invitation, otherwise they are considered to be uninvited. Do not forget to send RSVP card with the invitation and make sure that you put return postage on them. Guests who have not replied to your invitation even a week before your wedding, should be called to confirm their attendance.

Proper Wedding Gift Etiquette
Apart from the invitation etiquette, it is also important to know about the proper wedding gift etiquette. One must understand that it is considered impolite to put one's wedding gift registry information on the wedding invitation. This information should be given to the guests only through close family and friends. Another way of informing your guests about the place where you have registered is by starting a personal wedding website where you can add all these details. However, when it comes to bridal showers, you can mention the place of registration in the invitation. Nevertheless, you should not use the gifts that you receive for your shower before you are actually married. This is because if your wedding gets canceled or postponed, etiquette say that you have to return the gifts that you have received. Also, avoid opening the gifts in front of the guests at the wedding reception.

Keeping these etiquette in mind while planning the wedding ensures that your wedding will go smoothly and will be remembered not only by you and your partner, but also by the people attending it for a long time to come.