How to be a gracious wedding guest. - my pet peeves as a planner.

HOW TO BE A GRACIOUS WEDDING GUEST
by Rebecca Jackson 

As a planner I've watched and observed wedding guests behavior for over 20 years. And let me tell you... I have seen it all.  Everything from a guest wearing white to the stepmom-zillas to the drunken groomsmen lighting things on fire. There is an art to the right wedding guest etiquette. Its situational but its also common sense.  Here is a list of my top pet peeves as a wedding planner.  


1. GIFTS - Send a gift ahead of the wedding. Brides have enough to pack up at the end of the night and packing up 75 large wedding gifts is too much after a long wedding day. If you don’t have time to order and direct ship a gift from the couple’s registry then just give a simple card with a gift card or monitary gift on the wedding day.

2)BE ON TIME - I cannot stress this enough. My pet peeve is watching late wedding guest try to sneak into the ceremony. If you haven’t made it on time for the ceremony just wait in your car for the ceremony to end or go ahead and drive to the reception venue. Don’t try to sneak into the intimate moments of the ceremony, it’s not about you.

3)PUT AWAY THE PHONE - Don’t whip out your phone (or camera) during the ceremony. Couples want you be present with them during their vows not taking sub par photos from your phone. They have hired a photographer to capture every moment… don’t let the photographer capture you holding up your phone during the ceremony.
​Seriously, it’s rude.

4)BE PATIENT- You will be fed (I promise) at a wedding. Don’t jump the gun and help yourself to the food before your table has been dismissed to the buffet.

5)DON’T GET DRUNK - Please don’t be the guest that has to get sick in the bathroom or has a pyramid of beers stacked up at the table.

6)DRINK WHAT IS PROVIDED - Don’t bring your own alcohol Iike airplane bottles of booze or flask. It’s like by bringing your own you are saying “what the host has provided isn’t good enough for me.”

7)DANCE TO THE MUSIC PROVIDED. The couple has curated a playlist with the DJ and doesn’t need you to interject with your special song request.
​
8)DON’T TALK DURING TOASTS/ SPEECHES - Just listen, these are special moments.

9)CAKE TIME - Please don’t egg on the bride & groom to smear cake on each other’s faces. It’s not funny or cute. It’s awkward for everyone and she paid a lot of money for that wedding makeup. If she doesn’t want that to happen she has told her groom not to do that ahead of time. Let it go.