Wedding Do’s and Don’ts for Guests

Wedding etiquette can be hard to navigate. As a guest, you may not have experience of what it means to be at the altar, and you might not understand how much this means to the couple, and what you can do to ruin their big day. Here’s a guide to some do’s and don’ts to help you know how best to behave at the wedding.

Do RSVP

Everything at a wedding is counted, from chairs to drinks to food. The couple needs to know if you’re going to be there so they can make sure they have enough of everything for everyone.

Don’t Assume a +1

If you’re allowed to bring a guest, the invitation will say so. If it doesn’t, you shouldn’t assume you can bring a date. And don’t assume you can bring kids if the invitation doesn’t say so.

Do Be on Time

Everything at a wedding is specifically timed, and it depends on everyone doing their part. If you are late to either the wedding ceremony or the reception, you can disrupt things. You are expected to be on time, so you should allow extra time to make sure you’re not late.

Don’t Bring a Large Gift to the Wedding

At the end of the day, all the gifts have to be packed up and put in somebody’s car. A big gift can be a challenge—not everybody drives their pickup to a wedding. Besides, it’s ostentatious and rude. Have large gifts shipped directly to the happy couple.

Do Show up for the Ceremony

If you’re invited to the ceremony, they want you there for the ceremony, which is the most important thing for them. Don’t think you can skip it and just show up for the wedding reception.

Don’t Leave Early

Leaving early is a sign of disrespect. Stay through most of the standard planned events. The cutting of the cake is the earliest you can respectfully leave.

Do: Turn off Your Phone

Speaking of disrespectful: nothing is more disrespectful than taking a call in the middle of the ceremony. Turn off your phone.

Don’t Intrude

The bride and groom have a lot of things they are doing together on their special day. They may be the only people you know at the wedding, but don’t force yourself into everything they do. They have to spend time and pay attention to all their guests. Also, make sure you stay out of the way of the photographer, and that includes not taking pictures during the ceremony.

Do Follow the Dress Code and Seating Chart

Follow an explicit dress code instructions on the invitation. If there’s a seating chart, sit where you’re told, even if you don’t know or like people at that table. If you’re unclear about either, address questions to a member of the wedding party or the bride’s immediate family.

Don’t Wear White If the Bride Is

It’s not a given that the bride will be wearing white these days, but if she is, you shouldn’t. Black is fine.

Do Party

The bride and groom want to see people having a good time. Let yourself go and enjoy the evening. The only exception: don’t hit the dance floor before the official First Dance is over or you are explicitly invited to.

Don’t Overindulge

Your idea of a good time might be to drink a lot and eat a lot, but remember that this is a special day for the newlyweds. If you drink too much and lose control, you can create a scene that may ruin their memories of the event. And if you go too crazy at the buffet, you may leave somebody without enough.

Do Share Wedding Photos—After they do!

The happy couple will want to see your wedding photos, but they also want the opportunity to share the first photos of their wedding. It’s new etiquette for our social media age: give them the opportunity to post the first pictures, then feel free to share.

If you are planning your own wedding and want to find a perfect place to have it, please contact Stonebrook Manor in north Denver today for a tour of our facilities.