Chances are you have been to many weddings throughout your lifetime, some even at Indian Creek! Whether you love them or hate them you will probably find yourself at a few and you may even be in some. If you don’t have much experience attending a wedding, you may be wondering what exactly the etiquette is for some of the things you may encounter.
From wedding gifts to attending other events, you should know what is expected of guests when they are invited to a wedding and what is considered proper. If you need some help distinguishing the do’s and don'ts of being a wedding guest, here are some helpful tips!
The gift
When you receive your wedding invitation there will usually be a place listed where you can go to view the couple’s registry. On some occasions, the couple will ask for money instead of physical gifts and will not provide a registry. You may be wondering how much you should be spending on a gift or how much money you should be giving and you are not alone. Many people have this same question, which is why we are here to discuss how to go about it.
Most of the time the amount that you spend on a wedding gift directly relates to your relationship with the couple. When surveyed, guests who are close to the couple reported spending about $130 on a wedding gift. Those who were involved in the wedding party spent about $115 outside of all other wedding expenses. Lastly, casual friends of the couple spent about $80 on their gift. This means that really, the choice is up to you! Spend whatever is comfortable for you and know that the couple appreciates whatever you put forward.
RSVP
This may seem like a no brainer, but you should be sure to RSVP as soon as possible in order for the couple to appropriately plan their day. This means seating charts to arrange their tables at Indian Creek, the amount of food and other little details that they will need to know a specific headcount for. Another thing to remember when RSVPing is that if you get a plus one, it will be listed. If not, be sure not to bring one. Bringing along an uninvited guest can throw off a lot of the plans the couple may have made, especially if there is a seating chart.
Speeches
Although you may want to provide well wishes to the couple, be sure that you are not taking the attention away from them and their day. Unless you were specifically asked to write and give a speech, definitely don’t! A great way to be sure that the couple knows you are there and wishing them the best is to wait for them to do their rounds and offer them your congratulations then. An unplanned speech can make things awkward and throw off the timeline of the reception.
Photos
While you may be excited for the couple and want to share the experience, it is usually urged against to take and post photos of the wedding. Oftentimes there will be signs indicating whether they mind if photos are taken or not, but if nothing is said, then it is better to err on the side of caution. Allow for the couple to post about their special day before you do and be sure that if there is a professional photographer, which there more than likely will be, stay out of their way when they are doing their job. Nothing ruins a beautiful shot more than someone jumping in front to capture the same moment.
If you are worried about your etiquette as a wedding guest, just remember that politeness and manners go a long way! Be sure to respect the couple’s special day, but also be sure to have a fun time at the great party they worked so hard to throw! If you need help planning a special day or event, contact us at Indian Creek and we can help you start planning!
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