Parker and I are celebrating 3 years of marriage today! We have had so many special occasions in the month of April that we are honestly happy to celebrate our anniversary in a low key way at home. I never thought I would be a low key kind of celebrator, but this month has been so packed full of fun that we are both looking forward to a fun dinner in Memphis and a weekend at home with our pups!
I have learned so much about weddings in the past few years. The topic of wedding etiquette has come up several times lately because I have quite a few loved ones with weddings happening this spring. So, I'm sharing some wedding guest etiquette with you today! These tips are not meant to make anyone feel bad if they haven't done these things, but they are things I wish someone would have told me in my earlier days of wedding guest-ing.
1. Send in your RSVP as soon as you get your invitation. There's usually a deadline, but the earlier you can send in your response, the better. Bonus points- if you're a close friend of the bride, send her (or her mom if you're friends with her) a text and let her know how beautiful the invitation is!
2. If your invitation does not give you a +1, then do not bring a guest. This goes for children too. If the invitation does not state the kids' names or say + Family, then they are more than likely not invited.
3. If you receive an invitation, send a gift. This applies to everyone, including close friends. I say this because I feel guilty to this day about not giving a couple of my closest friends wedding gifts. When I was younger, I somehow did not know I was supposed to give a gift because my parents always did. I will do my best to make up for my mistake with baby gifts one day! If you are new to the wedding scene, learn from my mistake and make sure you always send the bride and groom a gift! Ebie was just telling me about how some people who were not invited to her small beach wedding sent her a gift, and she will remember that kind gesture for life!
4. Do NOT wear white! The no white after Labor Day rule is no longer a thing. White can now be worn all year long, EXCEPT for at a wedding. Give the bride her day to shine in white and save your white for any other day in which there is not a wedding or bridal shower happening.
5. Make sure you're on time for the ceremony! There's no way to sneak into a wedding quietly.
6. Turn off your phone, or at least make sure it is on silent, during the ceremony.
7. Dress modestly and act appropriately. If you are questioning your dress, choose a different one! I have some wedding guest dress options linked at the bottom of this post!
8. Stay out of the photographer's way. If the bride has hired a photographer, let the photographer get her shot before stepping in to take an iPhone pic. Also, don't ask the photographer to take an iPhone pic for you.
9. Speak to the bride and groom, but try not to take too much of their time. You can always find them again later, but they have a lot of people they need to speak to!
10. Have fun! One of the best parts of my wedding day was getting out on the dance floor with all of my family and friends. Every bride wants her wedding day to be fun for everyone. Do what you can to bring the fun!
I would love to hear if you have any other tips you think I should add to this list! Right after I started my blog last year, I wrote a blog post called 2 Main Tips for Brides on my 2nd Wedding Anniversary. You can click here to check that one out! Thanks so much for reading! Have a wonderful day!
Wedding Guest Dresses
