You just got engaged and now you can’t wait to share the news with everyone and start the wedding planning process. Before thinking about wedding themes, though, it’s important to recognize wedding etiquette rules you should follow so as to not offend anyone. These rules begin as soon as you get a ring on your finger and continue until after your wedding.
Since etiquette rules change with the times, familiarize yourself with what is and isn’t proper to do now for today’s weddings. To help you avoid making any wedding faux-pas, the floral experts here at Marco Island Weddings have provided you with the most up-to-date wedding etiquette rules for you to follow to make sure your pre-wedding, wedding, and post-wedding activities are on point.
7 Wedding Etiquette Rules To Keep in Mind
1. Pause Before Posting
Getting engaged is one of the most exciting times of your life, and you no doubt can’t wait to share the news with everyone via social media, with amazing pictures of the ring, of course. Before posting anything, though, take a moment to share your engagement news with close friends and family first. The people in your inner circle deserve to hear personal news about you before it’s posted onto your social media feed. Think about your wedding day and the people who will have important roles to play. They are the ones you should deliver the engagement news to first before pressing the “share” button.
2. Small Is Good
Small weddings have risen in popularity in the last two years, so limiting your guest list should be expected. Don’t feel guilty about not inviting those family members who you haven’t been in contact with for several years or inviting someone just because they invited you to their wedding years ago. It’s customary now for couples to invite only a handful of close friends and family and spend extra money on creating a truly exceptional wedding via its venue, upscale food and drinks, and gorgeous wedding flowers. Anyone not invited can still enjoy the nuptials from afar by live streaming your wedding, which is also becoming more common.
3. Follow Invitation Rules
Whoever you invite to any pre-wedding parties, such as an engagement party, bridal shower, bachelor or bachelorette party, should also be invited to your wedding. If you are planning on having a small wedding with a limited guest list, then you likely have to limit the number of guests you invite to these pre-wedding events as well. If your heart is set on a large celebration with a big group of friends, then host a post-wedding party to include those you couldn’t invite.
4. Have a Gift Registry
A gift registry is traditional and an easy way for your guests to follow proper etiquette rules when it comes to gifting. Gift registries keep things simple by offering a selection of items that range from low to high in dollar value that guests can choose from. This method is preferable to sending money via an app (like Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal), which is an etiquette no-no. If there isn’t a gift registry, it’s acceptable to enclose a check inside the wedding card, but avoid using gift cards. In lieu of a gift registry, it’s perfectly fine to provide links to sites where guests can donate money to a charity or a honeymoon fund.
5. Communicate Expectations
Keep your wedding fun and free of drama by managing guests’ expectations about masks, test results, or vaccination requirements. Also, any other items of note, like if there will be no or limited cell service, are things that should be clearly communicated in a timely manner so guests can plan accordingly.
6. Use Email & Snail Mail
It is still customary to send printed Save the Date cards and wedding invitations through the mail to your guests. For any wedding updates or small changes, though, communicating this information via email is perfectly fine.
7. Handwritten Thank-Yous
This is a tradition not going away anytime soon – sending hand-written Thank You cards to your guests. Send the cards as soon as possible after the wedding and definitely before three months have passed.
Following the above etiquette rules will help ensure you have a smooth wedding and wedding planning experience so you can enjoy your big day.