Traditional Wedding Etiquette

When it comes to the wedding, every couple has the dream of it being absolutely perfect. What many don’t realize is the amount of work that goes into achieving this. There are so many components to the wedding that it can become overwhelming. Not only does the soon to be wed couple want the day to be perfect for them, but they also want the same for their guests. In order to achieve this, they need to know the basics of wedding etiquette.

Common Seating Etiquette

There are two categories of seating that have to be considered when it comes to wedding planning. There is the seating that will take place for the exchange of vows. Then there is the seating at the reception.

Traditional etiquette for seating for viewing the vows is rather simple. Usually, the bride’s guests are seated in one area and across the aisle, the groom’s guests are seated.

For the reception, the seating plan can become a little more complex for those who want to ensure proper etiquette is being implemented. There are some variations to this and etiquette can be a little more flexible. The standard approach is the main table for the bride and groom accompanied by the wedding party. Then individual tables are set up for each of the couple’s families. For the rest of the guests, seating can be flexible and left up to the preference of the wedding planner or the couple. Normally families are seated together and friends of either side are intermingled.

Etiquette for the Bar

This is an area of the wedding that does cause some concern for the couple to be married. Many have now resorted to a paid bar simply to keep down the costs of the overall wedding. To compromise what some couples do is provide a simple selection of red and white wine for the tables. Then additional alcohol beverages can be purchased by the guests at a bar.

Etiquette for the Gift List

This is another area of wedding etiquette that some couples struggle with. However, it has become the norm to provide guests with a gift list. The couple can register at one of their favourite stores or a few of them. They can then provide this information to guests by way of the bridesmaid, or the bride’s mother. Stores that offer these services will often track what gifts are being purchased which help to avoid duplicates. Also, the couple will choose stores that have a good range of prices so that the cost of the gifts will fit into the different budgets of the guests.

In addition to these important points on etiquette, there are other areas to be considered as well. One common one is making sure that guests are not kept waiting too long for the beginning of the ceremony.