We found Some Wedding Ceremony Etiquette Tips from our friends at Brides.com that seemed very helpful. These tips will take the stress out of your ceremony, take a look.
Taking A Break
- Taking a pre-reception break between the wedding ceremony and reception is a good idea so you can take your formal pictures and still mingle I your cocktail hour. But keep in mind your guests may be sitting around twiddling their thumbs if a “short” break means hours. Try to keep the break to under an hour & possibly invite guests to a hospitality suite either at the hotel or the venue, where they can grab a light refreshment. If everything is happening at the same location, considering extending cocktail hour so that guests can mix and mingle while you take a breather. With a little longer event, you’ll get to enjoy it too.
Avoiding Drama
- Couples are avoiding drama by having a small wedding party. Even though it’s a great way to honor your friends and family, it’s not the only way. The wedding party has morphed into the VIPs of the day who are also helping the to-be-weds. But that brings a lot of drama, commitment, & expenses to those you ask and sometimes it’s easier not to pick and choose among your best buds. Just keep in mind that you will need two witnesses for your marriage license, usually the maid of honor & best man—so be sure to give two guests a heads up that they have an important job to do after the ceremony recessional.
Include Your Pets
- Many couples are choosing to include their dog or pets in the wedding ceremony. Besides dogs, couples have included cats, llamas, and even turtles to help their owners say “I do”. But, you should check a few items before doing so. If the ceremony takes place in a religious institution, consult the officiant to make sure it’s ok to have a pup/pet present. You need to be honest with yourself about how your dog/pet will react to large crowds. Will your pet sit quietly during the ceremony or start barking, run off to find the appetizers or possibly have an accident on your train. If you think they will react reasonably include them and designate a dog/pet attendant to escort them down the aisle and hold the leash during the ceremony. Keep a treat on hand to keep them calm.
Wedding Ceremony Etiquette Tips
- As we suggest some wedding ceremony etiquette tips here is another idea. Many brides have best/close friends that are guys and/or gay and are including them in their bridal party. You can include them as a man of honor or a “bridesman” and have him participate in all the same activities as the ladies. The same goes for grooms who want to include their close lady friends as “best woman” or “groomslady.” Definitely include them and have a good time with it.
Not So Traditional
- Some brides don’t ever normally wear dresses and sort of feel pressured to wear a gown on their wedding day. In this day and age, brides are following the not so traditional current trends so they can let go of the expectation of having to wear the traditional wedding dress. Designers are taking into consideration that it’s not just all about strapless lace ball gowns and are designing elegant pantsuits and jumpsuits for sale at local bridal salons and online. Brides are even custom designing their own bride in pants wedding dress. Search and you’ll find the perfect pair of wedding gown dress pants.
Personalize Songs
- Brides are shying away from walking down the aisle to a classical song such as Pachelbel’s ‘Canon in D’. They are picking their favorite pop songs instead. Outside of religious institutions who have a list of specific, approved songs you must choose from, it’s fair game. Whether it be your favorite song or artist, brides are choosing to personalize songs for their wedding processional & recessional songs. The only etiquette requirement is to make sure the lyrics are appropriate for all ages. You may want to consider the instrumental versions which avoids any questionable words or have a string quartet play arrangements of popular music.
