Wedding season is upon us and if you have been invited to celebrate the union of two special people in your life, here are a few etiquette tips to keep in mind.
Make sure to RSVP
Organising the logistics of a wedding can be incredibly complicated and so the bride and groom-to-be will be extra appreciative to everyone who RSVPs by the specified date.
Don’t assume you can bring a plus one
Unless your invitation specifies that you can bring a guest, you should assume that you are the only person who should be attending. It is also generally poor etiquette to call the bride to ask whether you can bring a date. Budgets can be tight and most couples will extend the extra invitation if they can afford to do so.
If there is a registry, purchase your gift early
Many couples spent a lot of time curating their gift registry and they have chosen the items on there because they plan to use them. If you purchase from the list early you will have a larger selection to choose from and more of an opportunity to make your present more personal. Otherwise, you might have to settle for an odd rolling pin, set of tea towels and can opener combination.
Pay close attention to the dress code
General wedding sartorial advice is to dress for the venue, but the bride and groom should also provide some instructions. Even casual weddings call for a dress, skirt or suit and thankfully there are now a variety of chic wedding guest dresses on the market, including the designs from AX Paris that can be seen here www.axparis.com/collections/wedding-guest-dresses.
Don’t wear white
Although this point should be obvious enough to not mention, we always recommend avoiding wearing anything white or light ivory in tone. As this Sun article illustrates, this topic can cause some debate but with a million and one different colour combinations to select, this shouldn’t be too difficult.
Always arrive on time
Although weddings often run late, you should always aim to arrive at the venue at least 20 minutes early.
Turn your phone off
Or if you want to make sure you can snap a few pictures quickly, make sure it’s on silent. No one wants to hear your ringtone blaring when the happy couple are saying their vows.