Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Five Wedding Faux Pas

As a first time bride there are many details that must be addressed but what no bride wants is to offend their guests. Below are five top wedding faux pas that all brides should avoid.

Inviting guests to the ceremony but not the reception

Determining the guest list for your wedding can be very difficult as the bride and groom want to invite their friends and family but must also consider the friends of their parents’. One of the major factors involving construction of the guest list is cost. Couples sometimes invite guests to only the wedding ceremony and not the reception in an attempt to save money on the cost of the reception. This is not a good practice. The people that are invited to your wedding should be people that have a vested interested in your doing well, know both of you, and are important in your life. There is no way to place a value on these important people so try to cut cost in other creative ways to achieve you dream wedding.

Including registry information with your invitation

Your wedding invitation is the formal notice of your wedding. Don’t ruin it by adding your registry information. If you decide to register for your wedding, please have your wedding party spread the word of where you guys are registered. Some couples include registry information on their wedding website. But remember, guests are not required to give a gift to a couple.

Having a Cash bar

It is in poor taste to invite guest to your wedding and have them pay for the bar. To cut cost, consider one of these options – (1) offer only beer, wine, and soda, and maybe a signature drink, (2) have an open bar only during the cocktail hour and beer, wine, and soda, and (3) have a dry wedding. There is nothing wrong with not having alcohol at your wedding.

Not greeting all of the guests

When there are several hundred people that want to congratulate on your nuptials it may seem like an overwhelming task to greet each ad over one, but DO IT. Whether it is a receiving line or visiting each table during dinner at the reception, make it a point to make each guest and thank them personally for attending and sharing in your celebration of love.

Not sending a thank you card for every wedding gift received

Not sending a thank you card for a wedding gift is the worst faux pas to commit. I am not talking about emails or other electronic means either. Write a note. When ordering your stationery it is easy to add on blank thank you cards. A handwritten note really shows that you appreciated the guest being a part of your special day and that you were grateful for the gift. The note should indentify the gift and if applicable indicate how the gift will be used.

Hope you find these tips helpful and I wish you happy planning!

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