Wedding Etiquettes are not over and done. They are as significant and crucial as they always have been. Though people consider that rules are meant to be broken, certain rules cannot be bent after a certain extent and Wedding Etiquettes belong to this kind. Every one of us will still agree that Wedding Etiquettes are still being followed in some way or the other.
The history of Wedding Etiquettes dates back to the Victorian era which takes us back to the early nineteenth century, the 1800s to be precise. The Victorians were sharp, decorous and knowledgeable which made them do everything in the most orderly and the most appropriate manner possible. They valued social behavior and manners and thus had a proper Etiquette for doing things including marriages. It should be noted that a number of books on Wedding Etiquette were published during this period.
Every country, every culture and every creed in the world follows its own set of Wedding Etiquettes. Some of them might be common while many of them might be different and distinctive to a particular culture.
The fundamental Wedding Etiquettes that we are altering and employing as per our requirements and wishes basically belongs to the Victorians. All the primary Wedding Etiquettes used by the westerners have been inherited from the Victorians.
A great deal about Wedding Etiquette has been emphasized in the book on Wedding Etiquette by the renowned Miss Manners, Emily Post. Discussed below are few very important primary aspects of Wedding Etiquettes relating to conceiving an invitation, distribution of invitation to family and friends, etiquette to be followed while acknowledging the invite, in attending the ceremony, protocol for guests and the gifting manners.
#1. THE BRIDEGROOM AND THE BRIDE:-
? Decision has to be made regarding the degree of formality of the marriage ceremony. In case a formal ceremony is planned, the invite being sent must be formally addressed. If it’s just going to be close family and friends, an informal invite would do.
? Invites should be sent at least four to six weeks prior to the wedding and in case of a destination wedding, a save a date card has to be sent to all the guests seven to nine months preceding the date of the wedding giving them ample time to prepare themselves for the ceremony monetarily as well as bodily.
? A bride has to stick to the dress code of the church in case the wedding is set to take place at the church. Otherwise, she is free to choose the design and color of her wedding gown.
? The groom may sport a black tie or a suit. In case of a beach wedding, beige pants can also be worn.
? Cash gifts should not be asked for, by the couple. Online wedding registry must be mentioned in the invitation. The registry card must not be enclosed with the invitation.
? The mother or the step-mother, who ever is dearer to the bride, must be seated in the first pew. If both of them are equally chummy, the mother should be made to sit in the first pew.
#2. IF YOU ARE THE GUEST:-
? Acknowledgement of receipt of invitation should be given as soon as possible within a couple of weeks before the wedding. It should also be made known to the couple if you would be attending the wedding or not, so that the couple can calculate the number of persons whose presence would be there for the luncheon or dinner, as the case may be.
? In case of a formal invite, it is implied that the guests have to be dressed formally. In such a case, evening gowns should not be worn by women.
? Guests are not indebted to get a gift as per the registry and they are not compelled to send gifts if they cannot be present for the wedding.
? Lastly, in case they are planning to send gifts to the couple, it has to be sent to their new address within one year of the wedding.