Tips for the Guests When Attending a Wedding!
Yes, you can wear the same dress! Over and over!
It is perfectly normal to wear the same dress to different weddings. Just make sure made to wear them to weddings where there would be different guests. For example…If you know that NO ONE at your cousin’s wedding would be at your friend from college’s wedding then you’re in the clear. You don’t need to buy a new outfit for every wedding!
You can tell the style of the wedding and how to dress for a wedding by looking at the invitation
This one is a little bit tricky and takes a little more practice, but you can tell the level of “fanciness” based solely on the invitation. If the invitation is one piece of paper and looks DIY, usually you can dress down a bit. If the invitation looks like was special-ordered, it’s usually a black-tie event. Look out for other words on the invitation like “hors-doevres”, “ballroom”, and “light reception”…these will give big clues to the type/style of wedding and therefore what you can expect to wear/see at the wedding.
Never dress in the colors on the invitation
A major “no no” for a guest at a wedding is to wear white. This is the bride’s day and it is important for her to stand out from all of her guest! Avoid any of the colors on the invitation. Usually, this indicates the color palette of the wedding and one of the colors will probably be the color of the bridesmaid’s dresses. The last thing you want to do is be mistaken for a bridesmaid all night long.
Check before bringing your kids
Proper etiquette states that the names of anyone invited should be listed on the envelope. However, many people don’t know this and just address the invitation with “Theo and Suzanne Hines”, even though their daughter, Tera Hines, is also invited. But, this can be tricky because what if they actually meant to just invite Theo and Suzanne and leave Tera at home? Always check in with the bride before assuming that children are invited to the wedding.
Don’t expect to have a reunion with the bride/groom
Contrary to popular belief, being a bride is extremely hectic! There are many things to do and many people to see. As a guest, do not expect to have deep or long conversations with the bride and groom. They are very busy and stressed, and it’s important that they enjoy the day to the fullest without feeling pressure to build outside relationships. If you are traveling from far away and really want to catch up, that’s great- but realistically, it’s probably not going to happen. Lower your expectations in that realm and just enjoy the day!
