Print Article for : Outfits For Wedding Guests

Your Online Guide » Relationship Advice » Marriage Questions to Ask

[O363]Outfits For Wedding Guests

by Eric Hartwell, Eri

Before the Ceremony: Wedding Invitations

The wedding list is carefully planned by the couple, and they have allocated an amount for the wedding reception. Some wedding invitations have a ?+ Guest? on it, and it is important that you honor this. Remember that the couple is only expecting those they have invited, so bringing unexpected guests is very impolite. Do not ask the couple if you can bring a date. You are only going to make the couple uncomfortable.

Reply to the invitation promptly. As some wedding invitations have a reply card attached to it, send it back to the couple and state if you are bringing a date (if the card says that you can bring one). They will be finalizing their wedding lists based on how many guests confirmed that they will be attending. If you are going to cancel, make sure that you inform the couple as soon as possible.

During the Ceremony: Wedding Proper

Be sure that you arrive on time. If the invitation states that the ceremony will start at 6 p.m., make sure that you are there a quarter to 6. You have some time to find yourself and your date a seat, and you also have some time to mingle with other guests.

Do not take photographs when the ceremony is going on. They have professional photographers and videographers to do that. You will only be disrupting the ceremony. Weddings are solemn events, and you should respect that.

If you have a gift for the couple, you can give it to them before the wedding. You would spare yourself from lugging your gift around and spare the couple having to worry who will bring the gifts home. It is also all right to give gifts after the wedding in the event that you were not able to go to the ceremony.

Weddings are like reunions. You will see people you have not seen for months or even years, and you are excited to catch up on things. Do not do this during the ceremony. Respect the sacredness of the occasion and respect the couple's wish for a solemn ceremony. You have ample time to do this at the reception.

After the Ceremony: Wedding Reception

Some weddings have a buffet arrangement during the reception instead of the usual formal dinner where the food is already served on the table. If it is a buffet, keep in mind that it is not an eat-all-you can event. There are other guests who have not yet been served. If you want a second serving, you can always go back after all guests have taken their share.

As there will be wine and liquor during the reception, keep in mind that nobody wants to see a drunken guest!

Normally, this isn't a problem. By tradition, a wedding is a formal event where guests are expected to show up either in tuxedos and gowns if part of the wedding party, or in suits and formal dresses if an invited guest.

By and large, everyone understands and accepts this. The details of proper attire for the guests is left entirely to the guests themselves. The bride has enough trouble worrying about her own and her bridesmaids' gowns. Usually this works splendidly. Most people already know what they should wear to a wedding, or if not, they at least have enough sense to ask a mother or sister who will be delighted to explain exactly what they should and
should not wear.

Of course, even this does not always work. Now and then you find a poor schmuck with a sister who has a vindictive streak and you get a wedding guest who arrives wearing a plaid jacket, red and green striped tie and a yellow beanie with a propeller on top. But this is rare. Mostly your guests are well behaved and arrive appropriately dressed, sober and with the suitable amount of discomfort required of all wedding guests everywhere.

Jennifer's wedding was going to be a little different. She (and her fiance of course) had decided to have a casual dress wedding at a country club overlooking the beach. The bride's dress was still planned as a formal gown, but the bridesmaids would wear sun dresses and the best man and groom would wear khaki slacks and summer jackets.

Jennifer wanted her guests to know that they were encouraged to wear casual clothes. At least, fairly casual clothes. She wanted the ladies to come in summer dresses or skirts with nice blouses and the men to come wearing sport shirts and slacks with a jacket. No suits or ties, but also no T shirts and cut off shorts if you please. And especially no swim suits and bikini tops, thank you very much. The total effect was going to be a casual, country club style atmosphere. Relaxed but not scruffy. No, definitely not scruffy.

Jennifer wanted to say this in a nice way, without having to include a lengthy and offensive dress code decree in her invitation package. There is nothing quite so objectionable as having someone tell you in specific and didactic detail how you are supposed to dress. Jennifer was very much aware of this potential etiquette land mine and wanted wholeheartedly to avoid it.

On the other hand, she couldn't just leave it to chance and simply say "casual attire" because sure as tank tops, someone would construe casual to mean T shirts, shorts and sneakers.

Jennifer fretted about this for days, trying several versions of her dress code message, none of which satisfied all the conflicting requirements of brevity, inoffensiveness and clarity.

Finally Jennifer hit upon the solution: a short, humorous poem, printed on an index sized card along with the invitation.

This would immediately let people know exactly how to dress and would offend no one. Since the poem would also be humorous, it had the benefit of being entertaining and therefore easily remembered.

Jennifer overcame the last hurdle of being unable to write poetry by hiring a poet and working with him through four drafts until she had exactly what she wanted: eight lines of lighthearted verse which told the guests how they should dress and left them with a smile.

With a sigh of relief, Jennifer could now focus on the next problem which needed her attention: the weather....

Article Source : Marriage Help

About Author

Both Eric Hartwell & R. Vener are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Eric Hartwell has sinced written about articles on various topics from Marriage, Wedding Speeches and Wedding Reception. Eric Hartwell oversees "The World's Best Homepage" intended to be a resource where YOUR opinion counts. Anybody can contribute and all are welcomed - visit to read or comment upon. Eric Hartwell's top article generates over 22200 views. to your Favourites.

R. Vener has sinced written about articles on various topics from Humour, Marriage. Rudy Vener writes custom poems for all occasions. Visit his website at http://www.occasionalpoems.com to see samples of his work or to order your own for. R. Vener's top article generates over 12100 views. to your Favourites.