How to be a Great Wedding Guest

Mississippi Wedding Articles » Wedding Etiquette

Have you been invited to a wedding? Manners at a wedding – or any occasion – are very important. It is critical to know how to be a good wedding guest. A wedding is considered one of the bride and groom’s most important days of their life. So you will want to be on your very best behavior to let them enjoy their day to the fullest. How can you be a great wedding guest? It is really easier than you think.

The most important thing to do is to be yourself. The bride and groom have invited you to their wedding because they wanted you to share their special day. Don’t act in a different way because you are at an elegant or fancy occasion. Just be exactly who you are. They like you just the way you are. So don’t worry about changing your personality or who you are.

There are many times during a wedding ceremony and a reception when it is important to be a good listener and to respond. At the wedding ceremony you watch and listen as they get married and they are glad that you are there. This means not having your cell phone on or your pager or your beeper on. This means not chewing gum or unwrapping cellophaned candies that make a lot of noise. Don’t talk to the people you brought with you or the people next to you as the ceremony is going on. Simply listen and enjoy the ceremony. Noise can really carry in a church, temple or other function hall. You may think you are being quiet – but everyone can hear you. At the reception there are speeches being made or when the bride and groom are first dancing it is important to watch and listen and simply pay attention. Later you can socialize and get to know everyone there.

While a wedding is a time to celebrate and be indulgent, some wedding guests take it to an extreme level. A wedding is not a time to overindulge in alcohol or eat all of the appetizers. There are other people that would enjoy shrimp too. People will not appreciate your drunken behavior now any more than they would at another time. If you get drunk at a family or friend’s wedding you could do something really dumb. Friendships and family relationships can be irrevocably damaged because of poor behavior at weddings.