Sometimes, in the middle of planning their wedding, impressionable couples can have a hard time distinguishing the good ideas from the bad. Just because you’ve seen something done at another wedding doesn’t necessarily mean it’s okay to include it in yours. Ten tacky things to avoid are:
1. A dollar dance with the bride. I don’t care how many times you’ve seen this, it’s never acceptable. And no, you shouldn’t have a “money tree” either.
2. A cash bar. These people are your guests, you can’t expect them to pay for your reception. You didn’t call them and ask them to pay for your wedding dress or your wedding jewelry, did you? Gently serve what you can afford. If that means beer and wine instead of French champagne, that’s perfectly fine. Or create an exclusive drink; it is a very elegant way to avoid the expense of a full open bar.
3. Speaking of the wedding dress, be very careful with the lace-up or corset back. Unless they are made extremely well by a corset building expert, they just look shoddy. Also beware of the danger of back fat getting crushed through the laces, which is very unpleasant and can happen to almost anyone, no matter how thin.
4. Since we are on the subject of the bridal ensemble, let’s talk about accessories. You will surely want to be completely jeweled on your wedding day, from hair to toe. However, remember to keep it tasteful and balance your bridal jewelry with your other accents. For example, if you are wearing a grand and opulent tiara, choose a dainty pendant instead of a three-inch-wide rhinestone choker to adorn your neck. You want you to wear your accessories, not them to wear you!
5. For the gentlemen: don’t try to be too creative with your black tie. A vest or scarf in a color that matches the bridesmaids’ dresses is fine, but one covered in cartoon characters crosses the line. And do I need to mention that a tuxedo print t-shirt is scary, isn’t it smart?
6. This is for guests: The invitation is intended only for those to whom it is addressed. That means you cannot bring your children or your cousin to visit for the weekend, unless they are specifically invited.
7. Maid of honor abuse. Remember that your bridesmaids are not hired maids. Being close friends of the bride, they are likely to volunteer to help her shop for dresses, put together gifts, etc., but a bride should not demand that during the year before her wedding these women dedicate every spare minute to preparing your wedding. . You also cannot make unreasonable demands regarding the appearance of your friends. If you liked her enough to ask her to be at your wedding in the first place, you should like her enough to let her be herself at the wedding.
8. Including registration information with the wedding invitation. Putting the details about a wedding registration on the invitation makes it appear that the guest must bring a gift to be admitted to the reception. While most guests will likely be happy to give the newlyweds a gift to help them start their new life together, it is not required.
9. And while we’re on the subject of gifts, here’s one of the most vulgar things of all: not sending thank you notes for each and every gift. Handwritten notes, not something pre-printed generic left on the tables at the front desk, and for God’s sake, no emails! There is a misconception that a couple has a year after the wedding to send thank you notes. This is inaccurate – the year is the period of time during which it would be considered appropriate for a guest to send a wedding gift. The easiest way to handle thank you notes is to write them within a week of receiving the gift. That way, the excitement of opening the package is still fresh in your mind and it’s so much easier to be honest.
10. The latter is for guests too – don’t laugh mockingly about whether the bride is “pure” enough to wear white!
