Wedding Etiquette

A hundred years ago, if you accidentally or purposely-heaven forbid-ignored one of the ironclad rules of etiquette the result would have been social disaster. We can be thankful that the rules of wedding etiquette are much more relaxed than they once were.

 Etiquette can almost be defined as "consideration for others." It is putting yourself in the other person's shoes; it is thinking, "How would I feel if I were in their place?" The important thing to remember about wedding etiquette is that the traditions that surround weddings have evolved over a long period of time. Most rules of etiquette have come about, through a process of trial and error, by figuring out what works well and what does not.

 There are several factors that will affect every decision you make about your wedding. You will want to consider the culture of your family and ethnic background. What wedding traditions are expected in your community? How formal or traditional will your wedding be? How much do you want to spend? The rules of etiquette can be simplified or followed to the letter as long as you remember that the key is "thoughtfulness and consideration."