While modern weddings are all about setting your own rules and breaking tradition (see this post for proof!), there are some wedding etiquette rules that you just shouldn’t break. Consider this your Emily Post etiquette rundown:
1. Leave your wedding registry info off the invitation.
You don’t want guests to feel like you’re asking them for a gift. Instead, direct people to your wedding website in your invitation suite and include your registry information there. Otherwise, remember that word travels fast: Guests who want to find your registry can easily ask around for that information. (And if they ask you directly, it’s totally appropriate to fill them in!)
2. Never invite someone to your wedding via text.
This might seem obvious, but in the age of evites and social media, the traditional paper invitation isn’t always a first choice. Still, inviting guests to your wedding via Facebook, text, email or Instagram can easily make them feel as if they’re a B-list addition.
3. Feed your wedding vendors dinner.
When you’re calculating your guest count for catering, be sure to include vendors who will be at your reception, like your band, DJ, photographers, videographers and wedding planner. Discuss pricing for these extra meals with your caterer (sometimes they’ll charge you less for these plates), and talk to your wedding planner about where to seat your wedding professionals while they’re taking a break.
4. Don’t invite anyone who isn’t invited to the wedding to pre-wedding events.
This includes bachelor/bachelorette parties, engagement parties and bridal showers.
5. Tip your vendors.
You always tip your waiter, right? Wedding professionals are no different. First check to see if gratuity is included. (For example, transportation companies often include tips in their final bill.) Check out RiverCrest’s post about tipping guidelines here.
6. Include postage with your RSVP cards.
Pre-stamping your RSVP cards isn’t only proper wedding etiquette, it also makes it super-easy for guests to respond quickly.
7. Always, always send a thank you note.
Thank you notes should always be hand-written, and sent in a timely manner. (Try to mail them out no later than three months after your wedding.) Bonus points for sending thank you notes to vendors who did a particularly terrific job.
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