Wedding Invitations

Don’t think of them as rules so much as helpful guidelines.  It surprises many many engaged couples who are planning a wedding to discover that there can be some unexpected rules that go along with wedding planning.  This isn’t necessarily wedding etiquette-related, though.  We consider etiquette to be more like guidelines to make life more pleasant and gracious, but by no means are they federal regulations.

As with many things in life, there are still a few wedding etiquette points that would probably be best to not try to argue or fight with.  For instance, some churches have strict rules about photography inside the sanctuary during the wedding ceremony.  Many brides who have had their hearts set on having a photograph taken of their father walking them down the aisle at their wedding are upset at the news that their church doesn’t allow photography during the ceremony.  While the first instinct might be to break the church’s rule and take photos anyway, do you really want to start off a marriage by making your officiant angry at you?  That could be a bad move, indeed.

Never fear, though, there’s great news for you.  There’s very often a workable solution around such etiquette difficulties.  Continuing with the no photographs during the ceremony scenario, one way to abide by the church’s rules and still get the photos you’ve dreamt about would be to make arrangements to have some time in the church after the ceremony to re-create certain parts of the wedding.  As an example, the bride’s entrance, the vows, and even The Kiss could all be re-created for the photographer and give you many lovely photographic memories for years to come, but without breaking the church’s rules!

There’s more than one person involved in this wedding, you know! Although sometimes it certainly might seem as if a groom’s job is pretty much done once he’s proposed and the bride-to-be begins her wild ride known as planning a wedding, the truth is that the groom still has some very important roles to play in the wedding planning process. Prospective grooms, take note! You shouldn’t be expecting to sit back and take a break just yet.

Wondering what you, as a groom,  need to do?  One part of wedding planning that is very much the groom’s responsibility would be his wedding toast.  While it’s not a requirement, federal law, or even part of wedding etiquette that the groom make a toast at his own wedding reception, it’s a tradition in a great many regions, areas, and cultures for grooms to raise a glass and make a toast. 

If you are needing some guidelines to making a well-received groom’s toast that won’t get you in trouble with your brand new wife, here’s a few simple ones.  To begin with, sincerity is a vital part of a toast, as is brevity.  Also, be sure to thank your guests as well as both sets of parents and families, not to mention your bride.  Among the don’ts in making a wedding toast, the number one no-no would be to tell long, complicated, and extraordinarily embarrassing stories, particularly about your bride.  While such a toast might be a hit with your old fraternity brothers, most everyone else (including your bride) will almost likely not like it.

In the end, keep in mind that wedding etiquette is not in place to make things harder for everyone, but rather to smooth the way for a pleasant and gracious time for all involved.

Check out these articles for more:

Groom Wedding Gift Considerations - It is traditional for the bride and groom to exchange personal and sentimental gifts on their wedding day. Peter Franklin Jewelers has the perfect gift for your bride-to-be that will become a treasured family heirloom. …

The Wedding Toasts of Friends and Family - These individuals must be chosen with great care. You should make sure that the individuals that you choose will be able to treat you with respect when speaking about you and your groom. Wedding […]

Wedding Ceremony: Should it be perfect or memorable? - Simply because they want their bride to feel how important there are besides the fact that wedding is the first event they will share together. Hence, groom also expects that everything should be in perfect situation giving him …

Wedding Favors - A Beautiful Beginning To An Outstanding Day! - Wedding favors can be just as important as everything else you have prepared for your wedding. As little as they are, favors are a reflection on the bride and groom and should blend in with your wedding theme. …

Wedding Toasting Glasses: Toast Your Future in Style - Wedding toasting glasses are used by the bride and groom during their special toast at the wedding reception. As the wedding party, friends or family say a few words to celebrate the happy couple, personalized wedding toasting glasses …

Sometimes it might seem as if a groom’s job is pretty much done once he’s proposed and the bride-to-be begins her wild ride known as planning a wedding. But the groom still has some very important roles to play in the wedding planning process, so prospective grooms shouldn’t be expecting to sit back and take a break just yet.

One part of wedding planning that is very much the groom’s responsibility would be his wedding toast. While it’s not a requirement, federal law, or even part of wedding etiquette that the groom make a toast at his own wedding reception, it’s a tradition in a great many regions, areas, and cultures for grooms to raise a glass and make a toast.

Here’s a few easy guidelines to making a well-received groom’s toast that won’t get you in trouble with your brand new wife. To begin with, sincerity is a vital part of a toast, as is brevity. Also, be sure to thank your guests as well as both sets of parents and families, not to mention your bride. Among the don’ts in making a wedding toast, the number one no-no would be to tell long, complicated, and extraordinarily embarrassing stories, particularly about your bride. While such a toast might be a hit with your old fraternity brothers, most everyone else (including your bride) will almost likely not like it.

Just remember, etiquette is not in place to make things harder for everyone, but rather to smooth the way for a pleasant and gracious time for all involved.

It surprises many many engaged couples who are planning a wedding to discover that there can be some unexpected rules that go along with wedding planning. This isn’t necessarily wedding etiquette-related, though. We consider etiquette to be more like guidelines to make life more pleasant and gracious, but by no means are they federal regulations.

That said, there are some things to do with etiquette that would probably be best to not try to go against. For instance, some churches have strict rules about photography inside the sanctuary during the wedding ceremony. Many brides who have had their hearts set on having a photograph taken of their father walking them down the aisle at their wedding are upset at the news that their church doesn’t allow photography during the ceremony. While the first instinct might be to break the church’s rule and take photos anyway, do you really want to start off a marriage by making your officiant angry at you?

The great news is that there’s often a workable solution around such etiquette difficulties. Continuing with the no photographs during the ceremony scenario, one way to abide by the church’s rules and still get the photos you’ve dreamt about would be to make arrangements to have some time in the church after the ceremony to re-create certain parts of the wedding. For instance, the bride’s entrance, the vows, and even The Kiss could all be re-created for the photographer and give you many lovely photographic memories for years to come.

Are you planning a wedding and found, very quickly, that it’s all so overwhelming? Many engaged couples today are opting for a simple getaway, or destination, wedding.

Some folks look at it as a way to combine wedding ceremony and honeymoon into one, while others feel that the intimate and relaxing atmosphere of a destination wedding is the ideal part. Countless island resorts and cruiselines are definitely making it easier for the couple wanting a destination wedding – many such places even have an in-house wedding coordinator to make everything all that much easier on the bride and groom.

One area of destination wedding planning that isn’t necessarily easier for the bride and groom is putting together the guest list. Space for guests is typically very limited but at the same time, it’s all too easy to run the risk of offending friends or family by not sending them an invitation, even if they weren’t going to be able to attend. Although destination wedding etiquette is a fairly new concept, your guests will surely appreciate any efforts, large or small, that you might make towards their comfort and enjoyment.

For the bride and groom who want an extremely intimate wedding (in other words: just the bride, the groom, the officiant, and the photographer to prove it happened), it’s an especially delicate wedding etiquette dance to explain to friends and family who expect to be able to attend.

As you can see, a destination wedding may not be as simple, relaxing, and ideal as you’d like to think it is! But it can definitely be a lovely way to start a life together.

Since we’re on the theme of engagement, what do you do if you must call one off? Far better to call off an engagement than a marriage - and both do happen. Of course, you would be wise to call off an engagement as soon as you’re sure you will not be getting married. It’s better than going ahead with big doubts and then filing divorce papers years later.

I must warn you that planning a wedding can put a lot of stress on a relationship. You can be prepared for that. But sometimes it can reveal deal breakers that must be addressed.

Just remember this: wedding etiquette dictates that you do not give a reason for a broken engagement - just that you let everyone know. There are different ways to do this. I’ll cover it in my next post.