Being invited to a wedding is exciting, and the wedding event itself is something to really look forward to. You’ll have a chance to dress up, to see people you haven’t seen for a while, and to enjoy a party celebrating your friend or family member’s marriage.
You might think that, once you’ve been invited to the wedding, you don’t need to think about much more until the day of the big event itself. However, if you want to be a good wedding guest, there are a number of different things to think about. Read on to find out what some of them are.
RSVP
Don’t just assume that the couple knows you’re going to come to their wedding. They will have invited a lot of people, and not all of them will be able to make it, and if someone can’t come, the couple needs to know because it will make a difference to their seating arrangements and even their budget. This is why it’s crucial to RSVP.
Whether you’ve been asked to the wedding of a close friend or distant relative, you should always reply to a wedding invitation well before the due date. You don’t want to be the one guest who has to be reminded several times – that’s annoying for you and the couple who have plenty of other things to think about. Instead of delaying or accidentally forgetting, it’s best to respond to the wedding invitation as soon as possible.
Bring a Gift
When attending a wedding, it’s customary to bring a gift or even to send one ahead if that’s easier. It’s an old tradition that serves as both a thank you for the invitation and the money the couple has spent on you and as a way to help them ease into married life with everything they are going to need.
When you are looking for the best wedding gifts for couples that they will love, it’s important to think carefully. You’ll need to consider not just the taste of the people you’re buying for, but your budget too. If they have a gift registry, you can work from that, but it’s not essential if you’ve seen something else you know they would love instead of something from that list.
Be on Time
There is a lot of preparation that goes into a wedding ceremony and the reception party, and although there might be a little leeway in timings, there won’t be much. Therefore, if you are asked to be at a certain place at a certain time, that’s what you need to do. If it means you have to leave your home or hotel extra early, then that’s what you’ll have to do because walking into a ceremony late is going to be highly disruptive, and the couple certainly won’t appreciate it.
Make sure you’re completely aware of the timings of the day and that you know how you’re getting from one place to the next (assuming the wedding and reception are in separate venues). That way, you won’t have to panic on the day and potentially come across a problem that makes you late.
