The 10 Biggest Wedding No-Nos!
The 10 Biggest Wedding No-Nos!
Oh, weddings. You bring so much joy…and amusement…and anger or tears, if you’re not careful. Take some learning cues from brides and grooms who have come before thee and avoid these 10 wedding faux pas.
1. Giving bridesmaids the mean-girl treatment
Just because technically they are your “ladies in waiting” does not mean that they are there to wait on you hand and foot, or that they deserve to pay money to look ill-fitted in a terrible dress. Appreciate them and make them feel pretty, too. Karma…
2. Inviting someone to all your events, except the wedding
Unless you are having a super-small destination wedding with closest of close friends and family, you should send a wedding invitation to everyone who was at your bridal shower or hen’s night to your wedding. If you don’t want them there, don’t invite them to anything else where they will have spent money on you and bought you presents. It’s bad manners, and just rude.
3. Forgetting to send thank-you notes
Come on, bridey! You can’t just take gifts and not send a handwritten thank you card. Your mum brought you up better than that…
4. Not inviting your stepmother
So your dad married someone whom you would prefer not to attend your wedding. Sorry, lady-cakes, you have to invite her. It doesn’t mean she has to sit next to you or even near you at the reception! But do offer the courtesy (to your dad, at least) of including her name on that save-the-date card. She is, after all, family now. Now it's time to decide which design you love the most, check out our incredible selection of save the date cards.
5. Getting too tipsy on your day
All those nerves! Now all the excitement! The celebration! It’s pretty easy to knock back a few cocktails before you even realise that you may have had one too many. No one likes a drunken bride or groom — and besides, you want to remember the day, right? — so take it easy on the alcohol.
6. Having a cash bar
If you can’t afford to pay for your guests’ drinks, then you need to re-evaluate the number of guests and shave it down to a budget-friendly number. This doesn’t mean your open bar has to feature every expensive liquor in the world! Look at less-costly options, such as just wine and beer, if the budget is tight.
7. No temperature control
Every wedding guest has been there before. The ice-cold reception hall or the sweltering outdoor venue… It’s not fun. And you want your wedding to be. So if it’s looking like it’ll be hot, hot, hot, prepare for some man-made shade, fans and a cold-towel station; if it’s super-chilly, get that heat cranked up, a fire pit going, offer shawls for favours, whatever it takes to keep your company comfortable.
8. Serving too little food
Again, if the budget is tight, consider alternatives to help you get by in the food department. A wedding brunch, for example, is a LOT cheaper than a wedding dinner affair. Planning on just serving passed appetizers or small bites? Make sure that’s printed loud and clear on the invitation, and the time of your wedding reflects that (e.g. after lunch or before dinner time). People are spending a chunk of time with you + they are likely drinking = they will be hungry.
9. Speeches that go on and on…and on
Guests love speeches, but too many or ones that drag on can really ruin the vibe of your wedding. To avoid this scenario, tell speech givers in advance that you’re asking everyone to keep it under two minutes per speech. And have your wedding planner or maid of honour collect a list of names and put them in order for the DJ to announce to avoid any tipsy last-minute toastees.
10. A date that falls on a major holiday
Juggling schedules around the holidays is difficult enough without throwing your wedding into the mix. It can disrupt your guests’ family plans and traditions as well as raise the cost of travelling to your wedding. Avoid, avoid, avoid.
What’s the funniest faux pas that happened on your wedding day? Let us know in the comments section right here!