BRIDE'S Magazine answers some of the Top 100 questions about wedding etiquette
1. My youngest sister is too old to be a flower girl but too young to perform bridesmaid duties. How can I include her in the wedding?
2. Who chooses her dress for the wedding first, the bride's mother or the groom's mother?
3. Does the wedding party have to have an equal number of bridesmaids and groomsmen?
Questions and more questions. Getting engaged and planning a wedding opens up an entirely new world — a most confusing world of constant decision-making and emotionally charged situations. Here's some insight into what every bride, bride-to -be and newlywed needs to know.
The Engagement:
After the question is "popped," arrange for parents to get together to visit (or meet one another) for brunch, drinks, din- ner. The groom's mother should call the bride's mother first.
Begin shopping for a gown nine months before the wedding. Because wedding dresses are custom made, most take at least four months to arrive, once they've been ordered.
The bride's immediate family should not host the shower. If they do, it appears as if they are asking for more gifts for the bride.
Bridesmaids and groomsmen traditionally pay for their own wedding apparel, travel, hotel accommodations. (Exception: If an attendant is financially strapped, the bride and groom may help with some of the expenses.)
The Invitations:
Order 50 extra invitations for keepsakes and late additions to the guest list; 100 extra envelopes in case of addressing errors. Anticipate a 25% refusal rate.
Fold invitation across middle of engraved double sheet, insert in inner envelope with folded side down, engraved side facing up.
Slip inner envelope inside larger envelope so handwritten guests' names (Mr. & Mrs. Jones) are visible. Mail invitations six to eight weeks before the wedding.
The Ceremony And Reception:
Ceremony seating depends on religious preference. In a Christian wedding, as you face the altar, the left side is reserved for the bride's family and friends, the right side of the groom's. The reverse is true for Jewish weddings.
The maid or matron of honor may be your mother, aunt, grandmother or other special person in your life even a close male relative or friend!
In case of divorced parents, seat each parent with his/her own family and friends at the reception. Seat the groom's parents with the parent who raised the bride.
"Etiquette is about the subtle courtesies and kindnesses that smooth relationships between families and friends," says Barbara Tober, Editor-in-Chief of BRIDE'S Magazine. "Developing an awareness of the feelings and concerns of others is a skill that will pave the way for better communication with family members throughout your married life."
Answers:
1. You may have junior bridesmaids, ages 9 to 14. They precede attendants down the aisle, with or without partners.
2. The bride's mother may discuss what she plans to wear with the groom's mother, and she chooses her dress first.
3. It is perfectly all right to have an unequal number of bridesmaids and groomsmen.— The Times Advocate, 1994
After the question is "popped," arrange for parents to get together to visit (or meet one another) for brunch, drinks, din- ner. The groom's mother should call the bride's mother first.
Begin shopping for a gown nine months before the wedding. Because wedding dresses are custom made, most take at least four months to arrive, once they've been ordered.
The bride's immediate family should not host the shower. If they do, it appears as if they are asking for more gifts for the bride.
Bridesmaids and groomsmen traditionally pay for their own wedding apparel, travel, hotel accommodations. (Exception: If an attendant is financially strapped, the bride and groom may help with some of the expenses.)
The Invitations:
Order 50 extra invitations for keepsakes and late additions to the guest list; 100 extra envelopes in case of addressing errors. Anticipate a 25% refusal rate.
Fold invitation across middle of engraved double sheet, insert in inner envelope with folded side down, engraved side facing up.
Slip inner envelope inside larger envelope so handwritten guests' names (Mr. & Mrs. Jones) are visible. Mail invitations six to eight weeks before the wedding.
The Ceremony And Reception:
Ceremony seating depends on religious preference. In a Christian wedding, as you face the altar, the left side is reserved for the bride's family and friends, the right side of the groom's. The reverse is true for Jewish weddings.
The maid or matron of honor may be your mother, aunt, grandmother or other special person in your life even a close male relative or friend!
In case of divorced parents, seat each parent with his/her own family and friends at the reception. Seat the groom's parents with the parent who raised the bride.
"Etiquette is about the subtle courtesies and kindnesses that smooth relationships between families and friends," says Barbara Tober, Editor-in-Chief of BRIDE'S Magazine. "Developing an awareness of the feelings and concerns of others is a skill that will pave the way for better communication with family members throughout your married life."
Answers:
1. You may have junior bridesmaids, ages 9 to 14. They precede attendants down the aisle, with or without partners.
2. The bride's mother may discuss what she plans to wear with the groom's mother, and she chooses her dress first.
3. It is perfectly all right to have an unequal number of bridesmaids and groomsmen.— The Times Advocate, 1994
🍽️Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber of The RSVP Institute of Etiquette, is the Site Editor of the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia
