Anti-Clueless Advice: 3 Most Asked Wedding Etiquette Questions Answered

Interviews With an Etiquette Consultant

Wedding season can mean excitement and anxiety for brides, grooms, and their families. Since I’m an etiquette consultant, those mixed feelings typically result in an overflowing inbox of questions from all sides. Typically, intense interest in a particular subject is newsworthy, which makes it a perfect topic for morning news segments. This was the case recently as I visited two of our local stations to offer expert Wedding Etiquette 101 advice.

The Q and A Session

This interview was a typical straightforward question and answer segment with three of my most asked questions. (Video)

Question:

How do couples inform guests of their wedding website?

Answer:

There can be a link on the “Save the Date” or newspaper announcement. Still, it should never be listed on wedding invitations, as these sites typically have gift registry information. Speaking of gifts, registry information shouldn’t be listed on the first page of your wedding website. However, a link to a registry page at the top or bottom of the front page is perfectly acceptable.

Question:

As a guest, how do I know what to wear to a wedding?

Answer:

Play detective. Discern the formality of the venue and time of day. The paper used for the invitation may offer clues as well. A formal wedding is typically indicated by using heavier paper and engraved printing for the invitation. If after considering these hints you are still confused, call the bridal couple for help.

Question:

Must I purchase a gift from a couple’s registry?

Answer:

No. Gift a gift from your heart, something that reflects your relationship with the couple.

Next: Interview Two

Please Read

Wedding Invitations: Email, Response Card, Guest Issues

Nix Embarrassing Speeches & Rings All Around

Wedding Correspondence Q & A: Including Registry Info?

Comments

Which Color is or is not Taboo for Wedding Attire?

Learn what formally taboo colors are now proper to wear for a wedding and the one color that is not in this informative wedding etiquette article. The Mother of the Bride wants to wear the lacy white skirt-suit she bought especially for her daughter’s wedding. Is it appropriate? Hmmm... How about that spicy red number the Groom’s cousin yearns to don? Hold onto your cummerbunds, we’re diving into the wedding attire info pool. Wearing White Some still consider wearing white to a wedding as an insult to the bride, as if stealing the spotlight. But it just isn't so. A little white here and there is not an issue. It is an issue if the outfit appears to be wedding attire . Wearing Black Wearing black, especially as the mother of the groom, was once viewed as a symbol of her disapproval. It was also viewed as a faux pas for wedding guests to wear black before 6 pm. Luckily, this is not the case today. Black attire is viewed as trendy, cool, and st

Wedding Guest Advice: How to Use a Gift Registry

Q & A With an Etiquette Expert As an etiquette specialist, I receive countless wedding etiquette questions. Many of these questions concern the use of a wedding gift registry. Even though this tool has been in place for decades now, many are still confused about how to use it. What follows are a few of my answers to wedding gift registry questions. Must I buy from the registry? Q : Must I buy a wedding gift from the registry? If not, may I choose a gift I want to give? For example, I like to buy all my soon-to-be-married friends a nice set of wine glasses. The issue here is that my friend didn’t register for wine glasses. A : Many people do not know this, but a wedding registry is supposed to be a guideline as to what the couple wants and needs. A wedding guest shouldn’t feel as if the items from the registry list are obligatory and the only gift choices. Guests may choose to give any gift they wish. Consequently, give a gift of your choice that refle

Anti-Clueless Advice: What to Wear and What Gifts to Give

How to Decode the Dress Code and to Give the Right Gift Many questions I receive as an etiquette consultant are from wedding guests. Guests are especially concerned with what they should wear and what they should give as gifts . All who contact me are deeply worried about committing any type of faux pas, as many weddings tend to be surrounded by drama these days. For example, one guest shared that the bride called fuming that the gift she shipped to the bride's home was inadequate, so she returned it to the store for cash—true story. With crazy, hurtful behavior like that, it is no wonder wedding guests are apprehensive about wedding guest protocol. How do we know what to wear to a wedding? Wedding invitations are supposed to help guests understand the formality of a wedding. Often, this is not the case. Here is a real-life example: a guest received an invitation of heavy-weight paper indicating a formal wedding, but the location listed was a neighborhood park.

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