My City February 2023

MYWEDDING

Wedding Guest Not provided the option for a plus one, he knows he will attend this shindig “stag.” He heads to the store and purchases a lovely little hand mixer from the couple’s registry (so they can make tasty cakes and sweets). Great start!

Y ou’ve been invited to attend a grand wedding and you should feel honored that the happy couple wants to celebrate their marriage in your presence. Huzzah! It’s going to be a great party, but a sophisticated one.To show how much you value their friendship and support their union, follow a few time-honored rules of etiquette and continue being the rockstar friend that you are. Here are a few Do’s and Don’ts: etiquette DO’S & DON’TS OF CELEBRATING THE“I DO.” BY PETER HINTERMAN So, you received the invite – it’s classy and beautiful.The couple really put a lot of thought into it, didn’t they?The majority of invites include a variety of information and possibly most importantly, the RSVP card.What comes next? DON’T neglect the RSVP! The couple has limited space and a lot to do before the Big Day, making plans according to the exact number of guests attending. Whether you will attend or not, let them know ASAP. Don’t show up to the wedding having sent the RSVP the day before or (Lord help us) bring it with you to the wedding. DO honor the couple’s wishes. If they did not allow you to add a “plus one”, don’t plan on taking a date or a friend. If it is an “adults only” affair, don’t plan to bring the kiddos. (If this is a deal-breaker for you, mark the RSVP card accordingly.) This is not your day; it belongs to the couple and they get to set the rules. DO choose a wedding gift from their registry.These items were carefully chosen, to help them start a home life together. Don’t go off the cuff because you “know” Jaime and Peyton and you’re sure they will “love it.” #theywon’t SCENARIO: Dave receives his invite and checks his calendar. He sees that he can attend and immediately sends his RSVP. 1. The Invitation

The day of the wedding is approaching and it is time to make sure you will be dressed for the occasion.Making yourself pre sentable for the ceremony is a way of honoring your friends; it has nothing really to do with your comfort. Again, this is not your day. DO make an effort to look your best or follow the wedding theme (a big thing nowadays). If it is a country theme, then by all means put on the boots and the hat. A “Star Trek”wedding?Then be the best “Chekov” you can be. You get the picture. If it is a tradi tional wedding, then plan to dress up and look nice. DON’T outdress the wedding party, wear white or your leisure clothes (unless the theme calls for it). Every wedding has that guest who is stuffed into a faded t-shirt, wearing jeans with holes in the knees and a pair of old sneakers decorated by the lawn-mower. Do you know what everyone says about that guy? “Geez, he could have at least made an effort.” If other guests notice it, so does the wedding party.The least you can do is make an effort.The opposite also applies: Don’t be overdressed. Find the sweet spot in the middle. SCENARIO: Dave peruses his wardrobe and realizes that it may be time to purchase something new to match his favorite tie. He heads to the store and finds a nice dress shirt and a smart pair of slacks.When the day comes, he showers, combs his hair, puts on his new clothes (complete with that tie), steps into his dress shoes and heads out the door …dressed for success! Doofus rolls out of bed an hour before the wedding, picks up his favorite t-shirt from the floor, gives it the old college sniff test and decides it’s passable. He pulls on a pair of faded jeans Doofus receives his invite, takes a look, marks it on his calendar and leaves the invite on the coffee table.The RSVP card did not include a plus one option but he doesn’t care. A wedding is for par tying, right? He immediately calls his best buddy Dingbat and tells him to get ready to party. A week before the wedding, he goes online and buys a “Big Mouth Billy Bass” for the couple’s den because it’s “funny” and “they’ll love it.”“Take me to the river …” he sings as he drives down the road to failure. 2. The Attire

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