Etiquette With Your Wedding Guests

Your wedding is made so special because you are surrounded by all of your loved ones. It's a rare occasion to have all of your family and friends around you at one time. Being able to enjoy all of your guests is part of what makes your wedding day so very special. Along with all of the sentiments and warm feelings, you are also mixing an awful lot of personalities. You want to be sure that you are prepared for any wedding guest mishaps so that you don't let it ruin your big day.

There are some situations that may very well come up with at least one of your wedding guests. Though you don't want to prepare for the worst, it can be helpful to be aware that things happen. Here are a couple of situations that you might want to prepare yourself for as the beaming bride-to-be:

Guests Wanting to Bring Their Children: It's inevitable that though you specifically say on your invitation that it is an "adults only", you may very well have a guest ask anyhow. Whether it's a situation where somebody is in a jam or they are just nervy, you should be prepared to reply to this request. The truth is that if you allow one child and not another, you are playing favorites and that can mean hurt feelings. If somebody comes to you and asks if they can bring your kids, it's perfectly acceptable to say "Oh while we'd love to have your child, we've made this an adults only event. I'm sorry, but can we help you to find some babysitting help?".

Guests Who Don't RSVP: In spite of your best planning efforts, you will find that there are at least a few guests who don't RSVP by the deadline you provide. This can be frustrating and disappointing, but you don't want to be the person to call these guests to find out their status. This is a great time to pass off this responsibility to a trusted bridal party member. Give them a script if necessary so that they can find out if the guests in question plan to attend or not. Try not to take it personally, and remember that if you are the one making the calls you may get a "yes" out of guilty that is really a "no" that you end up paying for.

Guests Who Don't Get Along with Other Guests: This can be especially tricky if it involves family members or big blow outs that took place in the past. If you are dealing with guests that don't get along, be sure to do your part by not seating them near each other. This can get tricky if it involves family members, but that's the only thing you can do. You don't want to get involved or take sides, and if you seat them far enough apart you can only hope that they will act as adults for one night.

Guests Who Have Had Too Much to Drink: When there's an open bar, it tends to bring out the best and worst of people. You do not want to make your guest's behavior your problem, after all this is your special day and you want to enjoy it to the fullest. Designated somebody that you trust and know will handle it with dignity and respect, and put them in charge of properly escorting an over served guest out the door.....and getting them a safe ride home if necessary.

Being prepared for any situation will make you a much more relaxed and happy bride. Hopefully you never have to deal with these situations, but it's always best to be ready just in case.