Wedding Celebration Etiquette

There are a few general guidelines for etiquette that most wedding attendees follow.

Although wedding celebrations are a matter of personal style and choice, there are still a few general guidelines for etiquette and custom that most couples follow. Guests have come to expect these basics in a familiar order as they enjoy the fundamental events that set the tone for the special celebration.

Cocktail Hour

The celebration starts with a cocktail hour.

It is customary for guests to start the wedding celebration with a cocktail hour without the bride, groom, groomsmen and bridal party. While guests dine on light snacks in many variations, the bridal party and honored others are usually busy taking pictures to capture the special day for future memories. Depending on personal preference and budget, many couples include small appetizers and drinks for the cocktail hour as a precursor to the formal start of the wedding reception with the bride and groom.

Entrance, Introductions and Toasts

A toast to the bride and groom is a long-standing tradition.

After the pictures have been taken and the guests have enjoyed appetizers, it's time for the grand entrance of the bride and groom, followed by an introduction of the bridal party, groomsmen and honored family members of the reception. After a welcome to the guests and an optional spoken blessing, the best man offers a toast to the bride and groom to start the celebration.

Meal Service and Dancing

Wedding etiquette calls for the bride and groom to have the first dance together.

After the introduction and toast to the happy couple, the meal service and dancing begin. Traditional wedding etiquette has the bride and groom share their first dance alone, and then later joined by the father of the bride and his daughter, the mother of the groom and her son, the wedding party, and lastly, open dancing for the rest of the guests. Depending on the couple's personal preference and type of meal, dinner is served before or during the dancing.

Send-Off

Cutting the cake signifies the end of the wedding celebration.

Lastly, the celebration is marked by cutting the wedding cake and the bride and groom feeding each other the first bite. Some weddings have the bride turn her back to a waiting group of single ladies and throwing a bouquet into the crowd. The woman who catches the bouquet is believed to be the next to marry. Then, it's the groom's turn, throwing a garter from the bride's leg to a group of single men. The man who catches the garter puts it on the female who caught the bouquet. The evening then wraps up with sending the wedding couple off to start their honeymoon.

References

• The Knot: Wedding Reception: Creative Wedding Cocktail Hours
• Dummies.com; Displaying and Cutting Your Wedding Cake; Marcy Blum, et al.

Resources

• Emily Post: Wedding Etiquette
• Hallmark: Wedding Toasts From Hallmark Writers