In the world of wedding etiquette, there are a lot of do’s and don’ts. We could literally write volumes, and likely will over time, but since you are probably reading this at work, we’ll narrow this particular entry down to the top do’s and don’ts every bride should memorize.

For this task, we consulted with the lovely and talented Denise Silverman CEO of CLINK, a full-service event production agency that designs and coordinates special events, such as weddings. We’ve turned to Denise on myriad event issues over the years and she always has the answers.

So brides, take Denise’s advice and your wedding is sure to go off with the only hitch being the new one between you and your groom.

Denise Silverman’s top three do’s and don’ts of wedding etiquette:

Do’s:
1-Do: make it about your guests. It’s your wedding and it should reflect your tastes and style. But make sure your guests are comfortable and happy. Fabulous and plentiful food. Comfortable accommodations. Great music. etc.
2-Do: write your thank you notes in a timely manner.
3-Do: double-check all spellings for your invitations. How embarrassing it would be to spell the name of your venue wrong?
4-Do: Check Crane’s Blue Book for all modern invitation etiquette. Don’t make up your own wording without checking on modern rules of etiquette.

Don’ts:
1. Don’t: put “children not welcome” on your invitations. The names on the envelope indicate who is invited (and not invited) to the wedding. You can also spread the word by word of mouth. Finally, if someone responds and puts their children’s names in the response, you may offer up some names/numbers for reputable babysitters.
2. Don’t: include your gift registries on your wedding invitations. This is TACKY.
3. Don’t tell your caterer you have fewer guests attending in order to pay less money. Running out of food is tacky and makes you and the caterer look bad.

Thank you for sharing your expertise Denise!

Cheers!

M