{"id":8429,"date":"2013-12-23T09:05:25","date_gmt":"2013-12-23T01:05:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/?p=8429"},"modified":"2022-03-24T10:35:00","modified_gmt":"2022-03-24T02:35:00","slug":"how-to-behave-at-weddings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2013\/12\/how-to-behave-at-weddings\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Wedding Guest Rules You Should Never Break"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><i>Some guests binge on the booze, others stinge on the ang pows. Fu Jinming finds out what to do \u2013 and what not to \u2013 as a wedding guest.<\/i><\/p><p><b class=\"special\">F<\/b>or every well-planned wedding, there is a badly behaved guest. You know the type \u2013 fashionably late, drinks like he or she owns the bar, and asks to pack the leftovers when dinner\u2019s done.<\/p><div class=\"banner\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">OA_show(5);<\/script><\/div><p>And it\u2019s annoying, not just for the lack of social grace on display, but for the blatant disrespect towards the host couple.<\/p><p>Unsurprisingly, misbehaving guests make other guests uncomfortable too. They can single-handedly turn a nine-course Chinese banquet into nine levels of Hell. Courtesy of the screaming child, the gossipmonger, or worse, the loud drunk.<\/p><p>So do yourself \u2013 and the couple who invited you \u2013 a favour. Observe these rules to being a gracious, thoughtful, and respectful wedding guest. And give your wedded friends a blissful start to their marriage.<\/p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Food-by-davide-oldani-wedding-styled-shoot-31.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><i class=\"special\"><a href=\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2017\/07\/food-by-davide-oldani-wedding-styled-shoot\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Written in the Stars Styled Shoot at FOO&#8217;D by Davide Oldani<\/a> by Adrian Seetho Photography<\/i><p><b><b>1. RSVP Early<\/b><\/b><\/p><p>Show your thoughtfulness by confirming your attendance early. Wedding invitations are generally sent out at least a month and a half before the big day. Don\u2019t stash your invite somewhere and forget all about it. Aim to confirm your attendance at least four weeks before the wedding. This will give the couple ample time to submit a final head count to the banquet venue \u2013 most places require final table figures a week before the day. Besides, most wedding couples accept RSVPs through email these days, so there are no excuses.<\/p><p><b><b>2. Don\u2019t Bring Your Own Guest<\/b><\/b><\/p><p>Read your wedding invitation carefully. If you don\u2019t see \u201c\u2026 and guest\u201d next to your name, please don\u2019t take it upon yourself to bring your own Plus One. If you have to, simply check with the couple before you RSVP. Chances are, the wedding couple would already have asked if you\u2019d like to bring your spouse or partner before they send out the invite. So if you can, try to minimise the surprises on their big day.<\/p><p><b><b>3. Be Punctual<\/b><\/b><\/p><p>It\u2019s bad form to make your entrance after the bride has made hers. Etiquette dictates that you be at your seat 30 minutes before the first march-in. If you have to be late, be sure it\u2019s for a good reason. Bad traffic, train breakdown, babysitter drama all count. Oversleeping on your afternoon nap doesn\u2019t. And if you are going to be late, be sure to inform a fellow guest so he or she can inform the couple in your absence. When you do arrive, proceed to find the bride and groom right away to offer your apologies in person.<\/p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Victoria-and-Kris-Breathtaking-Bali-Wedding-with-an-Overwater-Aisle-44.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><i class=\"special\"><a href=\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2017\/01\/bali-wedding-overwater-aisle-victoria-kris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Victoria and Kris&#8217; Breathtaking Bali Wedding with an Overwater Aisle<\/a> by Terralogical<\/i><p><b><b>4. Dress Appropriately<\/b><\/b><\/p><p>A wedding, unless stated otherwise, is a formal event. So respect the dress code and dress accordingly. While not all weddings here are black-tie affairs, most will still require that you observe a basic sartorial decorum. That means a collared shirt and pants at the minimum for guys, and a long or short cocktail dress for the ladies. For the latter, try not to wear white so as not to compete with the bride on her special day. Oh, and lose the cleavage too.<\/p><p><b><b>5. Don\u2019t Get in the Photographer\u2019s Way<\/b><\/b><\/p><p>This is a common bugbear amongst professional wedding photographers: guests often get overly excited and start snapping away at the bridal pair before the hired gun does. Their stray flashlights could cause lighting problems for the official photographer. Or worse, they take up the best positions, preventing the photographer from getting winning shots of the couple. So give your hosts the chance to capture their happiest moments in the most flattering light \u2013 <a href=\"http:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2013\/09\/having-an-unplugged-wedding\/\">get out of their photographer\u2019s way<\/a>.<\/p><p><b><b>6. Re-connect with Family<\/b><\/b><\/p><p>Meeting relatives you haven\u2019t seen in years can be one of the most awkward moments at a wedding. That uncle is going to want to know where you\u2019re working at now. Your aunt might be interested in your love life (or lack of). Prepare answers to your personal and professional life before the dinner, and make it a point to interact with them. You can even direct the same questions back. Before long, it\u2019ll feel like old times again.<\/p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Hildra-and-Philippes-Fuschia-Fiesta-Wedding-at-Kult-Kafe-Singapore-90.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><i class=\"special\"><a href=\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2017\/02\/wedding-at-kult-kafe-hildra-philippes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hildra and Philippe&#8217;s Fuschia Festival Wedding at Kult Kafe<\/a> by Eggs Benedict Chan<\/i><p><b><b>6. Don\u2019t be a Stranger<\/b><\/b><\/p><p>If you\u2019re assigned a table with people you don\u2019t know, don\u2019t clam up and turn into a sudden mute. Introduce yourself to everyone else. Use the bride and groom as a conversation starter \u2013 how they got to know them, how long have they known them for, and so on. That\u2019ll pave the way for more personal topics like their professions, hobbies or even political viewpoints. Friendships, business partnerships, and even romance, have been known to have their beginnings at weddings.<\/p><p><b><b>7. Don\u2019t Complain<\/b><\/b><\/p><p>The food didn\u2019t live up to your expectations? Suck it up. The only thing more distasteful than bad banquet food is a guest who wouldn\u2019t shut up about it. The hosts have spent a considerable amount of time and expense to feed you \u2013 even if you think you\u2019ve paid for it with your ang pow. The polite thing to do is to smile and tell the couple how much you\u2019ve enjoyed your evening. If you have to gripe about it, do it when you\u2019ve reached home.<\/p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Bali-Tirtha-Uluwatu-wedding-Sarah-and-Jon-95.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><i class=\"special\"><a href=\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2017\/03\/tirtha-uluwatu-wedding-in-bali-sarah-jon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sarah and Jonathan&#8217;s Ethereal Ceremony in the Tirtha Uluwatu Wedding Chapel<\/a> by AndroidsinBoots<\/i><p><b><b>8. Don\u2019t Binge<\/b><\/b><\/p><p>Nobody likes a drunk, especially at a wedding. So take it easy on the open bar, and keep your alcohol intake to a steady pace. If free booze is music to your ears, then your drunken bouts of crying, staggering and vomiting are heavy metal to your hosts\u2019. Forget the embarrassment you\u2019ll cause. Think of the apologies the couple will have to make on your behalf. Think of the inconvenience they\u2019d have to go through to find someone who\u2019ll drive you home. Think of the fool everyone will remember you for.<\/p><p><b><b>9. Give an Appropriate Gift<\/b><\/b><\/p><p>For a western-styled wedding, guests typically buy gifts off a wedding registry the couple has sent out together with their invites. Presents usually include kitchen appliances that the newlyweds will need. Sometimes, the couple may ask for a gift in cash instead to help them on their way. If you\u2019re unsure, don\u2019t be afraid to ask the couple which they prefer. In Chinese weddings, it is customary to present a monetary gift in a red envelope (or ang pow) at the dinner banquet. <\/p><p><b><b>10. Have Fun<\/b><\/b><\/p><p>It\u2019s a celebration after all. So for goodness\u2019 sake, celebrate. Eat your heart out, toast loud and proud, and dance like you mean it. Because there\u2019s no better way to show your happiness and excitement for the wedding couple than to thoroughly enjoy the occasion of their union.<\/p><hr \/><p><i>Credits: Feature image from <a href=\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2016\/05\/joy-bens-steampunk-wedding-nikoi-island\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Joy and Ben&#8217;s Steampunk Wedding on Nikoi Island<\/a> by Daniel Beh Photography.<\/i><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Some guests binge on the booze, others stinge on the ang pows. Fu Jinming finds out what to do \u2013 and what not to \u2013 as a wedding guest.For every&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":48218,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11,10],"tags":[525],"class_list":["post-8429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-groom-room","category-weddings-101","tag-wedding-etiquette"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>10 Wedding Guest Rules You Should Never Break - SingaporeBrides<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2013\/12\/how-to-behave-at-weddings\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"10 Wedding Guest Rules You Should Never Break - SingaporeBrides\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Some guests binge on the booze, others stinge on the ang pows. 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