Double Wedding Etiquette

For some couples, there's no better way to spend the most special day of their lives than sharing the spotlight with another couple. When planned thoughtfully and creatively, double weddings offer twice the celebration and heartwarming qualities of traditional weddings. While there are few strict etiquette guidelines about double weddings, observing general etiquette and manners will ensure a stress-free wedding that suits everyone's needs.

Planning

Whether the brides are sisters, the grooms are friends or any other double wedding arrangement, both couples and anyone else involved in the planning, such as parents or wedding planners, need to agree on key areas such as the budget, theme, duties and responsibilities of the various parties and the procedures. One idea is for the couples to write lists of their favorite ideas and the details they envision and compare the two, noting overlapping themes. In some areas they can choose to blend ideas. For instance, one bride chooses the color scheme while the other chooses the motif.

Invitations and Guest List

For most double weddings, the guest list features many mutual friends. However, the couples need to ensure that their most important (non-mutual) guests are included. Invitations will also need to clearly address the nature of the double wedding. If the brides are sisters, it's customary to send joint invitations. However, the couples may choose to send joint or individual invitations to each set of friends and family.

Attendants and Attire

For the sake of balance, each couple should have the same number of attendants. To cut down on the size of the bridal party, the brides and grooms may wish to share a single flower girl or ring bearer. Typically, brides wear gowns that complement each other's gowns without looking exactly alike. Bridesmaids and groomsmen can wear matching outfits or different outfits in the same colors. Jewelry and shoes also offer chances to personalize the outfits.

Ceremony

If the brides are sisters, the groom and attendants enter in pairs and take their places at the altar or the front of the venue. The oldest sister then walks down the aisle. After she has arrived at the altar, the younger sister follows. Some couples choose to have the father escort both brides at once. For brides who are not sisters, the couples should consult beforehand and choreograph the procession. Traditionally the older bride goes first in any situation.
Couples choose between a joint officiant or two separate ones. The officiant reads the vows, then pauses for each couple to answer separately. The newly married couples are announced simultaneously and each pair kisses at the same time. If there are personalized vows or two officiants, the couples should take turn reading the vows. After the pronouncements, the couples either leave the venue together or in the same order they entered.

Gifts and Reception

If guests know both couples, they typically bring two gifts. However, they are not obligated to bring a present for the couple they do not know. Since it's generally a faux pas to mention gifts on the invitations, ask family and friends to spread the word, or invite guests to call with questions.
At the reception, receiving lines can be joint or separate, depending on the size of the guest list and which is more efficient. Usually, each couple has a separate wedding cake, although they may be smaller than traditional cakes.

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Indian Wedding Etiquette

Indian weddings offer guests a riot of color and celebration, packed with people, food and a wealth of traditions. Steeped in cultural and religious importance, Indian weddings contain much symbolic meaning. Though some of the ceremony may seem more like silliness than seriousness, having the proper etiquette matters.

Dress

Traditional dress for women means a sari--a six-foot-long cloth, worn draped over a floor length skirt, or petticoat, and a midriff-baring top. Indiamarks.com suggests choosing a colorful sari, but not white and black, as they indicate mourning, or red, the traditional color for the bride. Accessorize with plenty of bangles for a festive look. Men can wear anything from an achkan, a long coat which hangs to the knees, worn with pants, to a standard black suit.
Even if the wedding doesn't require traditional dress, modesty matters for the ceremony itself, as it shows respect. That means covered shoulders and no plunging necklines. Sometimes guests must sit on the floor, making short skirts a bad idea. A place of religious importance might require the removal of shoes. Sacred ceremonies sometimes require a covering the head with a scarf, shawl or wrap, reports Indiamarks.com.

Gifts

The Kwintessential website says money remains a popular gift, and amounts ending in the number one can signify luck. Indian gift shops often have envelopes for giving money, with coins as decoration. Gift giving matters, but the spirit of the gift more so than the gift itself, so no gift recycling.

The Ceremony

The main portion of the long ceremony takes place next to agni, the holy fire. The Saptapadi, explains DeshVidesh.com, formalizes the marriage as the bride and groom take seven steps around the fire and recite their vows, bringing the ceremony to an end. Because of the sanctity of the ceremony, many venues ban photography, to avoid the disruption caused by the flash.

Socializing

Indian weddings allow and even encourage guests to talk to other guests during the ceremony, an important venue for socializing. Indians usually view guests enjoying themselves as blessing the union. Indian weddings, often quite large in size, can make it difficult for the couple to find everyone, so guests should present themselves briefly to the bride and groom. Men shouldn't expect to kiss or dance with the bride--she will act demure in honor of her new husband.

Food

Food plays a vital role in Indian weddings, where you'll find Indian cuisine at its best. As some Indian families practice vegetarianism, the wedding fare might not contain meat. Depending on the family's religious beliefs, they might not serve alcohol. Indiamarks.com reports that some weddings serve food on banana leaves, for guests to eat it with their hands. As with most aspects of the wedding, eating the food shows guests' approval of the wedding and their best wishes for the bride and groom.

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Wedding Etiquette for Deceased Parents

A wedding is a time for celebration, and it should be a joyous occasion. If you have a deceased parent, you have another important person that you want to be there in spirit. Including a deceased parent is a tricky situation because people want to be overjoyed and not mourning at a wedding. Follow simple rules of wedding etiquette about deceased parents, and keep your wedding running smoothly.

A Widowed Female's Last Name

Address a widowed female correctly on the wedding invitation envelopes, and if she is the host of the wedding, type her name correctly on the wedding invitations. According to Crane's, a widow would remain Mrs. Andrew Forrester, for example. Use a widower's married last name unless she is remarried. If she is remarried, use her current last name. Do not refer to a widow with her maiden name under any circumstances.

Including a Deceased Parent on the Invitation

Decide whether to include your deceased parent on the wedding invitation. According to Marry Customs, many couples are deciding to veer from tradition and show respect to deceased parents on the invitation. Etiquette rules state that a deceased parent should not be included on the wedding invitation because the names on the invitation demonstrate who is hosting the wedding. If you choose not to include the deceased parent's name on the invitation, there are other methods to include him or her.

Honoring the Deceased Parent During the Ceremony

Think of methods to honor the deceased parent during the ceremony. According to The Knot, you can honor a deceased parent by providing a moment of silence or a prayer in his honor. If you want to honor him without making a public statement, you can wear something personal that reminds you of him. The method you choose to honor him is a choice that is individual to your sentiments and your family's customs.

Giving the Bride Away

Find a relative to give the bride away if her father passed away before the wedding. According to The Knot, a close uncle or the mother are ideal choices if the bride wants someone to walk with her. The bride can also walk alone if she is confident not to have an escort. The decision of who will give the bride away is significantly personal to the bride. She should make her final decision of who will escort her without pressure about who to choose.

Mentioning the Deceased at the Reception

Mention the deceased parent during a reception speech to let the guests understand that someone important is not present. The bride or groom do not have to give a speech, especially if speaking about a deceased parent is too upsetting. If a groomsman or bridesmaid in the bridal party met the deceased parent, he or she may be the ideal person to mention the significance of the deceased parent to the bride or groom.

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Exercising Proper Wedding Etiquette

There comes a time when the any couple decides to commit themselves to one another and express this by getting married. Along with family and friends, all those who care for them share their wedding day.

Proper wedding etiquette is required for different aspects of the wedding. From taking care of the invitations, to the transportation, reception details, location and the church, everything has a corresponding proper wedding etiquette to follow.

The Engagement:

Proper wedding etiquette should already be observed during the engagement. The news should be announced to immediate family first. A gathering of both families should be arranged. Proper wedding etiquette dictates that if either one has not met each other’s parents; they should break the news to one family at a time.

As for friends, the proper wedding etiquette is to announce to them personally after the family.

The Wedding Preparations:

The wedding theme is the first thing the couple must agree upon since all the details following it will be affected. If the couple chooses a beach wedding, proper wedding etiquette says that everything will be patterned after that. There are wedding planners who can coordinate everything for the couple and is a great help for the bride and groom in organizing their special day.

The question of when and where the wedding will be held is an important topic to consider. The couple must also decide what kind of ceremony they want to have. Will it be a church wedding or a civil one? The proper wedding etiquette is to consult the religious preference of the couple. Sometimes even if they share the same religion, a couple can still insist on the informality of a civil wedding.

The location for the reception is the next thing to decide on. As proper wedding etiquette, the couple must be considerate of the guests. Proper wedding etiquette dictates that the reception area should be close to the wedding location so that the guests and the couple won’t be too tired when they get there.

Transportation is another factor to consider. Apart from the bridal car, it is proper wedding etiquette to provide for those who have no cars from the wedding location to the reception area. The couple can ask guests beforehand on who will bring their own transportation so they can estimate how many automobiles they will have to hire for the group.

The Reception Details:

Of course, a big part of this event is the reception. Even though the atmosphere is more informal, one cannot forget the proper wedding etiquette of having a program. It should really be about the couple, wishes from their family and guests, a time for gratitude and a celebration of the new life ahead for the newlyweds.

The menu, cake, table décor, centerpieces, sound system, and entertainment should be arranged months beforehand. The proper wedding etiquette is to follow the allotted time frame for each element. All of this will entirely depend on the couple’s taste and budget.

The Dresses:

Proper wedding etiquette for any traditional wedding is a white gown for the bride and a favored color for the bridesmaids, entourage and sponsors. However, times have changed and other color palettes are now available for the bride.

The groom and groomsmen usually do not have trouble with their clothes since they wear what is appropriate to the theme and whatever the couple has decided on for the design.<br><br>

The Budget:

All this preparation will go to waste if the couple cannot provide for any of the wedding items. As proper wedding etiquette, the question of who will pay for what is divided between the bride and groom’s family.

Traditionally, the proper wedding etiquette is for the bride’s family to pay for the reception costs, the church fees, the groom’s rings, the invitations, flowers for the ceremony and reception, music, transportation and lodging for the bride’s party. The groom’s side takes care of the rehearsal dinner, the bride’s ring, clergy or officiator’s fee the bride’s bouquet the flowers for the entourage, transportation and lodging for the groom’s party.

Nowadays, a couple can decide what obligations they will handle. But the proper wedding etiquette is to share the expenses, as this will be the sign of their future together.

It is tough job to handle all the wedding details but proper wedding etiquette must be observed at all times. Sometime we tend to forget these simple but very important gestures. We must realize that by following proper wedding etiquette, we help make the event more elegant and memorable.

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Learn About Victorian Wedding Etiquette

Thanks to educated Victorians with their lustrous names, intelligence and writing abilities, they have passed on to us what a mannered person should do in all social situations. In the 1870's to 1880's there were at more than sixty (60) etiquette books that were published of which includes Victorian wedding etiquette. These Victorian wedding etiquette became popular before and are still popular in these days.

Victorian wedding etiquette focuses on manners, culture and dress before, during and after the wedding ceremony and reception. Victorians also have etiquette rules on courtship and engagement.

--  Victorian Wedding Etiquette on Marriage Ceremony

For Victorians, the marriage ceremony varies with the fortunes, desires and wishes of the wedding parties. According to Victorian Wedding Etiquette, a bride and couple may have a very lavish and expensive wedding if they can afford it or they can have a small gathering of closest family and friends celebrating the wedding with them.

As to the form of right, Victorians have no specific directions as to how the wedding rite should be done, but they should follow rules of their churches of the proper wedding rite.

Victorians who are to be married by their ministers, wedding etiquette calls them to study the form or proper wedding rite of their particular church. For Victorians who will be married in a Methodist church should study Book of Discipline. Episcopalian Victorians, on the other hand should read the Book of Common Prayer. Catholic Victorians are invoked to know the basic Ritual in a Catholic Wedding Celebration.

In Victorian wedding etiquette, couples must do wedding rehearsals. The rehearsal of the ceremony is always made in private. Victorians believe that  with this way, the bride and groom and the wedding parties could understand better the necessary forms and rites.

--  Victorian Wedding Etiquette General Rules

Victorians have general rules in wedding etiquette. They are interesting to learn and to note especially if you are planning to have a Victorian wedding theme.

Bridesmaids and groomsmen are expected to assist in the preparation of the wedding and even during the wedding especially if the wedding is not private. Wealthy Victorians held weddings for public and with many guests that were expected to attend (even from nearby towns), the hired help won't be able to accommodate the guests.

Although this seems funny nowadays, but Victorian wedding etiquette is clear on this matter: bridesmaids should be younger, yes you read it right, younger than the bride. If you have an older sister who you love you dearly, you won't be able to make her a bridesmaid if you were born during the time of the Victorians.

Victorian wedding etiquette on bridesmaids clothing is also peculiar. Bridesmaids should wear dresses that look like that of the bride. It was believed before (even before the time of the Victorians) that a devil is on the loose everytime there is a wedding. This devil is tasked to kidnap the bride, take her away from her groom, and take her virginity from her. So, bridesmaids are selected, those that look like the bride, younger or of her age, and must dress the way she dresses so as to confuse the devil who should be taken.

The material for bridesmaids wedding dresses are usually light and flowing fabric that allows graceful gait, and must have lots of ornament. Dresses should not be necessarily expensive.

The bridesmaids should assist the bride (thus the name brides' MAID) in dressing her, receiving company, holding her things, etc. They should stand at the brides left side, with the first bridesmaid or the maid of honor holding the gloves and bouquet.

As for the groomsmen, he should receive the clergyman and present to him the couple to be married. The first groomsman or the best man should stand upon the right side of the groom during the ceremony.

Victorian wedding etiquette has not been changed much. They are still the basic wedding etiquette that we have today. We can follow Victorian wedding etiquette's general rule as is without looking or making ourselves outrageous. Some of Victorian wedding etiquette are just bent a bit, such as a wedding dress, to accommodate the wishes and desires of the bride or the groom or of a relative special to the hearts of the couple.

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Etiquette To Wedding Guests : Sending A Thank You Note

After the wedding is over and the hot steamy honey moon is almost done, you will have to pause and think about the people who showed up to your wedding day.

Thinking of those people will never be sufficient. Adhering to wedding etiquettes, you should appreciate them and show your appreciation through a material token.

That is where thank you notes come into the picture. Wedding experts and society or lifestyle gurus advise married couples to send out tokens of appreciation or simple thank you notes to their wedding guests at least two weeks after the event.

Thank you notes should or must be sent especially for those friends or guests who showed up with wedding gifts. Wedding etiquette will also have you send thank you notes to people who were not able to come to the wedding, but sent in their gifts, or even to people you have invited but did not show up at all and did not even bother to buy you any gift.

To outdo wedding etiquettes, it would be better if the couple will send out personalized thank you notes. If it would not be too expensive, thank you notes bearing pictures of the couple with the particular guest would be a really, really good gesture of sincere appreciation.

It is not against wedding etiquettes to buy thank you note templates, but be sure to personalize it by adding your personal hand written notes of appreciation. Some couples also prepare thank you notes along with wedding invitations to save time and money.

When you opt to do this, just be sure you order enough or plenty of extra copies to so you will never run out in case too many people show up.

Etiquette when writing thank you notes

A couple of do’s and don’ts will help you get away from troubles that may arise in writing wedding thank you notes. It is not enough that you show up efforts to sincerely thank and appreciate the presence and gifts accorded to your romantic wedding.

Wedding etiquettes have it that thank you notes should be written appropriately. Even the paper used for the notes should be written on white or ivory-colored paper. Some couple prefer to have their thank you notes monogrammed, but others feel its just okay if everything is handwritten.

Here are some guidelines that adhere to wedding etiquettes when it comes to sending out thank you notes:

• Remember to send thank you notes to relatives and people who coordinated showers and parties for the both of you. It would be okay if you thank them for the efforts within the same card sent to them for their gifts.
• Wedding etiquettes suggest that you appreciate each gift you have received. That means each and every gift should be recognized through its own thank you note. If a person sent you two gifts, for example, send two thank you notes for each gift. The same treatment should be given to gifts received during the shower or even stag party.
• Advanced wedding gifts or gifts that arrived before the wedding you must be immediately responded to so you will never have the chance to forget sending out thank you notes for them.
• It might be time and money saving, but it is not advisable to send out preprinted thank you notes. Sending preprinted cards will give the person receiving the thank you note the impression that his or her effort or gift was not totally appreciated.
• Personalize your thank you note by handwriting the message. Warm but short thank you notes are better than longer but non-personalized or insincere notes.
• Write your thank you note message in blue or black ink. It is for the simple reason that the colors are far more readable.
• It is in accordance to proper wedding etiquettes that you put or include your new return address on every thank you note you have sent. The recipients will greatly appreciate the gesture if he or she is informed or posted of your new and correct address.
• Never start the thank you note with the pronoun “I.” To create a good and lasting impression use “You” as often throughout the note instead of “I” or “me.”

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An Elegant And Huge Love In Simple And Small Wedding

An elegant and huge love in simple and small wedding is one of the most beautiful weddings that can be organized. The budget is not too high, the attendees are all relaxed and will likely have a good time and nuances such as children running around and making noise will be avoided. A wedding without too much frills makes sure that the love between the couple is the focus of the ceremony.

Etiquette in a simple and small wedding

ATTIRE
Guests are only advised to wear clothes comfortable to them. A dress from a closet selection, a white one or even a sundress is appropriate for a small wedding. A bridesmaid can wear a white dress or even a pantsuit. The groom can go for khakis, or even jeans paired with a shirt and a sport coat.

SETTING
A small wedding can be held in a community center, a local park or even your parents’ backyard. Holding ceremonies in a unique location such as a rooftop, a barn, an art gallery can clearly speak about the personalities of the couple.

INVITATIONS
Invitations in a small wedding can be handwritten on handmade paper. Send them like writing a note to a close friend. It is important to note that attendees should be in casual attire.

FLOWERS
Simple bulbs such as hyacinths or tulips can serve as alternatives for floral flower arrangements. Using these will generate huge savings for the couple. Gerber diaries inserted in a flat container filled with wheat grass can serve as an attractive centerpiece.

MENU
The menu of a small wedding can be very diverse. A party can be set a few months before the wedding and the guests can be asked to bring their favorite recipes. The couple can choose their favorites and use them as wedding food. It is also good to acknowledge whose recipe it is by putting a label in front of every dish. Besides a party, a barbeque or picnic fare can be held.

REGISTRY
Common retail stores such as Sears or Target can be used as gift registries. Couples can specify what they want to receive in order to avoid the usual gift of expensive China that will likely collect dust in a cabinet.

Costs, costs, costs

Tradition dictates that the bride’s parents are responsible for paying off the wedding regardless if it is small or big. However, expenses have become an issue due to the challenging times. The etiquette in requesting for money is by gathering both families and discussing how to share in the wedding expenses, as the couple will unlikely have enough to cover all of their needs.

The budget will be a major basis on what type of wedding will be held. The couple needs to meet with everyone who will be attending. However, the couple cannot force their parents to shell out money that is not available.

Couples can make various compromises if their budget falls short. For example, less expensive rings can be used. A more expensive replacement can be acquired in the future. Some couples do not even have wedding rings at all. Those living in a nice climate can have the reception at home and hire catering services. To help control costs, a butler can be tasked to pass around hors d’ oeuvres and refreshments.

The parents of the groom traditionally pay for the following items:

• Boutonnieres for groom's attendants
• The bride's bouquet
• Officiate fee or donation
• Rehearsal Dinner  
• Lodging and transportation expenses of the rabbi or minister
• Corsages for every family member
• Transportation of the Groom and Best Man going to the wedding

Giving tips is a nice way of rewarding those that have given good service but it is not a requirement. A tip given to a minister can be seen as a gift for marrying the couple. Tips can be given to servers, drivers and musicians but still, this is not a requirement.

The etiquette in service fees

Couples should make sure that they are comfortable with the people that are helping in the wedding whether it is the wedding experts, the photographer and even the florists. They should share the same vision on how the wedding should come out and not merely focus on how much money will spent.

A couple may receive possibly the lowest price but if the rendered service does not meet what was promised, the value is useless, even if it is a small wedding.

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Appropriate Wedding Etiquette At Rehearsal Dinners

Most couples who are about to get married face the problem of staging a rehearsal dinner because they have no idea of the appropriate  wedding etiquette at rehearsal dinners.

This articles hopes to provide some enlightenment to the couple regarding the appropriate wedding etiquette at rehearsal dinner. Enumerated below are some of the usual questions that couples ask regarding the appropriate  wedding etiquette at rehearsal dinners.

Though rehearsal dinner planning is making couples go crazy, they need not worry, a few rules to observe is all they need before actually staging the rehearsal dinners.

The Guest List

Couples must remember that there are really no rules involved in staging a rehearsal dinner. The appropriate  wedding etiquette at rehearsal dinners is as plain as the wedding day itself.

Firstly, the appropriate  wedding etiquette at rehearsal dinners suggests that the couple choose wisely and pick out the members of their guest list. It is really up to them who they will invite.

The appropriate  wedding etiquette at rehearsal dinners really has no restrictions as to how many the guests are. It can be simple as the couple only, can include their immediate families, and also those guests at their wedding party with their spouses or their significant others.

The appropriate  wedding etiquette at rehearsal dinners also has no regulations on what a couple intends to lay-out a motif or theme for their rehearsal dinner. Either they make it a bash or they can invite all their out-of-town guests.

A rehearsal dinner is a very good chance or opportunity to be able to maximize what quality time that you have with your visiting friends and your relatives. appropriate  wedding etiquette at rehearsal dinners suggest this as the most proper time to be able to chat with your friends and relatives, unlike the wedding day itself, rehearsal dinners give the couples more relaxing and quiet time.

The appropriate  wedding etiquette at rehearsal dinners also advises couples not to worry about not having the proper surprise for them. The guests usually do not go to the actual ceremony rehearsal. The ceremony is usually for the wedding party and their parents.

The Fiance's Family

Sometimes, the family of a fiance has no idea that they are supposedly hosting the rehearsal dinner. Usually the parents can not afford all of it and still suggest the couple invite everyone to go to a catered party.

The appropriate  wedding etiquette at rehearsal dinners are usually recommending that the family of the fiance shoulder all the expense for the rehearsal dinner. Most people are ignorant of this rule, however, they should be properly notified of this appropriate  wedding etiquette at rehearsal dinners.

The appropriate  wedding etiquette at rehearsal dinners also tells us that it is not advisable not to invite the families. The couple must note that no matter who or what they are, they are still the fiance's parents and will soon near enough be the in-laws.

No matter what they have done or they act. A couple must remind themselves to start off on the correct foot by giving out invitation to the fiance's family. Trouble might brew if they will not be included in the rehearsal dinner.

The appropriate  wedding etiquette at rehearsal dinners suggest that though the fiance's parents does not realize that they are the ones who should be hosting the rehearsal dinner, its up to the couple to bring the subject up.

The couple can always opt to host the dinner themselves. The appropriate  wedding etiquette at rehearsal dinners can remind them that the rehearsal dinner does not have to be a big rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal dinner can be as big as a take home pizza party or simple grilling burgers at the backyard.

The appropriate  wedding etiquette at rehearsal dinners reminds couples to look at the situation as a possible way to kick back just before the wedding. The couple must instead concentrate on the family, on each other and the wedding party.

The appropriate  wedding etiquette at rehearsal dinners also can be said that rehearsal dinners are a good time to present the guests with the thank you gifts.

Instead on dwelling on what the parents might do during the rehearsal dinner, the couple must instead be happy that at this very special moment of their life, their families are together.

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