Utah Gossip

In the time it took you to read this, 50,000 Utahns got married. Ok, not quite, but in a place where weddings are as abundant as clouds in the sky, I think it’s high time we addressed the most absurd, horrid, and downright tacky wedding trends that seem to be so prevalent in this state. Welcome to Utah Gossip’s Wedding Etiquette 101!

Invitations
* Only the names of those you are inviting to the wedding should be on the addressed envelope, the invitation, and the RSVP cards (if you have them). If you do not want children attending, leave their names off.
* Do not include registry cards in the invitations - in the world of wedding etiquette, doing so is considered extremely tacky and rude. You can include where you are registered on the bridal shower invitations and traditionally, guests are supposed to ask the mother of the bride for registry information. This most definitely applies to those obnoxious matrimoney cards.

Catering
* What you serve at your wedding should really depend on what time of day it is. 7 p.m. and later is appropriate for desserts, hor dourves, and drinks, while anything earlier should include an actual meal.
* How much food should you serve? The typical rule of thumb is for every guest, you should serve 1/2 pound uncooked meat, 1/4 pound side dishes, and 1-2 desserts. Check with your preferred SLC caterer to see what they would suggest.

Receiving Lines
* It is considered proper wedding etiquette to have a receiving line if you have more than 50 guests. Since those guests are there to celebrate your big day, it gives you chance to acknowledge them.
* The line typically includes the bride’s parents, groom’s parents, and the couple; however, some include the entire bridal party and grandparents (if they can).
* Divorced parents should not be situated next to one another in the receiving line; otherwise, they will be assumed a couple.

Guest Attire
* If you are attending a wedding, DO NOT wear jeans. A wedding is a formal event and you should dress accordingly. It’s fine for women to wear pants as long as they are formal dress pants. Men should wear at least a tie, if not a suit.
* Avoid wearing white. Need we say more?