It’s SUMMER TIME!! That means pool parties, camping, BBQ’s and wedding, of course!!! It seems like every summer I get more and more wedding announcements, and it makes my little wedding photographer heart happy, but sometimes there’s things we do as guests that makes our brides not happy, so here are some ways you can be the best wedding guest EVER!

RSVP

This is a HUGE one!! It’s so important to RSVP to weddings! Whether you are going or not. You know that section that says you “regretfully decline?” It’s there for a reason, not just so you can throw it away and they’ll “know you’re not coming anyways.” Many times, the bride and her friends have spend hours upon hours stamping envelopes and stuffing them with their invitation suites. They spent that time (and money) so you could easily place your RSVP card into the mail. I recently heard of a bride who ended up running out of food because she didn’t have people RSVP that were planning on coming and they just came anyways. It’s hard when you plan for a certain number of guests for food, and you get twice as many. So help your bride-to-be friends out. This also helps if they are doing seating arrangements. They can make sure that you go where you should, and that they don’t have to guess if you are coming or not. Simple as that.

Be On Time

There’s nothing quite as bad as showing up late to an event. I think it’s even worse when it’s for someone else. A wedding day is no different.

Though most wedding ceremonies generally start 10-15 minutes later than the time the invitation says, that doesn’t mean you can be 10-15 minutes late. It’s best to show up early! Then you have time to chat with others, and maybe even catch up with some old friends, and you get great seats! 😉

It never hurts to be a little early, anyways.

Put Your Phone Away

This one is HUGE! As a wedding photographer, I can’t even count how many times I have seen the mother-of-the-bride, or her aunt, or his uncle sitting there during the ceremony with their phone recording or taking pictures on their phones the entire time. Believe me when I say this. I believe in documenting special moments in people’s lives. That’s what I do. That’s WHY I do what I do, but there’s a time and place for that, and this isn’t one of them. I think it’s so important to actually be present on your loved ones wedding day and not stuck behind a screen of your phone, or camera, or heck, your iPad. It’s become such an epidemic lately that people are starting to have “UNPLUGGED” weddings. The bride and groom ask their guests to have their phones off. And away. I absolutely love this, and not just because I’m a photographer, but because I believe it’s important to live moments as they happen, and not from behind a screen.

Be present. And put your phone away.

Enjoy The Party

Weddings are really just that, a big party. A party to celebrate the joining of two families coming together to celebrate the union of the bride and groom. The celebration of a new family beginning, and the start of their forever. That’s a GREAT reason to celebrate in my book. But, keep in mind that it isn’t the time for you to drink too much. You can join the party, but be courteous to your hosts, and don’t drink and drive. Uber’s are a great thing, and keep you off the roads when you’ve had a few too many!

Take Your Favor

I’ve been a part of so many weddings that the guest don’t take their favors. Many times, the bride has put hours of time and thought into her wedding favors, and then ends up with more than half left because her guests didn’t end up taking them like they should have. It’s a gift for you, for helping celebrate the day, and heck, you deserve it! So take it and enjoy! 😀

There’s so many other things you can do to be the best wedding guest ever, but these are just a few crucial tips that I’ve noticed over the years! Do you have any other tips!?