Wedding Guest Gripes - Top 8 Complaints that Irk Wedding Guests

Chances are, you´ll be the only one to notice if the five-tiered wedding cake tilts slightly to the left or the best man dons his favorite black sneaks, but wedding guests everywhere agree that the following blunders make for a painful wedding experience…

1) Bad Timing –
Long pauses between the ceremony and reception are generally a bummer. If you cannot book the ballroom immediately following the ceremony, arrange for cocktails and hors d´oeuvres at an adjacent space.

2) Cash Bars –
Sorry, a cash bar is never an acceptable money-saving solution. Swallow that expensive pill by thinking about this: you would never ask guests to pay for a cocktail in your own home; your wedding should be the same.

3) Stranded Dates –
Don´t create a painful experience for your attendants´ dates. Speed up the marathon photo sessions and seat dates together with the wedding party at the reception.

4) Stranded Guests –
If your wedding reception and ceremony locations are far apart or far from accommodations, you should provide guest transportation. Besides the obvious safety concerns of drinking and driving, your guests should remember what a lovely time they had at your wedding – not what a pain it was to get there.

5) Unaccommodating Accommodations –
Failing to provide information for convenient and affordable accommodations for long distance guests never goes over well. Don´t force guests to be their own travel agents, and don´t secure the only room block at a 5 star hotel unless all of your guests have 5 star budgets.

6) Silent or Tardy Dinner Bell –
If your four hour reception falls during meal time, understand that your guests will be expecting just that – a meal. And they´ll expect that meal during normal lunch or dinner hours, so don´t wait until 10 pm to serve dinner.

7) Ungracious Hosts –
Failing to acknowledge any gift or thoughtful gesture with hand-written, personalized thank you notes is always an etiquette faux pas and never a breech that will go unnoticed. WRITE YOUR THANK YOUS!! Suffering from writer's block? These useful thank you note examples will help you get started.

8) Just Plain Tacky –
Ok – let´s get it out – when it comes to money dances, novelty songs (hokey pokey comes to mind), singles dances or cake smashing - most guests are in agreement that they´d just as soon not see it. Of course, there will always be those who find these acts acceptable and those who don´t – but as host/hostess, your job is to make guests feel at ease and comfortable – so best to err on the safe side and refrain from these potential blunders.

Need more etiquette advice? This complete guide to wedding etiquette will answer all of your etiquette questions.