While sitting at a beautiful wedding reception this past weekend and having a chat with my friends both right next to me and across from me, a woman suddenly comes and takes one of the seats on our table, dumping her heavy weight LV bag on the table! Not only was the bag blocking my view and the view of others, but bags are not just meant to be on tables! No telling where that bag had been placed before this lady sits it right next to the bread for the table (the bathroom and bread just don’t go together). Well, my friend sitting next to me was a little disgusted and asked me to write on wedding reception etiquette. Below are a few things to consider when at a wedding reception:

Avoid placing big items on the table: The chairs and tables are already tightly spaced, so be considerate to your guests and avoid blocking their view by not placing big bags or items on the tables. You can have your big items hanging on your chair, under your chair or underneath the table(thats if the floor is carpeted).

Dance floor is for dancing time: Many wedding guests crowd the dance floor area even when there’s nothing going on there. Please be aware that other guests are trying to catch a glimpse of the bride and groom, and your standing around the dance floor when there’s no dancing going on will only prevent others from seeing the sweet heart table/ head table.

Wait for your table to be called: Most people are hungry by the time food is served at the reception, especially if there wasn’t a cocktail hour. But everyone standing up and heading towards the buffet table all at once will only make things more chaotic. You’ll be surprised that waiting your turn always makes things orderly, like the couple would like and faster for you.

Keep it down: There’s nothing more annoying than when the MC is trying to say something important and guests are conversing amongst themselves and loudly too. Please be considerate to the guests who are interested in knowing what’s going on at the wedding.

Don’t turn into the professional photographer: There’s a reason the bride and groom hired a professional to take pictures of their big day. Many a times, guests take pictures so much that they get in the way of the photographer. Please take pictures but allow the professional some room to do his job.