Bridal couple urged to spend more time with guests at wedding receptions
Dear Readers, I receive numerous complaints about the boorish behavior of bridal couples. Here are a few I would like to share with you. Bridal couples, listen up!
Dear Joy,
Last month I attended a wedding in New Jersey. The bride’s mother is my first cousin, and though we haven’t been close for a number of years, it was good to see her and her family. I met her daughter, the bride, a number of times over the years but I don’t know her very well.
The wedding was lovely and it was obvious a lot of money and time was spent in preparation for the big day. Despite the loveliness of the day, I have a major complaint. Some of the money spent on making the bride beautiful should have been spent on her finishing school tuition.
I have never seen a more unfriendly bride and groom. They did not have a receiving line and they did not visit with the guests. I drove almost three hundred miles, gave a generous gift, and was not even greeted!
The bride and groom spent all their time laughing, drinking, and joking with their wedding party and ignored the rest of the guests. I know that many guests at my table also felt ignored. Joy, please tell your bridal couples not to ignore their guests. Joan
Dear Joy,
What’s with these bridal couples that can’t be bothered to greet their guests? I have been to two weddings this summer and at both, I have not been greeted by the bride and groom.
Is it because I am over the age of 60 and they don’t know what to say to me? I spent a lot of money on shower gifts and wedding presents.
Don’t I at least deserve a “Thank you for coming”? Lorna
Dear Joy,
I just attended two large bridal showers for my girlfriend’s daughter. I gave generous presents for both showers and traveled quite a distance, too. At the first shower, the bride and her bridesmaids talked and joked amongst themselves and didn’t greet any of the guests. The hostess of the shower didn’t introduce any of the guests, either. The fascination and focus of the shower were on the presents, of course.
The second shower was a repeat of the first, but even larger. Every time the bride opened a present that was a duplicate, you would hear the girls laugh and say, “Another frying pan!” Or, “Another sheet set!” I even overheard the mother-of-the-groom say, “They really have everything. People should just give them money!”
I am completely disgusted by the greed and ill-mannered behavior of these people. Does a bride really need two showers if she has everything? Are showers supposed to be so large that the bride doesn’t even have time to greet her guests? Enough is enough, I say! M.J.
Wow, as you can see wedding and shower guests are feeling quite ignored! It is the duty of the hosts to welcome and greet the guests. I hear over and over again, “Our wedding will be too large to greet all of the guests!” Perhaps, many weddings and showers are too large and impersonal if the bride and groom, and the parents, cannot extend the common courtesy of a personal greeting.
As many of you know, I am a big advocate of receiving lines at weddings.
A receiving line is the perfect opportunity for the bride and grooms to greet their guests.
With just a few words, a hug or a handshake, you have made your guest feel welcome and appreciated.
K. Joy Schaeffer is a bridal consultant. E-mail her your bridal questions at bridejoy@yahoo.com.