Wedding Etiquette Question

[Nayan]

I’ve never heard of a wedding like that, and I’ve been to many. Bridal party has their own cocktail hour, separate from guests, guests are then seated, bridal party and couple enter next, couple dances, bride then dances with dad, groom dances with his mom, a few courses are served, then cake cutting and dessert, bride and groom come around to tables throughout the night to see guests. We only give money, but I’ve never heard of the couple opening gifts at the reception.

What she described is a very old-fashioned and regional custom, something my folks mentioned when they got married (in the 1940's). That's not done anymore.

 

[_19disnA]

Weddings and receptions currently depend a lot of the budget of the bride/groom, regional customs and personal preference. I have NEVER been to any wedding where they open the gifts, that would just seem tacky and could take a long time depending on how many guests were attending. Some religions are opposed to dancing, so one wedding reception we attended a few years ago only took place in the church hall, lasted about 1 hour and was more like an open house where they only served punch/cake. We attended one wedding reception for a relative who didn't want any large/expensive event, so the 20 or so people invited all had dinner at a nearby restaurant. There is nothing wrong with that and totally their call to make on how they choose to have their reception. It is impossible to generalize about all wedding receptions since there are so many factors that can influence how it is done.