Strategy

The 5 worst wedding faux pas you can make, according to a wedding planner

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Don't make a scene.  New Line Cinema

Weddings are supposed to be fun — for the hosts, the hosts' family, and the guests.

Unfortunately, the celebrations can easily go awry.

Melissa McNeeley, a New York City-based wedding planner who's worked with Steve Martin and Jim Parsons, told us about the worst wedding faux pas she's encountered — and only some of them involve too much champagne.

Below, find five breaches of etiquette that will quickly land you on the wedding-guest blacklist.

saying hi
Flickr/Wonderlane

1. Asking to bring a date who wasn't explicitly invited

McNeeley said this happened to her — twice! — while she was planning her own wedding. And she's seen it happen multiple times to her clients.

Sometimes, an invitee will ask one of the hosts if they can bring their kids or a date. Other times, they'll be so bold as to write in someone else's name, along with theirs, on the RSVP card.

"This is a big faux pas, and really bad manners," McNeeley said.

It's not just that your hosts didn't budget for an additional guest, McNeeley added — they may also want a more intimate wedding.

Putting your hosts in that awkward position, she said, "puts a weird damper on it."

steak meat
Benjamin Horn/Flickr

2. Deciding at the last minute that you want a different meal

If you indicate on your RSVP card that you'd like the fish, it's really rude to request the filet mignon right as the waiters are passing out dinner.

"It puts a backlog on the food service," McNeeley said, which affects all the other guests, too.

Obviously, if you have a food allergy or another dietary restriction, you'll want to let the hosts know beforehand — and most people do, McNeeley said. But it's not okay to simply decide that one dish looks more appealing.

"If you're a guest and someone is serving something, graciously accept that."

drinking champagne tuxedo oxford
Stefan Wermuth/Reuters

3. Getting ridiculously drunk

McNeeley has seen this happen — and it can be at least "a little troublesome," she said.

wedding toast
Flickr / Bill McChesney

4. Giving a long-winded toast

When it comes to speeches, McNeeley said, keep it to two minutes or less.

It's okay if you go a little bit over, she added. But "it is a faux pas when you completely hold the whole room hostage and speak for 15 minutes and nobody's interested," she added, especially because it stops the wine and food service.

Similarly, McNeeley recommends that you avoid giving impromptu toasts. "It just becomes awkward and embarrassing," she said, and much of the time, the person giving the toast is drunk.

In that situation, McNeeley said, "You think it's so great, but it's not as great as you think it is."

white dress
Geneva Vanderzeil apairandasparediy.com/Flickr

5. Wearing white

This is an obvious one, McNeeley said, but "someone will inevitably do it" and potentially upstage the bride.

"Don't wear white — even if you think that you have a great white dress. Just don't do it."

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Shana was a correspondent for Insider, where she covered career development and workplace culture.In 2022, she published "Don't Call It Quits" to help professionals who feel stuck in their careers find greater happiness at work.Shana spearheads the HR Insider series, for which she's interviewed talent chiefs at Microsoft and Goldman Sachs, shared tips from an ex-Googler on knowing when to change jobs, and demystified the hiring process at Salesforce. She regularly publishes news analysis; past topics have included burnout among US workers, gender and racial dynamics within HR, and the hybrid workplace.She has moderated programs at Chief and the Harvard Business School Club of New York and has appeared on Cheddar and Bold TV.Before beginning her career in journalism, Shana studied English and psychology at Brandeis University and received her master's degree in English literature from Columbia University.