Nuptial Graces

“Life, weddings, relationships, road trips, gardening, making out, haircuts: few of the fun things in life always go as expected.”
― Ariel Meadow Stallings, Offbeat Bride: Taffeta-Free Alternatives for Independent Brides

Weddings didn’t even have a season this year; they occurred and are still occurring at rapid successions!
And with the rapid celebrations came rapid observations of how we so often go against the accepted customs as celebrants in a wedding ceremony.
Most women consider their wedding day(s) the most memorable one(s) in their lives so let’s (as celebrants) observe some protocol here to make the day a happy one for the bride, shall we?
Don’t be overly glammed up: Especially if you are not well known to the celebrators or if you are just a mere escort aka mogo-mobranch. Dressing as much as or more than the ‘belle of the ball may’ attract raised eyebrows if you are a last minute stranger invitee. The less familiar you are to the couple, the less your flamboyance and vice versa.

Don’t scramble for food: The undoing of glammed up guests is the manner in which they scramble for food. I wonder if wedding food generally tastes better or the “free” in the food is what brings out the barbarians in some guests. I’ve once addressed the issue of dining out– never go to any event absolutely hungry or absolutely full; both situations put you in a socially disadvantaged position. I personally like to snack on small chops (or Chinese!) at weddings before which time I have eaten something. That way, it doesn’t really matter if I get to eat or the food’s exhausted.
Colour choice: If you do not have the colour specified on the IV or anything in its neighborhood, you may choose any colour on the rainbow but not white- you do not want to compete with the bride.
Inviting the uninvited: Just because the wedding reception venue does not strictly consult a guest list before admitting guests does not give you the right to invite your posse of friends to a wedding, even if they buy the aso ebi. It is the couple’s and nuclear family members’ duty to invite and entertain guests. Don’t be a mogbo-moya and don’t encourage it. There are bouncers to embarrass you these days you know.
Don’t be wasteful: It is unfair to request food that you won’t eat. It’s funny how there’s still a lot of waste gathered in buffet-style ceremonies when guests are given the exclusively permission to serve themselves.

The synopsis- don’t wear white, don’t scramble for food or waste it and don’t invite on the couple’s behalf, the bride will surely invite you for many more ceremonies. Especially if you brought her a nice gift!