The rules of wedding etiquette are constantly changing, making it difficult for modern brides, grooms and guests to find up-to-date and correct information. That’s why we launched #MannersMondays, a series in which we ask our followers on Twitter and Facebook to submit their most burning etiquette-related questions. Then, with the help of our team of etiquette experts, we get you the right answers to your biggest Big Day dilemmas.
Source: Kelsey Borresen, Huffington Post
Anna Post, great-great-granddaughter of etiquette guru Emily Post and author of Emily Post’s Wedding Etiquette, is here to help us answer this week’s question.
Yes, you can have as small of a wedding service and/or reception as you’d like. It’s also fine to invite friends for drinks who weren’t at the wedding ceremony. If I were to offer one small tweak, I would suggest that you treat your friends to drinks if at all possible. Generally, any time you invite people to a party or a celebration (wedding, birthday, anniversary), you should host them — i.e., pay for them. This goes even for events held at restaurants (or, I suppose, bars). There isn’t a good way to invite people to a party and ask them to pay for themselves. As the point is to celebrate your wedding, it would be best to cover the tab. That said, if the cost would truly be prohibitive, then don’t worry about it. The most important thing is that you should be able to meet with your friends and let them raise a glass to toast your marriage.