This is the story that most ugandans don't want to believe that it is happening at their weddings. They rather perceive it otherwise. Many people preparing for a function often don’t put into consideration the factors of wedding etiquette. They spend a lot of time on budgeting for mermaid gowns and food and forget the core of their wedding i.e. the guests. It is like cutting a branch to clear the view when you are standing on it.
The wedding wolf team is going all out today to expose the areas that you should pay attention to when planning your wedding.
Most people don't even think it is important but "It is the scale for measuring if your wedding will be a success". If you didn't get it, that's good because you will be able to learn it today.
AM TALKING ABOUT THE INVITATION CARD. Yes the INVITATION CARD!!!! Most people spend a lot of time whining about the prices of invitation cards instead of focusing on the power of the invitation card. WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH AN INVITATION CARD;
1. Control the number of guests
When you design your card properly, you can clearly define the number of people that each card invites. Gone are the days when the invitation card invited the family of Mr. and Mrs. Wedding crew.These days things are too expensive therefore, staying within the budget is very key to ensure that you are not hit with a tsunami or Greece debt after the celebration. Therefore, clearly define the number of people each card invites and those that are excluded like kids. However, this may not be very easy because of our culture where people look at weddings as food fests they must attend even when they only have half the transport to the venue.
This should not discourage you though because from our surveys, it is eminent that people are slowly moving towards this culture and how you define your card will set the trend for the function.
2. Gifts for the newlyweds
It is really courteous and a sign of good will to present gifts to the newlyweds as you usher into the journey of marriage. You cannot however explicitly state on your wedding card that gifts are a must but it is something implied given the magnitude of the occasion so in the event that they come, there must be a systematic approach as regards their presentation and registration
These days, the invitation cards can contain information on how gifts shall be handled such as "gifts will be placed on the table labelled ABC".I saw this being done on the wedding i recently attended and it created more time for other things to be done.
However weddings sometimes turn out to be events where people show off the elasticity of their wallets, some guests in search of recognition may accompany their gift with a speech, so flexibility in this aspect may be necessary.
This will surely save you the time spent in making chains for receiving gifts and allow proper interaction between the newlyweds and their guests. Let`s face it, gifts are becoming a must on today's wedding events so don't fear to add it there. Remember the card is worth the information on it.
3. Dressing code
Yes yes yes…..people have lost it…hmmmm sorry..people have become modernized!!!! this is not making sense….people have become crazy…ooh yeah crazy…they don't know what to wear where , under what weather and time.
Prior the onset of the so called modernity, it was implied that people when invited to a wedding would be expected to dress to their best but best these days is so relative.
It is therefore important to clearly define what you expect from your guests at your wedding…there are some crazy things like extra fitting shirts and trousers which make guys be on get set.."Anytime the things are popping".;.hell no .You need to set these guys clear…then ladies with body hugging dresses like they don`t know how big their bodies are…these can steal the show like most ugandans say…so, make sure you come up with a theme for your wedding and avoid things like casual smart..Noooooooooo…
It should however be noted that a couple of people come to weddings with a couple of diverging motives and sometimes it is depicted in their outfit, so a humble reminder about the dress code on the invitation card is important.
Other factors to consider at your wedding include;
1.The venue
This is very important if you are going to be able to control the number of people at your sparkling and joyous event. Make sure you choose a location that is not very far from the church or mosque where the wedding is to take place. There are different venues that will determine if your wedding will have flookers. Watchout for gardens that have several functions taking place at the same time: people can easily walk in like they have a function there and end up at your event. Enclosed venues are the best to enforce the factor of invited guests. Feel free to employ security at the entrance to check if people have come with invitation cards and avoid placing relatives at the door since they can easily be pressurized to let some people in without cards. So the venue is very important to note.
2. Sitting arrangement
Make proper planning on how people should sit at your venue. Keeping culture in mind, ensure that the cultural norms are respected and both entities are comfortable. The guests should be shown where to sit to avoid embarrassment with sitting shifts as a result of the so called "High guests never late but delayed".
What do you think about Ugandas Wedding Invitation Etiquette -Vote Below
3. Food etiquette
This is a very big weakness in our society, people can`t help it but fight for food. This relates to the numbers and the venue in that when you pick the right venue and define the number of guests, there should be no spoons and forks in peoples faces and cartoon looking plates on whatsapp after your wedding.
4.Cake etiquette
There is a growing trend where people place cakes on each table to avoid over movement in the name of serving cake by the bride and groom. If you can do this because having people falling into the cake is the last thing you want to have on your mind.
