We have got another great Expert Tip from Wedding Planner Vicky Choy of Event Accomplished. Just like her previous advice on the topics of Hindu Wedding Rituals and the amazingly, on-the-money post: To Bring A Date Or Not To Bring A Date, she is back to help us all survive wedding season. This new topic: What To Do When You Receive An Invitation. Check out this response card Vicky sent as well. The poor bride has not a clue who is coming but can see by the smiley face that they are really happy to attend.

From Vicky:

What's missing from this RSVP? We have no idea who the two attending guests are! Even the smiley face they drew didn't help solve the mystery! Don't be like them! Write your names down.

1- Look At The Envelope:

The exact names of the invitees will be listed (see previous article).

2- On the RSVP card, you will likely see a “M” with a line after it or sometimes you just see a line. What to do:

Fill in your title and name, i.e. Mrs. Vicky Choy. Be sure to put down all those who will be attending and only those who will be attending, i.e. Mr. and Mrs. Bob and Jane Smith or Bob, Jane, Billy and Anne Smith if there are children (that were invited). The bride and groom will be using this information to fill out their escort cards. Please print legibly!

3- If the RSVP card also requests you to choose an entree for your dinner, please put your name or initials next to the entree of your choice:

For example, if you see a choice for beef or fish on the RSVP card, do not simply put “1 fish” and “1 beef”. How do the bride and groom know if Bob Smith or his wife Jane Smith is the one getting the beef and vice versa? The bride and groom will be providing this information to their caterer. Sometimes your entree choice is indicated on a place card so that the wait staff can easily serve you the correct entree.

(more…)

Do you know what to expect at a Hindu wedding?

Vicky Choy, Owner of Event Accomplished, does.

As a Wedding Planner in Washington, D.C., Vicky Choy has had the pleasure of planning several Hindu weddings. Today, as a Survive Wedding Season™ Wedding Survival Expert, Vicky shares with us what we are likely to experience when we participate in a Hindu wedding:

One of the perks of being a wedding planner is being exposed to different cultures and religions and to see how these are manifested through wedding rituals. If you have never attended an Indian wedding, here is a quick tutorial on what to expect. Note though that some rituals are performed with close family only in private.

Overview of the Wedding Day:

From the Indian/Hindu weddings we have coordinated over the years, the festivities usually begin with the Sangeet the night before which is characterized by lots of singing and dancing. Then on wedding day, if you are invited to all the festivities, be prepared for a very long day. Sometimes the hosts will begin the day by providing breakfast. Following breakfast is usually the ceremony (see below). After the ceremony, lunch may also be provided. Guests and wedding parties then usually change into evening attire. A regular reception then follows into the wee hours.

Length:

Hindu ceremonies tend to last between two to three hours as there are many parts to the ceremonies themselves. I have discovered that the length varies as different regions within Indian have variations on the specific ceremony rituals. Different Hindu priests also contribute to the variation in length. Arrive early if you want to see the groom and his party (families and friends) arrive at the ceremony site. Called a Baraat, some grooms arrive in style on a horse while his party sing and dance. The bride’s parents, family and friends greet them.

Dress code:

Guests who are Indian will likely be wearing their traditional attire. It is perfectly acceptable to wear formal attire as you would to any wedding.

Ceremony:

Whereas Christian ceremonies tend to focus more on the couple, most Asian cultures focus on the joining of two families and Indian/Hindu weddings are no exception. You will see that both sets of parents are more involved during the ceremony than in Christian ceremonies. The wedding ceremony takes place under a mandap, similar to a chuppah in Jewish weddings. (more…)

Think you can RSVP plus one to a wedding or just show up with a date?  Pull out that wedding invitation and think again.

Wedding guests, Vicky Choy, the founder and president of Event Accomplished, a Washington, D.C. based special events planning and management company, is here to break down the etiquette of the wedding invitation:

On more than one occasion, my clients have asked me for advice on how to handle uninvited guests. A common guest no-no scenario: a couple’s friend RSVPs with a guest - or their entire family - even though the couple had only invited the friend. A worse wedding guest no that my clients have had to handle: guests who show up with dates without advance notice.

Bringing an uninvited date has unintended and stressful consequences for the bride and groom. For an engaged couple determining the guest list can be both a difficult and thoughtful process.  Whether you ask, assume or just show up with a date on your arm - each being a progressively worse scenario - you are adding stress to the couple’s wedding, here’s why:  (more…)