An Open Letter to Wedding Attendees

Sure, you want to bump up your Instagram “likes” but try to show a little bit of class during the ceremony (unless, of course, the couple specifically asked you to take photos).  The bride and groom hired a professional photographer so that they can capture the exchanging of vows without the visual pollution of 50 smartphones in front getting the exact same shot with lower quality and less talent.  Just enjoy the ceremony, stand when the bride walks by, and applaud when that kiss comes.  You’ll see the photos when the couple releases them.  And, you’ve got a few hours of reception to get that perfect social media post, so chill.

The tradition of tossing the garter to the single men, and the bouquet to single women signifies that the recipient will be the next to get married.  It’s become a “cute” trope at weddings, however, for said single people to retreat from the incoming projectile, or avoid standing in form to begin with.  Unless you suffer from two characteristic issues this is an unacceptable approach.  Those characteristics are: 1. You truly do not want to get married (which is perfectly fine); and 2. You genuinely believe in this superstition.  Unless you suffer from both of those characteristics, get your ass out there and fight for it!  The intent of this day is to celebrate marriage and anyone publicly avoiding the simple concept of it is committing a distasteful social faux pas.

The wedding reception is intended to be a celebration of the union, which means dining, drinking, laughing, and, you guessed it, dancing.  Sure, wedding DJs play the same tired old songs (look Kool & The Gang, your “Celebration” song had a good run, but it’s time for us to move on), typically have no concept of transitioning from one song to the next, and hardly even know the crowd to begin with.  Despite those facts, it is your job as a friend, and attendee of the wedding, to get out there and cut a rug.  No one cares if you suck; let’s face it, at a wedding pretty much everyone sucks at dancing.  The point is to enjoy the night with everyone and to celebrate the happy couple.

Wedding gifts can be a tricky category and, if done improperly, can result in a forgettable waste of money that doesn’t speak to the couple (or you, for that matter) in a meaningful way.  Sure, if he loves to cook and has always wanted that KitchenAid then maybe that’s a great gift; or maybe you get them cooking lessons for two.  The eight dinner plates on the registry probably carry no emotional value, but your taking the time to make something special like a multi-photo frame with pictures of each of them in their youth, progressing to them finding each other and leaving an empty spot at the top for their favorite wedding pic will mean a hell of a lot more to them (and is likely cheaper for you).  This mentality is why Spur Experiences was born: to provide wedding couples and guests a registry that provides meaningful gifts to create memories, rather than accumulate stuff.