Wedding Etiquette Quiz

By: Staff
Image: refer to hsw

About This Quiz

Is there any life event more fraught with rules and guidelines and expectations than a wedding? Doubtful! For such a joyous occasion, the average wedding is often a stressful experience for everyone involved, including the couple, their families and their guests. No one wants to commit a faux pas that’ll have them permanently fixed in lore of the day as the “person who did that terrible/tacky thing.”

Fortunately, it’s not too difficult to avoid notoriety, provided you follow some basic etiquette rules. Guests, start off on the right note and respect the RSVP process. Reply by the indicated date, and then stick to it! You don’t want the happy couple to hold it against you for all eternity because you no-showed (and thus cost them some serious money) because you felt like watching a “Bachelor” rerun marathon, instead. If you do get sick or otherwise can’t make it for a legitimate reason, shoot them a text or email as a heads’ up, so that they don’t spend their big day wondering where the heck you are.

The vast majority of brides and grooms are considerate and reasonable, but occasionally someone truly earns the moniker “Bridezilla.” One bride went viral after asking for opinions on Reddit about whether she was within her rights to kick a couple out of her reception for failing to mind the “no children” request (to be fair, many people agreed with the bride, although plenty of others felt that she needlessly embarrassed the guests). Yet another bride went viral after an email with incredible demands was circulated far and wide. Among them, she required that guests do not sport “a full face of makeup” or wear a hairstyle “other than a basic bob or ponytail.”

Fortunately, the vast majority of couples and guests are focused on having a beautiful, drama-free day. Just remember: An invitation is never an obligation — but once you accept, you better play by the rules. Take this Wedding Etiquette Quiz to remain respectful on the big day.

Let's start before the big day — the second big day. What's an appropriate thing to ask about someone's new engagement ring?

Best to keep the questions innocuous.

Engagement parties are ....

Go ahead, celebrate your new status — but don't expect stemware.

If you'd like to have no children at your wedding, advise guests by:

No need to make a big fuss of it — but perhaps include a small card explaining if babysitting will be provided.

Wedding invitation envelopes should be addressed ...

Looks nice, feels good to receive.

If you've been in someone else's wedding,

Hey, it's your wedding — don't feel the need to reciprocate if you don't want to.

If asked to be the best man/maid of honor,

If you don't have the time or money to commit to what the bride or groom wants, feel free to explain the circumstances.

The bride should be walked down the aisle by:

It's the 21st century, people.

In traditional ceremony seating, the parents of the bride are:

Of course, people really can sit wherever they want.

Is a receiving line necessary?

You can forgo the receiving line, but you must greet every guest and thank them at some point after the ceremony. So, a receiving line might make the job easier.

If stepparents and parents are involved, who should dance with whom when?

Either skip "announced" dances altogether, or make your own plan.

At the rehearsal dinner, traditionally toasts are given by:

Traditionally, the father of the bride gave a speech but anyone else you'd like to speak can be asked, including the drunk uncle.

Who traditionally toasts first at the wedding?

Traditionally, it was only the best man who had the "obligation" to toast.

As a guest, taking pictures during the wedding is ...

Assume that the couple has the pics covered and just want you to enjoy the moment.

You should spend how much on a wedding gift?

There's no set amount for how much to spend on a wedding gift.

Do rehearsal dinners have to require plus ones?

If you want to keep the rehearsal dinner small, it's okay to just include the core wedding party.

You should include registry information...

It's best to just let people know where you're registered when they ask — although it is also appropriate for a shower invitation.

Traditionally, who was NOT supposed to host a bridal shower?

It would've appeared as if the family was asking for gifts.

You've been invited to multiple showers for the bride or groom. Do you have to bring a gift every time?

One shower gift is plenty.

When writing thank-you notes,

It's polite to acknowledge the gift and how you plan to use it.

Thank-you notes should be written by:

Split the duties.

Thank-you notes must be written...

You have a year technically but experts say you should wrap up the thank-you notes within three months of the wedding.

Traditionally, wedding guests were not to wear what color?

White is still considered a no-no as that is usually the bride's color.

If the wedding invitation is only addressed to you, is it OK to bring a plus-one?

Don't even bother to ask. Weddings are expensive and if the couple wanted you to bring a plus-one, it would have been indicated in the invitation.

What's one way to keep the guest list small at your wedding?

While all of these will reduce the list, the biggest reduction will come if you have your wedding in some far away place.

Is it OK to have a cash bar at a wedding?

Experts are divided on this but most say a cash bar is rude. If you can only provide wine and beer (or just soda) for free, stick with that.

Giving cash as a wedding gift is:

In some cultures, it was always expected and now, generally, it's become accepted across the board.

The parents of both the bride and groom should meet:

Etiquette calls for the parents of the betrothed to meet after the engagement, if they haven't already.

Who would you generally tell first about an engagement?

Don't let your kids find out from a video titled "BIG NEWS!"

Out-of-town guests ...

While it's nice if you can accommodate them for dinner or activities, it's not required.

Should you send an invite to someone you know can't make it?

An invitation might be seen as a solicitation of a gift, so it's not necessary to send one to someone you know can't make it. However, if they're a close friend who, say, lives in another state or country, they may be upset to NOT receive an invitation to that special day. You know your friends best.

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