5 Rules NOT To Break

1. Make sure there's no more than an hour of downtime between the cermony's end and the start of the reception. It's not nice to force out-of-towners to kill the better part of an afternoon just wating around.


2. Keep guests in the loop. That means having the DJ or emcee explain anything that's unusual, such as the fact that you and your dad are shooting hoops at the reception instead of having a first dance.


3. Be hosts. Greet all of your guests, even if you don't know some of them, either on a receiving line or by going table-to-table. And don't ask anyone to pay for anything. Cash bars are TACKY!!


4. Throw a wedding, not a business conference. Avoid long speeches, longer slideshows, and anything that smacks of sponsorship ("Flowers provided by Florals by Adrienne"). Your guests are there to have fun.


5. Make your guests comfort your priority. Inviting an elderly aunt? Don't make her scale a small alp to get to the ceremony. Tying the knot at a farm? Let guests know that they should leave the heels and ties at home. And make sure there's plenty of food and drink.