Everything you need on the day itself
Twenty short guides for the people at the wedding: the best man with a speech to write, the father with a bow tie to tie, the guest wondering what to put in the card.
- GuidesTwenty, and counting
- VideosHand-picked tutorials
- Written byWedding photographers
- ForWedding party, families, guests
We stand at the front of the aisle and beside the couple’s table every weekend. These are the things we see people worry about.
Wedding planning advice is usually written for the couple. These guides are for everyone else who has a part to play on the day: the wedding party, the parents, the grandparents and the guests.
Each guide is short enough to read on your phone the morning of, with step-by-step instructions, sample lines and, where it helps, a video tutorial to follow along with.
Dressed and ready
Ties, bows, flowers and folds, for the getting-ready hour.
How to tie a bow tie
Eight steps, two videos and a backup plan.
How to tie a tie
Four-in-hand, half and full Windsor, with videos.
How to pin a boutonniere
Left lapel, two crossed pins, no wobble.
How to fold a pocket square
Four folds from black tie to garden party.
Speeches and toasts
For every person holding a microphone, from the best man to a grandmother with one line.
How to write a wedding speech
The five-part shape behind every good toast.
Best man speech
Funny, kind and four minutes long.
Maid of honor speech
For maids and matrons of honor alike.
Bridesmaid and groomsman toast
Sixty-second toasts for the wedding party.
Father of the bride speech
The welcome, the story, the letting go.
Mother of the bride or groom speech
For mothers, and parents speaking together.
Short family wedding toast
Siblings, grandparents and bilingual toasts.
The couple’s thank-you speech
Who to thank, in which order.
Microphone, delivery and nerves
The microphone, the glass and the nerves.
Words, cards and gifts
What to say, what to write and how to give, for every guest.
What to say to the couple
Phrases for the receiving line, in many languages.
What to write in a wedding card
Messages for every relationship.
Wedding gift etiquette
Registries, red envelopes and the money dance.
Guest dos and don’ts
The five don’ts and five dos.
The aisle and the dance floor
The walk, the order and the first dance.
Wedding etiquette, answered
Who gives speeches at a wedding, and in what order?
Usually a host or parent welcomes guests, then the maid or matron of honor and the best man speak, followed by any short family toasts, and the couple closes. See how to write a wedding speech.
What should guests not do at a wedding?
Do not step into the aisle or raise a phone during the ceremony, wear white, bring uninvited guests, post before the couple, or leave before the main moments.
What is the traditional processional order?
Officiant, grandparents, parents, the groom and best man, the wedding party, the maid of honor, ring bearer and flower girl, then the bride and her escort.
When should you send a wedding gift?
Ideally before the wedding, shipped to the registry address. Bring only a card or envelope on the day.
Planning the day? Let’s talk it through.
Tell us who is speaking, who is walking and when the dancing starts. We will help you build a timeline that gives every one of these moments its light, and photograph them so they last.