Wedding Etiquette: Dhaka Edition

Is Dhaka, Dhaka without its weddings? I don't think it is. And now that its winter and buildings draped in luminous strings of fairy lights have become a common sight, it might be good to turn our attention to the people inside these buildings and halls. Why? Because some of them are simply infuriatingly ill-mannered or simply don't realise the effect their behaviour can have.

So, here is an 'etiquette manual' for those who don't know how to behave in weddings.

OUTSHINING THE BRIDE AND GROOM

There are many guests who go to weddings looking like a walking talking Christmas tree. Bejewelled and bedazzling, they catch everyone's attention and probably without meaning to. Now, you could say that you don't feel the need to adhere to social norms cause you're a free spirit who doesn't feel the need to live life according to other people's wishes, and that's understandable, but this is one day, a special day too, for someone else who might have attached a lot of meaning to this tradition and maybe would like to be the centre of attention. You have 364 days (365 if it's a leap year) to be super glamorous, so maybe choose one of those days instead.

SELF-APPOINTED EVENT PLANNING EXPERTS

As the name suggests, these are the guests that go to a wedding and criticise everything from the choice of clothes of other people, the flower used to decorate the stage, the jewellery the bride is wearing and so on. Pleasing them is difficult for nothing might please them. Keep the menu the same as in most weddings and it's boring, change the menu and they're breaking a tradition. They scrunch up their noses and criticise away, often without even thinking about the immense stress the hosts might have gone through to arrange the event. You might be able to recognise these people a mile away, sneering, smirking and slyly whispering to the person beside them with no concern for the feelings of the people who invited them. Don't be this person.

STAGE-HOGGING

Guests in this category might also fall under the first type of guest mentioned.  In the modern world where fake reality is a big part of the lives of many, weddings give people the chance to wear their best, look their best and get pictures from some of the best such as professional wedding photographers. They may take multiple pictures on nicely decorated and well-lit stages so they can post it on their various social media accounts. A few are fine, but it becomes a problem when this goes to the point where they take selfies after selfies seemingly oblivious to the bride and groom sitting at the centre of the stage.  Disrupting the work of the photographers and irking those trying to get photographed with the people whose wedding it really is, this kind of behaviour can be a real nuisance.

THE WON'T-LEAVE-BRIDE-AND-GROOM-ALONE

These people feel close to the ones getting married and wish to stay beside them to talk. The sentiment is sweet and might feel nice, at least for a certain amount of time. However, if they continue to occupy the seats beside the bride and groom on the stage for an excessively long period of time, forgetting about the other people the bride and groom may want to or even have to talk to, it can become an issue. What might make the situation worse, however, is that some of these people might be the ones who were invited because it would simply be too awkward to not invite them to the wedding.

Matilda likes to pretend she is invisible and inconspicuous. Tell her you can read right through her at matilda.tilda1234@gmail.com