5 Wedding Guest Etiquette Fails That Will Seriously Make You Cringe

The 21st century may be incredibly informal, but if there's one occasion where etiquette still reigns supreme, it's a wedding. From RSVPs to what gifts are appropriate to what to wear, there are dozens of nuances to attending a wedding ceremony and reception.

But, just because these social rules exist doesn't mean that every wedding guest follows suit. At nearly every wedding, there's going to be one major faux pas. However, for your sake we hope it isn't one of these five seriously cringe-worthy events:

Bringing a Surprise Plus-One
When it comes to wedding planning, everything is about numbers. From the number of chairs at the ceremony to the amount of chicken served on the buffet to the space available on the dance floor, it all comes down to a head count. But some wedding guests don't know or don't care and will show up with extra people and expect you make space for them, feed them, and give them free drinks.

Dressing Inappropriately
Even the preferred dress code is included on the invitation, it's pretty much inevitable someone will come to your wedding dressed inappropriately. Jeans to a formal affair? We've seen it. Someone's date wearing a white cocktail dress despite the long-running tradition of only the bride in a white gown? It (shockingly) happens a lot. If you're not sure what to wear to a wedding, either ask the couple in advance of the date or default to formal attire (that's a dark suit and tie for men and a long gown for women).

Getting Too Drunk
Everyone has seen the wedding guest who can't handle the concept of an open bar. After a few too many glasses of wine or one signature drink too many, these people are throwing up, passing out on couches, or taking over the dance floor with the kinds of moves that make grandmas faint.

Want to know how to drink responsibly but still have a great night? Here's how.

Playing Photographer
Couples hire professional photographers for their wedding; it should be left at that. But, in the age of the smartphone, which has a built in "HD" camera, guests forget to live in the moment and re constantly snapping photos (and thus, getting in the way). The biggest flub is during the ceremony. We've seen everything from a second cousin filming the entire ceremony on their cell phone to nosey friends walking across the aisle to get the perfect Instagram-worthy photo. It's totally fine to take a couple pictures throughout the night, but leave the real photographing to the professionals.

Proposing
Yes, weddings are incredibly romantic. You're surrounded by couples old and new, there are romantic songs playing from the DJ booth, and an open bar has you feeling all sappy and warm inside. But, there's one thing never to do: propose at the wedding. Doing so will make the day all about that relationship instead of focusing on the newlyweds. If attending a wedding makes you surer than ever that your current partner is the one for you, start planning a different proposal for a later date.