I was having a rather heated conversation with an industry friend the other night, and a few cocktails later, we came to the conclusion that brides are just fucking rude when it comes to the unwritten rules of wedding planning. It's a touchy subject for the industry because we are really tired of being taken advantage of, particularly when it comes to appointments... Making them, keeping them, and fucking around with our time. Therefore you need to know the rules of engagement (sorry, couldn't help it!). Ready?

Wedding Appointment Etiquette ~ Five Crucial Guidelines to Follow:

1. Here's my absolute favorite... Bridey, don't ever just "walk-in" to a hotel, bakery, dress shop, photography studio, etc. expecting to be seen, and then get pissed off if you have to wait or are turned away because they can't see you. If you've purchased my wedding planning guide, then you know that this is a big no-no. I mean, you would never just "walk-in" to your doctor's office demanding to be seen, would you? No. And if you did, then the nice lady behind the counter would most likely put you in your place. So please, pay us the same courtesy and phone first. Make an appointment so that we can be prepared for your arrival versus feeling annoyed because you assumed that you could be seen simply because you walked in.

2. Once you make an appointment, keep it or cancel it with plenty of notice. Going back to the doctor's office example... In most cases you are required to cancel 24-48 hours ahead of time or else you will be charged. Actually, it's becoming more and more common for restaurants, salons, etc. to charge you for not canceling your reservations, appointments, etc., and honestly, I'm surprised we haven't started following suit! Because if you knew that you'd have to pay for our time lost due to no-showing, then I'm sure you'd call to cancel. Right?

3. If you are running late, then please call to let us know particularly if your appointment is scheduled after normal business hours. If you are running early, fantastic! But, don't expect to be seen just because you are a half hour earlier then expected. We may be with another client or we may just need to clear our desks before the meeting...

4. Don't bring an entourage to your appointment. We are interested in your thoughts, your needs and your expectations. When you bring more people to your appointment, then you bring more opinions. So please, give us the opportunity to hear it from you and not everybody else. Because you are the one we are trying to please.

5. Respect our time. I can tell you right now that no wedding vendor needs to sit with you for three hours during an initial consultation. This is especially true (and quite painful) if your meeting started at 6:00 p.m. I'm not saying that you shouldn't discuss everything that is important to you, I'm simply saying that you don't need to talk about your who's coming to your wedding, how much weight you want to lose, your crazy MOH, etc. We care, but after three hours, our excitement starts to wane.

Bridey, you know that I am a straight shooter, and this information is important when you are planning your wedding. I know you want to be respectful, so if you follows these five rules of engagement, then you should be all set. Got it?