by Sharon Naylor (see more from this expert)

You might not think that there could be etiquette mistakes in the ceremony - it's all about tradition, and you can design your own ceremony your way, right? That's mostly true, but there are a few mistakes popping up in this world of personalizing ceremonies. Here are the top 5 to avoid:

1. Being late. It's fashionable to be late for a party, but not to your wedding. 'Keeping them waiting' is the No. 1 etiquette mistake, which is even worse on a hot summer day or at an outdoor wedding where guests have arrived early to get a good seat. Make sure you have an attendant assigned to keeping you on time, and don't be more than 10 minutes behind schedule. You could throw off the rest of your day's proceedings, such as losing a half-hour of your cocktail party for everyone, or you could delay the start of the wedding after yours. That's really bad.

2. Not explaining the rituals. Print in your program what those beautiful, symbolic rituals mean, so that all of your guests can get the most out of your ceremony. If your ceremony is rich with religious or cultural rites, research them online or ask a family member or your officiant to help you explain them in print. Guests love it when they know what's going on, and parents love it when you share the family belief system with all.

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