Maria Brady's Blog

Social Etiquette Tip of the Week - “To Clink or not Clink”

The holiday season is in full swing and we are closing in on New Year's. As you wait for the clock to strike midnight, a glass of bubbly in hand, do you wonder where the tradition of toasting and clinking glasses came from?

As with many of our food traditions, the clinking of glasses traces its root to the health and safety of the drinker. In this case, it goes back to the tendency of nobles to kill each other off by poisoning their food! One story about the clinking of glasses is… Continue

Added by Maria Brady on December 27, 2009 at 7:13pm — No Comments

Social Etiquette Tip of the Week - “Shopping with Manners - Don’t be THAT Holiday Shopper”

I was shopping in a department store the other day and there were three people in the line. Only one register was open…I'm second of three. Behind me is a woman with an armload of items…I have one!

Another sales clerk arrives on the scene…opens a new register…and says the usual "may I help the next person in line." The woman in front of me, who technically was next in line, starts to move toward that register, but the one behind me, with the armload of stuff, makes it there… Continue

Added by Maria Brady on December 19, 2009 at 8:30pm — 2 Comments

Social Etiquette Tip of the Week - “The Art of Regifting”

Regifting is a grand old holiday tradition that many practice and pretend they don't. Even Peggy Post, etiquette advice columnist, admits she's done it. So, if you are going to regift this year, here is how to do it right.

Do update the wrapping

There might be a personal message or gift card inside that would make your regift obvious. Besides, raggedy old wrappings are a sign the recipient is getting a regift.

Don't give partially used gift cards

As… Continue

Added by Maria Brady on December 13, 2009 at 10:04pm — No Comments

Social Etiquette Tip of the Week - Surprise…I’m at Your Front Door!

This week’s social etiquette tip was inspired by good friends who were invited to a quiet Thanksgiving dinner at the home of a dear friend. During their meal the doorbell rang...at the door were several friends of the hostess who decided to just ‘drop in’ to say hello.

Was this ambush visit rude? Absolutely! Uninvited guests can often disrupt your planned evening whether it is a holiday celebration, dinner with friends that was booked long ago, or simply just some quiet time. ..or… Continue

Added by Maria Brady on December 3, 2009 at 7:45pm — No Comments

Social Etiquette Tip of the Week - "Making Introductions with Ease"

Sweaty palms, not remembering someone’s name, awkward silences...for many people, making an introduction can be one of the most uncomfortable aspects of etiquette.

When you are in an uncomfortable situation, and you lose your self-confidence, it’s reflected in your posture, facial expressions, and demeanor. To avoid feeling socially awkward, and to present a poised and polished image when making introductions, all you need to remember is precedence…the order in which people are… Continue

Added by Maria Brady on November 26, 2009 at 11:43am — No Comments

Social Etiquette Tip of the Week - How to be a Great Wedding Guest!

Sarasota wedding season is in full swing and every weekend brings guests from near and far to our beautiful city.

I was the planner for a beautiful destination wedding at the Powel Crosley Estate last weekend. Everyone, including the bride and her family, were from New York and the bride went to great lengths to insure that all guests felt special and were properly taken care of.

The behavior of some of the guests’ was so inappropriate...they are my inspiration for this… Continue

Added by Maria Brady on November 5, 2009 at 5:17pm — 1 Comment

Social Etiquette Tip of the Week - “Good Manners Never Go Out Of Style”

“Today we often hear, especially from the older generation, that good manners are dead. It’s true that some of the meaningless older formalities have vanished. It’s true that social relationships have become more informal and casual in the complex modern world. Yet there probably never has been a time when graciousness, self-discipline, and consideration for others were so badly needed, to offset the stresses and strains of present-day living.”

This statement is from… Continue

Added by Maria Brady on October 22, 2009 at 1:56pm — No Comments

Social Etiquette Tip of the Week - What's This Plethora of Silverware For?

Formal table settings, with their dizzying parade of utensils, can sometimes be overwhelming. If you just remember a few basic guidelines, you can demystify that confusing tangle of spoons, forks, and knives that make formal dining appear complex.

In a formal setting you will receive exactly as much silverware as you will need, arranged in precisely the right order. As each course is completed, the silverware will be removed with the plate leaving you with a clean slate all ready for… Continue

Added by Maria Brady on October 15, 2009 at 12:57pm — No Comments

Social Etiquette Tip of the Week - Dining with Napkins

I was having lunch with the owner of a boutique linen rental company recently and, when the topic of my social etiquette tips came up, she said emphatically, "You must write about the napkin!" She then told me that quite often her linens, especially napkins, are returned in terrible condition.

As a wedding planner, I usually have a clear vantage point from which to watch people dine so, at a recent event I decided to observe the way people dined with their napkins. I watched as some… Continue

Added by Maria Brady on October 8, 2009 at 3:36pm — 3 Comments

Social Etiquette Tip of the Week - Wait Your Turn!

Why does waiting in line bring out the worst in some people? We spend a great deal of our time waiting in lines: at the bank, at the grocery store, at the post office, at the airport, at red lights, and scores of other places. For such a common daily occurrence, why is it that many people still cannot adhere to some simple courtesies while waiting in line?

"Wait your turn" is something we are all taught as children. It's a simple way of showing consideration for those around you…be… Continue

Added by Maria Brady on October 1, 2009 at 11:30am — 3 Comments

Social Etiquette Tip of the Week - Restaurant Etiquette 101

We all love to go out to dinner but sometimes we encounter a problem and wonder how to handle it. Here are some strategies for dining out, from scoring a table to sending back food.

The Restaurant is completely booked!

Put yourself on a waiting list while emphasizing how much you want a table. Your eagerness may help convince the maître d' to fit you in, even when they're booked.

You may also get lucky by calling the restaurant for cancellations late afternoon.… Continue

Added by Maria Brady on September 24, 2009 at 9:20pm — No Comments

Social Etiquette Tip of the Week - Driving with Manners

When driving I often wonder where many people learned to drive as it seems that they don’t exhibit what I consider common driving etiquette. There are still many courteous drivers on the road but, in our hustle and bustle world, we tend to notice a bad driver more than that courteous person who let us into traffic when no one else would.

Don't get me wrong. I am not perfect and I have abused the rules of the road myself. It's just that lately I've noticed more and more drivers… Continue

Added by Maria Brady on September 19, 2009 at 6:30pm — 2 Comments

Social Etiquette Tip of the Week - A Place in the Sun

Before I could even ask one of my busy brides about her holiday weekend, she suggested I write an article on beach etiquette. She proceeded to share what she was forced to deal with while trying to enjoy her well-deserved beach day. Thank you, Tricia, for inspiring this tip of the week!

How often have you been forced to put up with sand flying in your face, obnoxious loud neighbors (that are usually two feet from your towel), unruly children, and any number of annoying things that… Continue

Added by Maria Brady on September 9, 2009 at 9:29am — 3 Comments

Social Etiquette Tip of the Week - Going Up?

Who would have thought that the simple act of riding an elevator would actually require rules?

Good elevator etiquette is mostly common sense, but being aware of it will make your elevator rides more pleasant. If you work or live in a building with an elevator, you're bound to run into the same people all the time…and you certainly don't want to make elevator enemies.

There are three separate components to elevator etiquette: boarding, riding, and… Continue

Added by Maria Brady on September 3, 2009 at 5:31pm — 1 Comment

Social Etiquette Tip of the Week - “No Gifts, Please”

Most etiquette experts agree that it is never acceptable to include any instructions about gifts, even ‘no gifts please’ instructions, on an invitation. The hosts are supposed to be focused on the festivities at hand and not thinking about the possibility of getting gifts from the guests.

Nevertheless, if you're a guest at some point and receive an invitation with "no gifts" written on it, you should honor this request. "No gifts, please" means…no gifts. Showing up with a gift, when… Continue

Added by Maria Brady on August 27, 2009 at 4:50pm — No Comments

Social Etiquette Tip of the Week - Is This The New Etiquette?

It was always my understanding that plates were not to be cleared until everyone at the table was finished with the course they were eating. When did it become customary to clear a person’s plate as soon as they put the fork down regardless of the fact that others at the table were still eating? Somehow this practice has become so commonplace that it now appears the wait staff feels that this is what excellent service is all about. Is this the new etiquette? Did I miss the memo?

I… Continue

Added by Maria Brady on August 20, 2009 at 4:26pm — 7 Comments

Social Etiquette Tip of the Week - What's That Pretty Plate For?

Many people wonder what they are supposed to do with those large decorative plates that are part of the place setting on a formal dinner table. They are called charger plates, and they've been around since the late 1800s. Chargers pretty much disappeared during the 1990s, but now they're back in vogue, and their proper use is a point of confusion for some.

Also known as a chop plate, service plate or under plate, a charger plate never has food placed directly onto it; it serves as an… Continue

Added by Maria Brady on August 13, 2009 at 7:50pm — 2 Comments

Social Etiquette Tip of the Week - High Altitude Etiquette

Nowhere are bad manners more obvious to me these days than on airplanes. There was a time when air travelers respected each other but that’s no longer the case.

While six miles high in the sky, and crammed into a metal tube with seats, one of the unwritten rules of the airways is to remember that you are not alone. Most of us exhibit proper in-flight behavior and we always remember those that don’t! Below are some unwritten rules of etiquette (for those that don’t) to help you avoid… Continue

Added by Maria Brady on August 3, 2009 at 3:00pm — 1 Comment

Social Etiquette Tip of the Week – Mind Your Mobile Manners

It seems that everywhere I go lately I am held captive to conversations I have no interest in hearing. On a flight from Sarasota to JFK this past week we were delayed two hours due to bad weather in New York. The moment we touched down at JFK my seatmate whipped out his cell phone and proceeded to call everyone in his address book to inform them he was delayed. I had to hear the same story repeatedly,at a very high volume, while waiting to deplane.

How about standing in line at the… Continue

Added by Maria Brady on July 27, 2009 at 8:08pm — 4 Comments

Social Etiquette Tip of the Week – Don’t be THAT Party Guest

You’ve spotted them at parties. They linger by the cheese display, blocking other guests from getting near the food. They park their cars in the middle of the driveway. They monopolize the host as if nobody else were around.

Rude party guests are everywhere. And their rudeness comes from being inconsiderate. The bad news is that many of us have been guilty of that at one time or another but, the good news is, when you start to think of others you instantly become the perfect party… Continue

Added by Maria Brady on July 22, 2009 at 9:00am — 3 Comments

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