Some people love to hear about the tiniest details of formal entertaining, and I’m happy to oblige. At a seated dinner at the White House a guest may encounter social traditions that may be unfamiliar to them: 1.) Escort Cards and Placement: A little envelope with the guest’s name will be presented to each person as they arrive. Inside they will find their table assignment. At this point, guests usually begin comparing notes on where they are seated, wondering if Table […]
There are some very fine calligraphers in Washington, possibly because there is a steady demand for formal invitations, menu cards, place cards, programs, and official certificates. My friend Lee Ann Clark lives on a farm in Stevenson, Maryland and produces beautiful calligraphy for the Vice President’s Residence, the National Gallery, the Department of State, embassies, weddings, and private parties. Lee Ann does the calligraphy work for our formal parties at home as well as making our holiday cards. And she’s […]
While a receiving line is usually only seen at a wedding or engagement party, we rarely had an event at the White House without one. A receiving line consists of the host and hostess – and a guest of honor if there is one – standing at the entrance to the party to greet the guests. And since the invention of the camera, the receiving line at the White House has taken on Cosmic Significance. A photo with the President […]
The word ‘etiquette’ in French means ‘label,’ which is appropriate because nothing labels us like our personal behavior. Every time a new piece of technology becomes available to the general public, etiquette has to be created to cope with it. There’s no point in bemoaning technological changes; they’re going to happen no matter what we may think of them, so it’s important to develop practical rules for how to use cellphones and other social media platforms in a way that […]
People seem to have anxiety about giving wedding gifts, and rightfully so. I was shocked to read on one wedding website that the average amount of money spent on a wedding gift is well over $100. This has to be a dilemma for young people whose friends are getting married in droves; a young woman I know has been invited to thirteen weddings this year! How is she supposed to pay her rent and still buy 13 wedding gifts? This […]
