Show up early!

Let me take this opportunity to share some insight and hopefully help some people out, in the future. I always show up early to weddings because well, I like to. I like to take it all in; the decor, the music, the other guests. I also like to make mental notes for future use. But, please, oh please, oh please when you are going to a wedding - GO EARLY! If a wedding starts at 2pm, show up between 1:30 and 1:45pm. The people at the ceremony site will be ready and expecting you, the prelude music will be playing and you'll get a better seat.
There is nothing worse than guests sneaking in the side door once the procession has begun. This past weekend, and the weekend before, this scenario played out at my weddings. I tell my brides that we may start a couple minutes late, ONLY because I'm waiting to get all of the guests to their seats prior to starting the wedding party down the aisle. Unfortunately, there are people who can't make it on time or early to a wedding. And invariably, I get the grandparents and parents down the aisle and then some straglers want to sneak in and mosey their way down the aisle to grab a seat. TACKY!