Etiquette Story Topics

SPRING TOPICS

Planning a Wedding : Great information for the bride, groom and their families about what to do and not to do and how to gracefully handle the numerous sticky situations that can arise during a wedding such as: how to write a thank you note for a gift you plan to return or don't know what it is; how to address invitations to a couple when the woman is a doctor; how to deal with issues relating to second marriages; proper etiquette involving step parents – seating, speaking, walking down the aisle, etc.; what to do with gifts when the wedding is cancelled. Ms. Weaver can address these and many other situations and discuss her Top 10 Wedding Faux Pas.

Attending a Wedding: Guests can make and break a wedding. Ms. Weaver can provide etiquette tips for wedding guests and answer questions about the ins and outs of weddings. She can also discuss her Top 10 Wedding Faux Pas such as bringing a gift to the ceremony, forgetting to turn your cell phone off, wearing white to the wedding and using the wrong acknowledgements.

Interview Etiquette for Graduates : Students are graduating with more skills and knowledge, but many are lacking the basic social savvy they need to make a good impression in an interview. Ms. Weaver can share valuable information about the dos and don'ts of interviews and discuss basic etiquette issues that every aspiring employee needs to know including her list of Top 10 Interview Faux Pas.

SUMMER TOPICS

Travel Etiquette: Summer is vacation time, but many travelers are confused about the dos and don'ts of being away from home. If more than one person handles your luggage at a hotel, are you supposed to tip them all and what is considered an appropriate tip? What is the best way to hail a cab? When traveling on a plane, is there anything I can do about the person sitting next to me who is snoring and bothering everyone around him? Ms. Weaver can address these questions and provide additional information about some of the biggest mistakes people make when traveling overseas

Manners for Minors – Summer is a great time to help children work on their manners. Ms. Weaver can discuss fun and educational activities parents can do to help improve their children's behavior around the house, on vacation, with friends, on the phone and in public places.

FALL TOPIC

Homecoming How Tos: Fall is the season for first dates and high school dances. Ms. Weaver can give practical advice to build confidence and turn any football player or drill team captain into a lady or a gentleman. She can discuss dining dilemmas, dancing don'ts and dating dos in a fun and informative way to make Homecoming a happy, not embarrassing memory.

HOLIDAY TOPICS

How to be a Good Host and Houseguest: During the holiday season many people travel to visit friends and relatives anticipating a wonderful time, but often miscommunication brings problems. Ms. Weaver can help prepare hosts and houseguests to have a wonderful visit with simple tips and suggestions that will make the stay more enjoyable for all.

Gift Giving Guidelines: Ms. Weaver can address questions about how to handle gift giving situations including exchanging gifts with coworkers, giving gifts to your boss, what to do when someone surprises you with a gift, thank you notes, what to do when you receive a gift for a holiday you don't celebrate along with additional dos and don'ts for giving and receiving holiday gifts.

Holiday Faux Pas: The holiday season is filled with parties and Ms. Weaver can help people navigate the ins and outs of these social obligations. She can share her Top Ten List of Holiday Faux Pas, Twelve Tips for Christmas and can provide great information to answer questions about socializing during the busiest season of the year.

TIMELESS TOPICS

Executive Education: Ms. Weaver has spent countless hours helping corporate executives attain the social skills they need to advance. She can share critical information that can make or break a person's career and help them play hardball with their soft skills.

Dating Dos and Don'ts: You only have one chance to make a first impression and Ms. Weaver can help assure you make a good one. She can provide information to help solve many of the mysteries of dating such as: Should a man always open a door or pull out a chair for his date? Who should pay for the date? Is it acceptable for a woman to ask a man out? Ms. Weaver can help anyone gain confidence with the knowledge of the dos and don'ts of dating.

Electronic Etiquette: Having manners extends to every area of a person's life including email, cell phones, pagers, telephones and other means of electronic communication. Ms. Weaver can discuss basic rules of etiquette that pertain to using the new tools of the electronic age.

Etiquette for Funerals: People don't talk about funerals often, but when faced with the death of a friend or loved one, many questions can arise and knowing what to do in advance can help ease some of the pain. Ms. Weaver can address awkward issues that come up during funerals including: Is it appropriate to send flowers to a memorial service? If the obituary says, “private funeral,” but you consider yourself a close friend, how do you know if you should attend? Should estranged family members be listed in the obituary? What is the appropriate thing to say to the bereaved family? If you do not receive a note acknowledging a gift made in memory of the deceased, can you call the family to ensure they received it? What should you do if there is an open casket, but you don't want to participate in the viewing? How do you know if you are invited to a funeral? How do you invite people to a funeral?

Things You Didn't Know You Didn't Know – With more than 10 years in the etiquette business, Ms. Weaver has compiled a list of the most common etiquette mistakes people make and has remedies for them all. Most happen everyday and people just don't know they are committing an etiquette faux pas. Ms. Weaver can share information to ensure that people have confidence in public situations and don't have to worry about doing or saying the wrong thing.

Dissolving Dining Dilemmas: Which fork should I use? Is that my glass or my dates glass? Where should I put my napkin when I leave the table? What do I do if I don't know how to pronounce an item on the menu? Which seat is mine? How am I supposed to eat challenging food such as crab legs? Ms. Weaver can address these questions and many more to help dissolve common dining dilemmas.

Office Etiquette: The work and social environment are two distinct worlds and the rules of etiquette are different for both. Ms. Weaver can answer questions about appropriate boardroom etiquette, business and casual dress, body language, business dining and how etiquette differs in social and office settings.

Writing Rights and Wrongs: With the onset of the electronic age, communication has changed dramatically and Ms. Weaver can explain the dos and don'ts and can answer questions such as: What is the appropriate way to sign a letter to a business associate? Friend? Clergyman? When should you use a person's first name in business correspondence? Is it acceptable to send electronic thank you notes rather than handwritten notes? What is the suggested time frame for writing thank you notes? Ms. Weaver can help clear up the correspondence confusion by giving simple instructions to help with letter writing and other personal and business-related correspondence.