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Mom was right: Etiquette matters. Here, 10 ways to be gracious hosts-and guarantee very happy guests.

Admit it: You've been to at least one wedding where something about the affair made you uncomfortable. For instance, maybe dinner was delayed an hour while the bride and groom were having formal pictures taken, or you ordered a drink at the bar and were handed a bill. Not so nice, was it? But now, the tables are turned and you're the hosts. If you want to send your guests home happy—and what couple wouldn't want that?—follow these rules:

1. Pick your wedding date carefully.

Sure, holding your affair on a Friday or Sunday night—or even a weeknight—is a great way to save money. But this might pose a problem for guests who don't live nearby. Many will have to take a day off from work in order to attend your wedding; your immediate family and your wedding party may have to take even more time off in order to attend your rehearsal dinner. A clever compromise, if you're really set on a Friday or Sunday affair: Hold your wedding on a holiday weekend, when most working guests would automatically have an extra day off.

2. Don't make guests wait.

Another wedding-day itinerary to avoid, especially if most guests are out-of-towners: a morning ceremony, followed by an evening reception. It's simply not right to expect guests to kill so much time between events. Ideally, you should leave no more than a two-hour window between the ceremony and reception. And if that happens, you ought to plan something fun for out-of-towners to do during that time. Perhaps a good friend or family member will host a cocktail party in his or her home, or you might arrange for a guided tour of your area or a local museum to keep guests entertained.

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