Wedding etiquette: where, what and how to vape at a wedding

It’s springtime and summer’s now just around the corner – thank goodness! – and for millions of people, this often means one thing, in particular: weekends taken up by attending weddings. Yes, the wedding season is well and truly upon us all, which is, by and large, a lovely, heartening thing. And yet, for vapers, it throws up something of a quandary – what’s the etiquette of vaping at a wedding? Vaping remains such a relatively new phenomenon that the hard-and-fast rules and less stringent rules (and where acceptability at such a social function blurs) aren’t well regarded, if understood and appreciated at all. So, if you’re a vaper and will be attending a wedding in the coming weeks, here’s what you’ll need to know…

Where should you vape?

As it always has been with smoking, outdoors is always the safest place to vape. Feel free to vape to your heart’s content while outside of the venue, however, try not ruin any wedding photos by expelling clouds in the happy couple’s faces.

Indoors, however, is a different story. With venues such as restaurants, it’s usually left in the owner’s hands as to whether there is or isn’t on-site vaping. A good guide to follow may be that you ought not to vape where you wouldn’t (have) smoke(d), while make sure have common courtesy for those around you and, last but definitely not least, consult the bride and groom.

In the end, you might conclude that it’s acceptable when it’s acceptable. You don’t want to be expelling clouds during the reception from that tip-top kit you’ve bought at a vapor shop UK – and certainly not during the ceremony (see below). It’s probably advisable to walk away from anyone when you start vaping, so long as the venue allows you to vape in the first place.

How to vape and suitable flavours

So, how should you vape – and what should you vape – when attending a wedding? Well, it depends where the wedding is; if it’s an indoor wedding, avoid vaping indoors unless you’re part of the wedding party, or it’s your wedding, or you’ve had explicit permission from the bride or groom. If it’s an outdoor wedding, you might want to consider switching to a smaller device than usual for more discrete vaping. We all know kids and parents probably won’t appreciate big clouds in their faces.

‘In terms of e-liquid flavours, weddings can be quite longwinded, so maybe opt for something light and fresh to keep you going. Anything that is similar to the cocktails you get at weddings is always a winner, for example lime and mint are summery and light. Fruity flavours are also a front-runner, for example strawberry or pineapple flavour. However, steer clear of pastry and bakery flavours, as these scents tends to be more noticeable and potentially off-putting.

Dos and don’ts

Additionally, here are some further pointers you might want to bear in mind:

• Don’t vape during the wedding ceremony – you may have a craving for a vape, but this is when you need to have some strong willpower. Vaping during the ceremony is a big no-no. It not only can be distracting, it can be seen as disrespectful to this intimate and cherished moment that only happens once.

• Do bring plenty of e-juice with you – besides the ceremony, you’ll have lots of time to vape. In fact, you probably won’t notice just how much you’ll be vaping. We tend to vape more when we party, so if you plan to have a great time you probably will go through quite a lot of e-liquid. Bring a lot of with you so that you won’t run out! It might be a good idea to opt for a lower nicotine level than you are used to, since you’ll vape more than you normally would.

• Don’t vape around children – be mindful of the fact that not everyone is used to vapour, and there is still a lot of misinformation out there. Parents won’t be too happy to see their kids surrounded by vapour, especially since they might mistake it for smoke. Don’t take any chances here. Scan your surrounding for children, and only vape when the coast is clear. It’s part of the vaping etiquette to respect others, so keep that in mind at the wedding.

Do share your vaping passion – a big crowd like a wedding will inevitably get you some attention for vaping. People that still don’t know much about vaping will probably ask you some questions. Especially the older guests. This is your time to share your love for vaping and help spread a more positive image. Share your vapour passion, and even share your vapes themselves if a tobacco smoker wants to try. It’ll give you good karma points, that’s for sure.