If I was at a concert and someone talked nonstop I would have made it clear to her that I wanted to hear the music. The attention hogs will not take a cue from subtle hints. As for talking in the group setting. I would just turn to someone sitting next to me and talk with that person, leaving the bigmouth out of the conversation. Even if it means turning your back on the attention hog. I do not agree whatsoever that these people are hard of hearing and talk and talk so as not to be expected to answer questions (that they cannot hear)asked of them. Many people are just plain rude. There is no nice, easy and polite way to deal with them. If that were true then the dozens of people throughout the years that have been annoyed by attention hog would have already convinced this person to shut up and let someone else talk.

I see more and more people giving money cards at weddings, unless this is just a midwest thing. I don't see all that many gifts on a gift table; is this really that much of a problem? It's been talked about enough that I think most people get the hint that the bridal couple would prefer cash so they can pick out their own items.

I would hope future employers would view a lot of what is on the Internet as the excesses of youth that it is. If suggestive photos or comments appear about people who are 21 years or older, then the info is perhaps more useful.

"I don't see all that many gifts on a gift table; is this really that much of a problem?"
I don't know that this can be blamed on people giving cash instead of gifts. With online registries, it's very likely most people are buying traditional gifts but and having them delivered directly to the bride/groom's residence. Since wedding gifts are not opened at the wedding, I don't think this is any great loss.

In response to Confused Bride in Indiana - I was 42 and my husband was 49 when we got married. Both of us had been married before and did not want wedding gifts - just our friends and family there to celebrate our day with us. Even though etiquette says it is improper to mention gifts on the invitation - we added a slip of paper that stated that their presence was enough for us and if they so chose - they could make a donation in honor of our marriage to one of the two charities that we picked. It was a great feeling that not only did we get to celebrate our love and committment to each other with our friends and family but two very worthwhile charities benefited as well. Our family and friends thought it was a neat idea.

Re: Jan ----- Gifts are supposed to be mailed to the (usually) bride's home before the wedding or to the bride and groom's new home after the wedding. It really isn't a good idea to take gifts to the wedding reception. Just who is supposed to cart all those gifts to the bride and groom's home? Often the bride and groom take off for their honeymoon directly from the reception or they stay overnight at the hotel where the reception takes place and leave for the honeymoon in the morning. Transporting the gifts can be quite a job. I know that years ago, there used to be a display of all the gifts, but that was often when the reception was given at the bride's parents' home and the gifts could remain there until after the honeymoon. I've also seen reports of gifts being stolen from wedding receptions right under the eyes of the guests. It's so easy. A person can just say they're assigned the task of delivering them to the couple's home and they're off with the gifts with no one the wiser until it's too late. So that's why you aren't seeing that many gifts at the wedding reception nowadays.