Wedding Invitation Wording - The Basics

It may seem obvious, but here's what information you need to include in your wedding invitation wording. In the next post we'll discuss what other items you might need in terms of stationery for your wedding.

Invitations are traditionally sent out 6-8 weeks before the wedding, so you should probably start researching and organising them at least 3 months before - many brides will start investigating wedding stationery way earlier than that - well, it is fun! It's easy to get inspiration from magazines and of course on the internet. For most brides, it's a whole new area to explore and they will be eager to compare styles and prices and look for something that appeals. Of course each person's style and theme is very individual, so the range of designs is huge - but all wedding invitations must contain some basic essential information.

The way in which the invitation begins depends on who is actually issuing the invitation - it can be the bride's parents, both sets of parents or the couple themselves. Etiquette dictates that the people contributing financially are the ones who are "issuing" the invitation. The tone can range from warm and friendly for relaxed, intimate weddings to very formal for those which are going to be grand affairs!

Obviously, the main information is whose wedding it is, and of course when and where the ceremony is to take place.

Most ceremonies are followed by a reception, so the venue for this will also be included on the invitations. If both are at the same place, all you need is a line that says "with a reception to follow", with an indication of the starting time.

Dress code is optional but would be included near the bottom, and lastly a date by which the RSVP is requested - sometimes the RSVP details can appear at the bottom of the invitation too: this may be a street address, phone number or email - or all three. Many people prefer to have a separate card for the responses and we will discuss this in the next post.

These are the basic things to include on your invitations - also do not forget that there may be an additional cost if you opt to have your guests' names printed on the invitation and/or their addresses printed on the envelopes, but this can really enhance the look of the whole thing and make it look very professional.

Alison C is co-owner of Fine Invitations, a Sydney-based invitations and stationery store in Milsons Point, specialising in simple, classic invitations.

Check this wedding invitation wordings out!

Wedding Invitation Basics

Your wedding invitation will set the tone for your entire wedding event. It provides a visual statement that will convey the formality and mood of the event through the way the envelope is addressed, the type of paper used, the letter font for the text and the actual wording used. Put some thought into your choice of invitations because it provides the first glimpse of the kind of wedding celebration you are asking them to share with you.

Before ordering your invitations there are a number of decisions you must make. The obvious decision is your choice of venue and the date of your wedding. However, you also need to determine what type of wedding you are planning (indoor, outdoor, formal, informal, theme, casual, traditional or something entirely different). Your invitations should reflect the type of wedding.

If you are planning a formal wedding your invitations should be printed on heavyweight ivory, cream or white paper with a classic letter style such as Roman and the color of the text should be black. An informal wedding allows you to customize your invitation to reflect your personality with your own unique wording and style.

The wording used to invite your guests should reflect who is hosting or paying for the wedding. The wording is also different if your wedding ceremony is held in a house of worship or if it is a non-religious venue. For ceremonies taking place in a house of worship use "request the honour of your presence" and for a non-religious ceremony use "request the pleasure of your company".

When addressing your envelopes for a formal or traditional wedding you should write out each person's name in full. Make sure to include the appropriate titles. Again, all of the titles should be spelled out. Spell out all of the words including the hour, date, year, and all of the words in the address including the word street, avenue, also spell out the city and state. The only exception to this rule would be the word Saint (St.) and Mount (Mt.), these may be abbreviated. Use roman numerals in a persons name; it would be III rather than 3rd.

The inner envelope should spell out quite clearly who is actually invited to attend the ceremony. If the children are invited, their names should be listed on the inner envelope from the oldest to the youngest. Children over 18 should receive their own invitation. If a guest is allowed to bring a guest, the inner envelope should include the wording "and guest".

Your wedding invitations should be hand addressed, even if you don't have the best handwriting. If you really don't like the looks of your writing consider hiring a calligrapher, but in any case don't use computer generated labels. It is also considered in very bad form if the invitations are hand-delivered rather than sent through the mail.

Allow yourself plenty of time when you shop for your invitations. The design and wording is very important. Take a little time and brush up on the rules of etiquette as they pertain to invitations and make certain that they are mailed out between six to eight weeks prior to the wedding date. Today's society is more accepting and forgiving of couples who do not strictly adhere to all of the formalities relating to wedding invitations, so don't let all of the "rules" cause undo stress. Let your personality and your unique style show through in your wedding invitations.

Check this wedding invitation wordings out!