Wedding Invitation Etiquette 101 - A Quick Reference No Bride Should Be Without

Everyone knows there is a certain form and etiquette to follow when composing and putting your wedding invitations in the mail. And while styles may differ, there are some accepted minimums you should follow.

Make sure time is on your side

Generally speaking you should have your wedding invitations in the mail six weeks prior to your wedding. You should allow even more if there are any special circumstances involved. If you're planning a destination wedding or a wedding around the holidays you might want to give your guests a little more time. 

Your save-the-date cards can be a big help here, too. As soon as you know the date and the venue, you are welcome to get your save the dates in the mail. I've worked with brides who have sent the save the date and hotel information as early as 6 to 8 months ahead of the invitation. Giving your out-of-town guests as much notice as possible ensures that they will have time to make plans, take time off from work if necessary and be there for your big day. 

What else goes into the envelope?

Don't forget to include either an RSVP card or another method for your guests to RSVP easily. You should include a reply card with a stamped envelope so your guest can let you know if they will be attending. More and more brides are sending their guests to their wedding website to RSVP and posting more and more information there.  While it can be acceptable to mention wedding registry information on your website, it is never acceptable to mention this anywhere in your paper wedding invitation. 

Your wedding website can be a great resource for your guests, but it is not an excuse to slack off on the rules. Be considerate and make of each guests feel welcome with a proper, paper wedding invitation.

The details

It is widely accepted that you not use any abbreviations on any part of your wedding invitation - with the only exception being for 'Mr. and Mrs." So, if you are inviting your uncle the physician and your aunt, the correct address would be 'Doctor and Mrs. Smith.'

This continues to hold true for the date and time of your event. For example 'Sunday the twenty third of October at half past five in the evening' would take the place of Sun. Oct. 23rd at 5:30pm. 

This continues to hold for the address on the outside and the reply card of your invitation. There is no St., Ave, or Apt #, but there is always Street, Avenue and Apartment number.   The only exception to this rule is the comma that occurs between city and state - 'Atlanta, Georgia' is perfectly acceptable. Atlanta, GA is not. 

There also should not be any punctuation on your wedding invitation. Again, the one exception to that is the punctuation that occurs after Mr. and Mrs. Your wedding invitation should read like an elegant, formal request, not a series of sentences. 

Proper Wording

There are many styles and ways to word the actual invitation; you should make sure you consult an expert for your particular situation. Traditionally, a bride's family was the 'host' and thus mentioned first on the invitation. Currently, there are many, many different ways to invite friends and family to your wedding. Often brides and grooms will host and not mention parents at all.  The groom's parents may be mentioned if they are hosting, parents of blended families, can be mentioned; the possibilities are endless. Consult the wording guide at MyExpression.com for wording suitable for your unique situation.

How to invite

Addressing your guests on your wedding invitation envelope is important also. When addressing an envelope to a single guest, it is not necessary to note 'and guest' on the envelope. If inviting an unmarried couple who live at the same address include both of their names on their own line. If inviting two people who live at the same address, but are room mates, send two separate invitations. Obviously, a married couple should be addressed as 'Mr. and Mrs.' or with their appropriate professional titles. 

There are many details to consider, but following these basic rules makes your wedding invitation special and will make your guests feel honored to be invited. Check out our wedding invitation etiquette resources and browse our wide variety of wedding invitations at MyExpression.com.

Amy Carter

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Which Font Should You Use For Your Wedding Invitations?

It is your wedding day, and you want everything to be perfect, but do not overlook the items you need in the months leading up to your wedding. In particular, choosing the best wedding invitation can be the backbone to a great wedding planning experience. Most companies allow you to personalize the wedding invitations according to your specific preferences. When that is the case, choosing a font can be extremely overwhelming. Here is how to pick the right font for your wedding invitations:



Choose a font that makes sense for your wedding's theme. If your wedding has a clear theme, having a font that falls in line with that theme is a good idea. For example, if your theme is a tropical or island wedding, you may want to choose a font that resembles the waves or ocean. If your wedding does not have such a clear-cut theme, you can still pick a font that works with the mood. For example, if your wedding is classic and elegant, use a classic, elegant script font, while if your wedding is modern, and use a modern, clean font.

Ask about pricing. Sometimes, certain general fonts are included in the overall pricing, while special fonts cost more. So, before you design the wedding invitation of your dreams, look at the costs. For couples on a budget, sticking to one of the more general fonts might be the best bet.

Look at a mock-up if possible. Sometimes the prettiest fonts do not work well for your specific invitation because of the spacing. For example, if you italicize a font, it might move one of the words to the next line, pushing all of your words and throwing off the design. In addition, a size in one font might not be the same size as another font, even if they are the same number. If possible, look at a version of the invitation with your preferred font to ensure that the spacing and sizing work with your design.

Consider multiple fonts. Again, pricing matters, but sometimes the best font choice is to use multiple fonts. Remember that your names should be the main attraction, but make sure that the date, time, and place are all easy to read. Using multiple fonts is sometimes more expensive, but that depends on where you order your wedding invitations.

Search the Internet for font ideas. If you are designing your own wedding invitations, you often do not have to be inhibited by the fonts that are already on your computer. There are thousands of websites that offer free fonts that you can download, and thousands more that sell fonts for extremely low prices.

Have a font designed for you and your significant other. This option is undoubtedly the most expensive, but there are graphic designers that can design a font specifically for you and your finance. Graphic designers are expensive, but if you purchase a font, you will own it. This allows you to use the font for anything you like. You can meet with a graphic designer, talk about fonts you like and do not like, and come up with a perfect font for you.

Start looking early. Try not wait until the last minute to start looking for your wedding invitations. It can take a few weeks or even months to have your wedding invitations shipped to you. You have to send them out with enough time for your guests to make plans and reply - and if you have a destination wedding that requires extensive invitations, you have to send them out even sooner. If you wait until the last minute to order, you may only have stock font options.

If you are having a hard time deciding what looks best, consider sticking to the stock font that comes with the wedding invitation you have chosen. Do not automatically assume that your wedding invitation looks cheap or generic after choosing these options. In actuality, highly paid designers are usually the people responsible for the wedding invitation fonts and designs that are available. You can rest assured that they have made beautiful design choices. So, instead of putting the pressure on yourself to choose an amazing wedding invitation font, consider simply using what the original designer recommended. As an added bonus, going with that option may typically be the least expensive choice!

Your wedding invitations are important to your wedding because they provide valuable information to your guests. These invitations should reflect the couple; therefore, you should carefully consider the font that is chosen. For some people, wedding invitations are last-minute afterthoughts. However, when you choose your wedding invitation, you set the tone for your entire wedding. If you make a great font choice, the stage should be set for a great wedding day.

Cynthia Andrews is a freelance writer who writes about weddings and family events, often focusing on a specific aspect of the event such as wedding invitations.

You Should Pay Attention To Wedding Invitation Wordings

To get your wedding invitation text or wording correct is very important because wedding invitation wording is what communicates to every guest the place and time they are to join the bride and groom at the wedding.

Wedding invitation wordings must always be clear and neat, because every guest you are inviting should understand what segment of the wedding day they are actually invited to. Some wordings state that a guest is being invited to the ceremony or to the reception or for the whole day. There are some wedding wordings that states only the time and date of the reception.

There is a firm set of rules which goes with neat and clear wordings like church weddings normally the wordings will more traditional. Something's along the lines like "Mr. & Mrs. Brides Parents" in the beginning, "request the honor of" next line, and then handwritten names of the guests, at the marriage of their daughter along with the brides name and then the grooms name, following with "taking place on", date and time clearly mentioned and the wedding venue also stated clearly. Thereafter at the wedding reception venue, the further proceedings are also listed. Response is also expected.

If in case, you do not like the idea of handwriting the guests name into the wedding invitation then you can replace it with the wordings such as "request the honor of your presence" which would be excellent idea. In case, if the wedding is at the residence then the contents of the wedding card can be somewhat less formal with the wordings which can be like "request the pleasure of your company". With the church wedding invitation wording, you can leave the space to write the names of every guest you will be inviting.

In case if the wedding is being held at the relatives or friends place, then the wording must be very formal. A simple wedding invitation text would be like this: "the pleasure of your company is requested at the marriage of, brides name to the grooms name, date & time of the wedding day, at the residence of friends name and the address".

For apparent reasons; if the wedding is being held at your own house; then it should be acknowledged as quickly as possible. This is something you must try to work at to change the wordings or want to add extra card in that envelope. As long as you stick to certain points for your wedding invitation wordings, and you ensure that relevant information is included, then you can happily customize your own wedding invitations.

Jerry Leung has a site on India Wedding Vendor Directory. Be sure to check UK Wedding Vendors and Wedding Vendor Directory in the US.

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