When searching for wedding invitations, it can be difficult to find something that fits you and your soon-to-be spouse. Either the wording seems too stuffy or too casual, or the design doesn’t quite mesh with the feel of your wedding. Whatever the obstacle may be that you’ve encountered with your wedding invitations, we’re here to help you tackle at least one of them – invitation wording. How you phrase the wedding invitation will tell your guests a lot. Not only will they get the who/what/when/where of the ordeal, but they’ll also infer whether the wedding will be casual or formal, indoors or outdoors, as well as get a glimpse of you and your fiance’s personality as a couple.
The Ingredients of Wedding Invitation Wording
1) The Host: The first few lines of the invitation are meant to name the host(s) of the event who is extending the invitation to the guest. This can be any combination of the bride’s parent(s), groom’s parent(s), the bride and groom, step parents or the like.
2) The Request Line: This section invites the guest to the wedding ceremony and/or reception. The phrasing you use will indicate the ceremony setting and/or reception venue.
3) Bride and Groom Names: Tell them who they’re invited to celebrate! Choose to list either first names, first and last, or full names.
4) Date and Time: You don’t have to use phrases like a.m. or p.m. unless the time could potentially be misconstrued (i.e. a wedding beginning at 8 could be 8 in the morning for a brunch reception, or an evening wedding as well).
5) Location: If your venue is a well-known church, temple, hotel, etc., you do not need to put the address. If you do put the address, remember to keep the spelling/phrasing consistent with the rest of the invitation.
6) Reception: Be very clear whether the guest is invited to the ceremony followed by a reception, or solely to the reception.
7) RSVP: This information can be on a separate RSVP card as well. If you are using an online RSVP option, this can be as simple as directing the guest to your wedding website to respond by a certain date.
Taboo Text
There are a few things you want to avoid including in your wedding invitation. First and foremost, do not include your registry information or gift preferences (“no gifts please”) on the invitation. This information is to be spread via word-of-mouth by your close friends, family and bridal party. It is also unnecessary to use commas at the end of lines.
Keep it Consistent
If you want your invitations to have a more formal flair, spelling honor as “honour” is a nice touch, but be sure to be consistent using that type of spelling across all your invitation material. If your wedding is more casual and/or contemporary, using numbers, street and state abbreviations on the invitation is perfectly fine. These items are fully spelled out on more formal, traditional invitations, so the key is to be consistent.
Ever received a unique or zany wedding invitation? Share with us on Twitter and Facebook about your experiences, or wedding invitation woes.
