Getting started off on the right foot is necessary when planning a wedding, and part of that is making sure that creating and sending out your wedding invitations goes off without a hitch, so you can get hitched without any stress at all.
Wording Etiquette
Wedding etiquette is an important part of wedding planning. It provides a guideline for the proper use of wording on your wedding invitations, and a clean and understandable way to convey information to each guest. Etiquette is merely a guideline for tradition, and not a hard fast rule. A bride and groom should take proper wedding etiquette into consideration when planning their wedding, but remember to always do what is most comfortable for them in the end.
Dissecting The Wedding Invitation Language
When writing a wedding invitation, you will want to have the following information listed, in the order shown…
• invitation • request • event • date • time • location • reception
The Invitation Line The invitation line will list who is hosting the wedding. This can be the parents or the couple. If you prefer not to include parents' names but would like to mention them in the invitation, you can put 'Together with their parents....' instead.
The Request Line This is where you will request the guest’s presence at your event. E.g “Request the honour of your presence”.
The Event Line This is where you indicate that the invitation is for a wedding, and list the names of the couple to be wed.
The Date Line(s) If the date is formal, you will want to write the date in long form, rather than short. Be sure to carry the formality of the written date on your reply card as well.
The Time Line Indicates the time of day that the couple will be wed.
The Location Line(s) List the location of the event by giving the name of the location, full address and postcode. The correct postcode is particularly important for SAT NAV users).
Reception Information Should the reception be held at the same location as the ceremony, you would follow the above information with “Reception to follow” or “Reception immediately following”. If the reception is at an alternate location, you will need to list the name of location, full address and postcode as well.
Writing Your Wedding Date
Formal Wedding Date When writing out the date formally, you should first list the day of the week, followed by the calendar day, month and then year on the following line.
example:
Saturday, the sixth of September Two thousand and seventeen
OR
Saturday 6th September 2017
*Note- Capitalising the “T” in “Two” is a matter of personal preference for the bride and groom. Also, you may list “and” in the year or discard it – either is correct.
Informal Wedding Date
When writing the date for an informal or casual wedding, it is acceptable to write the wedding date in year form, but most also include the day of the week.
example:
Saturday, September 6, 2017
OR
Saturday, September 6th
Consistency
One of the keys to clear and concise wedding invitation information is consistency. If you begin by writing out your words, dates, abbreviations, etc. you should continue this throughout your entire wedding ensemble. For example, you would not want to abbreviate the town on your invitation if you were writing it out on your envelope. Or, you would not want to write out the date on your invitation and then use the numerical date on your reply card – as they would not match.
Final Thoughts...
All of the above are guidelines of how to traditionally lay out your invitation but remember... ITS YOUR WEDDING and there is no right or wrong way of doing things. You can be as creative as you like as it adds personality onto your invites. Have fun with it!
