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Tips for wedding invitation wording etiquette:

• Your wedding invitation wording sets the tone of the day, so getting it right is crucial.
• Formal invitation wording
• Informal invitation wording
• Tips for RSVP's

Article Tags:  wedding invitation wording, wedding invitations, wedding planning

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Wedding Invitation Wording

Sinead Barrett

03 November 2011

Your wedding invitation is the first formal announcement of your wedding. Your wedding invitation wording says more to your friends and family than simply the time, date, location and dress code of your wedding. It sets the tone of the day to come, indicates a theme and expresses your personality, so it is well worth perfecting.

Formal wedding invitation wording
Formal wedding invitation wording is based on tradition and etiquette, sending a message of elegance and class. So, if a formal invitation is what you are looking for be sure to conform to the following rules for wording and formatting.

Formal wedding invitation wording should use the third person and should never include abbreviations. All words should be written out in full, for example Street and Doctor. The only exception to this rule is the use of titles such as Mr. and Mrs. titles, which should allows be used to address the recipient of a formal wedding invitation. It is also important to note, here, that after these titles is the only time full stops should be used in the invitation.

Similarly, all numbers should be spelled out in full. This includes all dates, times and addresses to be used on the invitation.

The emphasis of the invite is the presence of your guest, not presents. Therefore requests for certain gifts or gift registry information should never appear on formal wedding invitations. This information is best spread by word of mouth or through a separate wedding shower invitation.

Informal wedding invitation wording
Free from the constraints of etiquette and tradition, informal wedding invitation wording is where you get a chance to have fun and be creative with your invitations. As long as informal wedding invitations convey all the necessary information, there is generally no set form for these invitations or their wording.

Informal wedding invitation wording gives you the flexibility to include short poems or romantic verses. These features add personality to the invite and allow you show the recipient just how much your partner means to you. In addition to this, informal wedding invitation wording does not require you to address the guest with the formal titles of Mr., Mrs. or Miss.

Informal wedding invitation wording frees you from the using traditional third person language, further personalising the invite with the ability to use phrases like “We would love for you to be a part of our special day” and, “ Please join us on Saturday, November 5, 2011”.

With informal invitations it is perfectly acceptable to include requests for certain gifts or information about gift registries. This can either be printed on the invitation or included on a separate card.

Wording and inclusion of parents
Traditionally, it is the privilege of the bride’s family to issue the wedding invitations on behalf of the couple; however, today it is no longer assumed that the bride’s family will take sole responsible for funding the wedding and therefore the inclusion and order of parents names on the invitation can vary.

Invites are issued by the hosts of the wedding, whether this is the parents of the bride, the parents of the groom, or the bride and groom themselves, and this will determine who is included and in what order on the invitation.

Generally, with formal weddings it will be the parents who issue the invite. Whether the parents of the bride, those of the groom or both, their names should appear first on the invitation and be followed by the names of the bride and groom. With formal wedding invitation wording all names should be written out in full including first, last and occasional middle names.

With informal wedding invitation wording, however, you have the freedom to include on the invite whomever you like. Here, you may choose to follow tradition and the have those funding the wedding request the presence of guests on your behalf or simply write it from the first person and include the names of the bride and groom only.

Etiquette for RVSPs
In most cases, both formal and informal wedding invitations will include a request to RSVP. This request can be made on the invitation itself or on a separate RSVP card but should always include a date to respond by and the option to accept or decline the invitation. If the option of bringing a “plus one” is available, it is here that it should be noted.

As a general rule for both formal and informal wedding invitations, the RVSP date should be at least three weeks before the date of the wedding. This gives you time to mail out additional invites if regrets do come in and allows you to confirm numbers with venues and caterers.

Whether formal or informal, the wedding invitation wording should be a reflection of your personality and the theme of your wedding. Your invite should include the date, time, location and dress code of the event, after all the most important function of your invitation is making you potential guests feel appreciated and ensure they know all the details they will need in order to be a part of the biggest day of your life!

Example of informal wedding invitation wording issued by the bride and groom:

Jane Saunders and Anthony Barrett
are delighted to announce their marriage
On Saturday, November fifth, Two Thousand and Eleven
Help us celebrate our love and commitment
At Castaways Resort, two Pacific Parade Mission Beach
Ceremony on the back lawn at 5.00pm
to be followed by an evening of food, dancing and laughter
Dress: Cocktail

Want more wedding invitation etiquette? Check it out here