The wedding invitation usually precedes the theme of the wedding. A formal wedding invitation idea can be to make the paper of both invitation card and envelope thick and heavy. The thickness and weight of both invitation and envelope says a lot. It can signify the time and effort spent on choosing the invitation as well as the money spent on them. This means that the affair s most likely an expensive formal event as the invitation depicts formality. Another wedding invitation idea for a formal wedding is to make the invitation simple and clean, with less clutter and color. Cream or off white is usually favored by most couples when it comes to the color of the paper for the invitation. White may be too stark for some while cream speaks of richness and class for others.

Another wedding invitation idea to make the guests know that the wedding is a formal affair is to actually write it down through specifying the attire. Black tie is enough o let people know that men are required to wear tuxedoes and women should appear in evening gowns. This wedding invitation idea will ensure that not one guest will arrive underdressed.

A handmade wedding invitation can benefit from wedding invitation ideas to make it look formal. Adding designs or embossing on the sides of the invitation card adds to the formal appearance of the card. Opting for a lined envelope also adds to the impression of a formal wedding. Usually, shiny black or whatever lining is more formal than a matte color on the envelope lining. In some cases, the theme of black on white can give the impression of formality. Cream on black also works to give the formal impression.

Another wedding invitation idea for a formal wedding is to arrange a seat plan for the guests. Notice of the seat plan is usually given with the invitation. Another wedding invitation idea is to it written in calligraphy which usually speaks of formality and expense. Making sure that every person knows that the wedding is formal is sometimes a necessity to ensure that no one feels bad when wearing casual clothes.

However, there are also times when a separate invite will be in order. This is when specific wedding reception invitation wording will come into play. We have tips for proper wedding reception wording that will work well for just about any situation.

Reception is at a Different Venue

If your reception will be held at a different location than the ceremony, you will need wording that will instruct guests on where to go. These invitations are usually on a separate card that is enclosed with the actual wedding invitation, if the reception will take place immediately following the service.

Proper wedding reception invitation wording will follow the style of the wedding invitation and include the name of the place and the address. You can also enclose a response card that allows guests to easily RSVP and gives you a proper head count to plan for at your celebration. If you are offering a choice of entrees at a reception dinner or luncheon, your response card can allow guests to choose their favorite dish ahead of time by offering the selection right on the RSVP.

Reception at a Different Time

Some couples will opt to have a quiet, private ceremony and then host a larger reception later for all of their family and friends. This can be the case if the bride and groom get married in a different state than where most of their family is located or if they choose to have a destination wedding with only a small party in attendance.

In these cases, the correct wording will let guests know that the wedding has already taken place, and this event will be a celebration of what has occurred. In these situations, you can mimic the style of wedding invitation wording, but explain that guests are invited to a reception celebrating the marriage of the bride and groom.

The wedding reception can be tricky at times, but by following the proper wedding invitation etiquette you will give your guests all the information they need to attend your special occasion. Once the invitations are sent, it’s time to get ready to celebrate the event of a lifetime!

You can find examples of wedding invitation wording for a ceremony at the beach or a traditional church service. There are also samples for any type of family situation including second marriages, ceremonies that incorporate the children or divorced families. We have the tips you need to ensure that your wedding invitations are the perfect beginning to your perfect day.

Traditional Wording

In the classic wedding invitation wording, the bride’s parents are listed first as the hosts of this special day. Usually the invitation will say the parents “request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter”. After the daughter’s name, the groom’s name and his parents will be listed. The rest of the wedding invitation wording will include where and when the ceremony will be held. Information like date, time and address should be spelled out instead of using common abbreviations. This basic formula can be adjusted for different situations, such as when the groom’s parents host the wedding or the bride and groom throw the party themselves.

Wording for an Informal Ceremony

While a church wedding will “request the honor of your presence”, an informal ceremony will often “request the pleasure of your company” instead. The rest of the wedding invitation wording can follow the guidelines above, unless special instructions need to be included because of the venue where the ceremony will take place. By the mere wording of the invitation, guests will know that the day will not be a formal occasion, and will be able to plan and dress accordingly.

Wedding Reception Invitation Wording

If the wedding reception will take place at the same location as the ceremony, you can simply add a line at the bottom of your wedding invitation indicating that the reception will follow. However, if your reception will be at a different venue, you will probably want to use a separate card with wedding reception invitation wording that will give the details of where the party will take place. A response card can also be included so that your guests can RSVP and you can get an accurate head count for your celebration.

Wedding invitation wording follows a certain formula, taking a lot of the guesswork out of how to create your invitations. Within the basic framework, there is plenty of room for creativity, so don’t be afraid to put your own personal touch on your invitations. Wedding invitation etiquette doesn’t have to be intimidating.

One thing that should always be remembered when making DIY wedding invitations is to keep it simple if one is not so experienced with these things. This concept will lessen the stress of trying to make perfect DIY wedding invitation especially if the maker is either the bride or groom. The main point of a wedding invitation is to send out the facts which are relevant to the wedding. These facts are the place of the wedding, the place of the reception and the time and date of the wedding.

Wording a DIY wedding invitation can be tricky and one can cheat by borrowing a wedding invitation idea or two from other people’s invitations or looking for some ideas online. Things to consider when wording a DIY wedding invitation are the status of both bride and groom’s set of parent. There are different wording options for divorced parents and deceased parents. Some couples opt for the simpler invitation in which just the bride and groom are the ones who will invite the guests to the wedding.

DIY wedding invitations can be made unique and noteworthy by making the paper on which the invitations to be printed on thick and heavy just like traditional wedding invitations. The thickness of the paper makes for better printing which does not bleed to the other side and the heaviness gives the DIY wedding invitation a heft which speaks of the quality of the paper. While colored ink on invitations may be unique and pretty, this option is not very traditional but can be more in keeping with modern times. Usually black is used to ink the wordings on wedding invitations.

DIY wedding invitation projects should not be undertaken personally by either the bride or the groom unless they have longer time to do it. This project can actually cause stress and add to the stain of an upcoming wedding.

In rehearsal dinner etiquette, the groom’s parents are considered to be the hosts for the dinner. That means the organization and decisions should be left to them. For couples who prefer to host the dinner themselves as a thanks to the families and wedding guests, make sure to explain the reasoning to the groom’s parents so as not to insult them. And if they take it hard, include them in some way. Why take on more work when letting others manage it makes them happier?

The dinner should take place the day before the wedding, directly after the wedding rehearsal. This ensures that all the guests and family are in town, available to attend. It’s very bad form to hold the rehearsal dinner too far in advance of the wedding. It potentially excludes some people. The last thing needed from a wedding is hurt feelings in either family. Remember, for the bride and groom both families are soon to become their family.

It’s a must to invite the immediate relatives of both the bride and groom. The entire bridal party, each with a guest, should also be asked to attend along with any other friends and family the bride and groom would like to have at the dinner. The preacher or whoever officiates the wedding, offers the vows, should also be invited. Just like with the wedding be very careful with who is invited or not. Maybe Uncle Albert is a little rude, but is it worth a lifetime of bad blood to exclude him?

Include a social time before the dinner so people can relax and talk. It’s important to consider the feelings of all the guests and to provide a pleasant atmosphere. Keep this dinner in line with the budget of the overall wedding. If it’s a million dollar wedding then the rehearsal dinner should reflect this. By the same token a budget wedding shouldn’t have too fancy of a rehearsal dinner. Finally, make sure the dinner ends fairly early so people can be well rested for the next day’s festivities.

Toasts are generally made to everyone involved in making the wedding a success. This includes both the bride’s and groom’s parents, and anyone else who has helped. The toast follows the main course and should be made by the bride and groom. The best man and maid of honor toasts are appropriate at the reception, not during the rehearsal dinner.

Don’t ruin a nice wedding by stepping on toes at the rehearsal dinner. Keep rehearsal dinner etiquette in mind.

Most brides find the basic wedding invitation etiquette rules to be helpful in getting the invitations ready for mailing. We have a few rules here that will get you started on the right track.

Spell It Out

A wedding invitation generally spells out most words instead of using the usual abbreviations for them. The exception to this rule would be the titles of Mr., Mrs., Dr., etc. that are commonly used to formally address people. Never abbreviate names, including the middle name of anyone listed on the wedding invitation. If you don’t want to write out the full middle name, it is best to omit it completely.

The date of the wedding should also be spelled out in full on the wedding invitation, along with the time of the service. Addresses also need to be spelled out in full, including words like “street” or “avenue”.

What Type of Type Style?

There are many fonts available today for your wedding invitation, but some of those fonts are more acceptable under wedding invitation etiquette guidelines than others. Most of the wedding invitation wording you see will use either a script or an engraved font, and the ink color of choice is usually black. However, some brides will choose to use a color that will coordinate with the overall shade of the wedding. If you decide to go this route, just make sure the ink you choose is easy to read.

Assembling the Package

Once you get the wording and the printing of your wedding invitation down, it will be time to assemble the complete package. This can be a daunting task when you see the number of pieces involved, but the process is really quite simple. First, place the protective tissue over the front of your wedding invitation and place it in the large envelope. On top of the protected invitation, place the reception invitation, response card and any directions or map, in that order.

Address the outer envelope by hand; calligraphy can make a beautiful touch. You can use a decorative seal on the back of the envelope and a coordinating stamp for a nice finishing touch. The wedding invitation should be mailed out six to eight weeks in advance of your big day.

With these tips for wedding invitation etiquette under your belt, you can rest assured that your wedding invitations will be the perfect introduction to your perfect wedding day.

Invitation Composition for Who Is Hosting

One thing that the bride and groom should bear in mind for wedding invitation wording ideas is who will be hosting the event. In many cases, it is the bride and groom who will be paying for the event which means that the invitation to the guests will be issued by them. In cases where it is either the bride’s family or the groom’s family who will be hosting the event, it will state that “Mr. and Mrs. Jones seek the pleasure of your company for the wedding of their son…” or “Mr. and Mrs. Jones cordially invite you to the wedding of their daughter…”

This wording is to give due homage to the family or person paying for the event. It is usually the host or the family who is paying who is inviting the guests to the wedding. In cases where both the bride and the groom along with their families are paying, then the wedding invitation wording should be like this: “Jane Doe and John Doe along with their families would like to request the honour of your presence…”

There is also wedding invitation etiquette if one parent is deceased or if the parents of either the bride or groom are divorced. In the case of a deceased parent, it is alright to write down “the late Mr. Doe…” In the case of a divorce, both the parents’ names will be written separately with their present names if they have remarried.

Spelling of Words

It is customary for formal wedding invitations to follow the British spelling of certain words. This wedding invitation wording idea has been around for ages but this does not necessarily mean that you have to follow it. These wedding invitation wording ideas are just suggestions and ideas which you can consider.

Examples of words that you can alter to British English are “favour” and “honour”. You should also spell the words in full instead of writing them down partially. Examples are “street” for St. and also months and days. The same goes for the titles of the guests such as “Honourable” instead of Hon.

These are just a few wedding invitation etiquette guidelines which you may find handy. You do not actually have to follow these ideas but they can be your guide regarding how to go about wording your invitations.

There are ways to make a wedding invitation card unique and outstanding even if it were not made by a stationery store. Tips on making your own personalized invitation are to make the paper thick enough to withstand being shipped during damp weather or heavy enough to withstand being passed around without crumpling slightly. A wedding invitation card should coordinate with the other cards that are usually sent out with the invitation. It is usually good form to use similarly designed paper for both the invitation and the menu card or RSVP card. Other cards that may be included when sending out the wedding invitation card are the wedding registry card and the seat plan card.

One other thing that may also be included in the wedding invitation card and envelope is the entourage list. The entourage list may be written in a different kind of paper since traditionally it is written in see through or very thin paper. These days, some couples do not include the entourage list in the wedding invitation card when it is sent out unless the wedding is a really big wedding in which there are a lot of people whom the couple would like to acknowledge.

Other tips to making your own wedding invitation card are to design it with something tangible already in mind and to make it simple enough to be understood and appreciated by the receiving guests. It may take some tweaking to reach a design that both the bride and groom will agree on but it is best to send out the wedding invitation cards about a month or three weeks before the wedding to allow guests to schedule it in their calendars. The wedding invitation card should also be precise when stating acts. Wording the invitation may be tricky so it is best to keep it simple and to the point to avoid confusion.

Although wedding invitations are similar to other invitations, there is a certain formality associated with them. Because of this association there is certain etiquette associated with formal wedding invitations. This etiquette exists because formal wedding invitations convey the formality and the tone of the event through the paper, font and style of the invitation. The more formal your wedding, the more formal the invitations need to be.

The Look And Feel of a Formal Wedding Invitation

Proper etiquette for a formal wedding invitation does not allow for inviting guests via email or phone since these methods are relatively new. This leaves for the old style paper invitations. Formal wedding invitations usually have the following characteristics:
*They are printed on heavyweight ivory, cream or white paper
*They use a classic letter style such as Roman
*Formal invitations are usually engraved and most likely written in the third person style.
*There are usually two envelopes with the invitation. The first envelope is the outer envelope which holds everything pertaining to the invitation. The second envelope is used for the reply card only.

Other Helpful Tips

There are other helpful rules of etiquette for formal wedding invitations which should be considered during the planning stage.

*The more formal and ceremonial the wedding, the less creativity is applied.
*If your guest is certain to bring a date or companion it is acceptable to write “and guest” on the invitation when you do not know their name. Usually this limits the amount of unknown guests brought along by others.
*Ceremonies held in places of worship require a more formal setup and thereby more formal invitations than a ceremony held in a nature setting or a home.
*Most formal wedding invitations are printed by a professional printing service and then the envelope is hand addressed by either the groom or bride.

Wedding invitation etiquette is a must for the formal invitation. This implies the importance of the special occasion to those involved, unlike other invitations such as wedding shower invitations which are far less formal and more festive.

Brief History of the Reply/Response Card

Did you know that at one time a formal handwritten letter was the proper response to a wedding invitation? The reply card frequently used today is relatively modern as well as being considered an optional item in wedding invitations. For convenience and expedience response cards go along with most invitations today. Handwritten letters are not as common as they once were.

How to Ensure RSVP

So you have prepared the wedding invitations with the response cards. How do you know you will get answers back? And how do you know who is sending an RSVP? etiquette and common sense go together. Make sure the RSVP makes it into the invitation with a stamp attached. In case the guest forgets to sign the card, put a number on the back so that you can keep track of the guest name.

If you choose not to use cards, simply state that “the favor of a reply is requested by (insert date)” on the announcement or invitation. Be sure to put contact information with this.

It should be noted that it is still proper etiquette to respond to a wedding invitation even if you cannot attend.

Formal Wedding Invitation Etiquette

A more formal invitation requires more formal etiquette for a response. With formal wedding invitations, you always use two envelopes; one is for the invitation itself and the other is for the reply. Formal invitations are always responded to using land mail.

Formal wedding invitations also always use proper grammar and full spelling of all names, titles, places, and times. The address on the envelopes must be handwritten. You can ask for “hand canceled” postage so that the look of the envelope is preserved when it arrives at its destination.

While the method of inviting someone to a wedding can vary along with the method of response, the wedding invitation etiquette regarding responses has remained constant. Passed down from generation to generation, these guidelines are a part of the honored traditions that accompany weddings.