Wedding Invitation Wording Etiquettes

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The wedding invitation wording is important. It has to be warm, friendly, without being too imposing. Traditionally, a formal wedding invitation wording is the norm. A lot of couples want to break away from the stiff tradition especially on weddings. Casual wedding invitation wording sounds tempting if you want to break away from tradition, but be careful not be too casual. It may look like a joke to some people and have undesirable results.

Wedding invitation wording examples

Like all invitations, before you think about anything else make sure you put all the pertinent information such as the What, When, Where, Who, and Why.

Here is an example from EmilyPost.com.

Bride’s parents host the wedding and all the guests are invited to the ceremony and the reception:

Doctor and Mrs. James Stuart Evans, Jr.

request the honour of your presence

at the marriage of their daughter

Katherine Leigh

to

Mr. Brian Charles Jamison

Saturday, the twentieth of June

[two thousand fifteen]

at half after three o’clock

First Congregational Church

Spring Hill, Minnesota

and afterward at the reception

Spring Hill Golf Club

425 Oak Drive

RSVP

Make sure to use a spell and grammar checker like Prowritingaid, Grammarly, or Hemmingwayapp.com to ensure that there are no grammatical errors within the wedding invitation wording. In this formal sample, the word honor is spelled in the UK / AUS manner to make it sound more formal. The address shows that the celebrants are American, it’s a minor issue, but it may be intended for effect. It was also written in the third person point of view for added formality.

It’s also noted that in the invitation, the Bride’s parents are doing the invites. Traditionally, it is the bride’s parents who would shoulder the expenses for the wedding. These days, even if it’s true, it is bad form to word it in such a way that makes the groom, and his family, look like a bunch of freeloading deadbeats.

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Here are a few more wedding invitation wording samples

Kelly + Joshua

Best Wedding Ever. Be there.

Saturday, July 20

Two Thousand Nineteen

at Five o’ clock

Wedgewood Center

Saint Paul, MN

Reception to Follow

Here is another one,

The THOMAS FAMILY

together with

The JONES FAMILY

invite you to join them in celebrating

The Wedding of

Kimberly Thomas

&

Thomas Jones

On April 18th, 2020

Ceremony to Commence at 2 PM

Mint Springs Farmhouse

150 Cedar Avenue North

Lebanon, TN 38090

Reception To Follow

Those are two examples of modern wedding invitation wording with the first one being casual, and the second one a good balance of both. It is straight to the point, no frills and chills, and mentions all the pertinent details.

The first one is a sample of modern, but unique wedding invitation wording. The use of the plus sign instead of an ampersand gives it a unique flair.

Points to consider in wedding invitation wording

Here are some of the most important factors to consider when writing up an invite for your guests.

Mention the event – It’s important that people know what the invite is for.

Names of the newlywed – Mention the first name or full names with the woman’s maiden name in the invite. It is also acceptable to just mention the family name of the groom.

Location – Be very specific.

Date and Time – The date is a given, but the time is very important in event invites, It lets your guest know when the ceremony begins. Invite them to arrive 30 mins to an hour early.

Optional Checklist

Mention the families – This is important, especially, if they are paying for the celebration.

Greet the guest – A short greeting with or without the guest name at the top will make it more personal. Handwritten names on the envelope are the norm, but one on the card itself will show that you’re putting more effort in inviting the person directly.

Event rules – RSVP, which is French for Repondez S’il Vous Plait, or in English “Respond if you please.” It will give you an idea who will be available to attend the wedding, and how many people are coming. It is important when you have a limited headcount available in the venue.

Other rules such as guest attire, no minors allowed, and religious restrictions can also be written at the tail end of the invite.