A wedding invite is the first impression your guests will have of your wedding and the style of the ceremony. The design is totally up to you but when it comes to wording, your wedding invitation should be informative and feature all important details. Make sure to mention all the necessary info- who’s getting married, who’s hosting and where and when the ceremony will take place details in a clear and eloquent manner. With all the various things you need to communicate, it can feel overwhelming. To make it easier for you, here are 8 points that you simply cannot miss out on your wedding invitation:
Image Credit: Taylor Kaderly Photography
Table of Contents
1. Hostnames
A wedding invitation typically starts with the names of those issuing the invitation. Traditionally, it is usually the bride’s parents. If the couple and both sets of parents are to host, begin with the bride’s name, followed by the groom’s name, and finally the parent’s names, starting with the bride’s side. If only the couple is hosting, names are usually listed in alphabetical order.
2. Names Of the Bride and Groom
The bride and groom are the main stars of the ceremony so make sure to mention their names in prominent designs. You can either go with formal addressing using Mr & Mrs, however, some prefer to simply mention the name of the bride and groom. You can use either use the phrase “marriage of [Bride’s name] and [Groom’s name] or marriage of [Bride’s name] to [Groom’s name]. Your call!
Style: #LD4395, Image Credit: Joyfully Lauren
3. Action Line
Thirdly, insert the phrase inviting the guests to the wedding. If the ceremony and reception are to be held at the same place, a single invitation will suffice. However, if the reception is held elsewhere, a separate reception card would be preferable. For the ceremony invitation you can go with “Request the honor of your presence…” whereas, for the reception card, the wording can be slightly casual like, “Invite you to join them at the wedding reception of…”
4. Date and Time
This might be the most important thing to mention in your invitation. As a rule of thumb, the day is mentioned first, followed by date and time. Mention the date in bold; you can spell it out but modern couples often use numerals. You can specify a certain time using “am” or “pm” or simply state a timeline using phrases like “in the morning” or “in the early evening” to provide a more flexible time frame for the guests.
Image Credit: Christy C. Photography
5. Location
The next important point to mention is the wedding venue. You can mention the name of the church, hotel or resort where the wedding is scheduled but it is not necessary to include the street address or pin code. Also, mentioning the state at the end can help to add a formal touch to your invitation.
6. Special Details
Many couples often prefer to have a specific dress code for the wedding and if you’re one of them, you can add a dress code line on the invitation. Place that information in the lower right corner of the wedding invitation or on the reception card. You can even attach a small fabric/lace matching the bride’s wedding dress as a pretty detailing to the card. This will also be a good place to insert a line about the festivities like “join us later at the reception”, or a simple “dinner & dancing to follow.”
7. R.S.V.P Line
Most couple these days prefer to have an RSVP so that they can plan out the wedding accordingly. You can include an R.S.V.P. line in the lower left corner of the invitation or specify mailing address, phone number, or website where the guests can respond to the invitation. You can specify a deadline for a response with a simple line like “ The favor of a reply is requested by [date].”
Image Credit: Michelle Valantine Photography
8. Addressing The Invitation
It is extremely important to address your invitation to add a personalized touch to your invitation. As a general rule, you should formally address your invite on the outer envelope of your wedding invitation with titles and full names whereas the inner envelope can address the guest simply with their first names.
So these are a few customary elements that need to be included in your wedding invitation. Just like the wedding dress, the wedding invitation is an important aspect of your wedding theme, so make sure it sounds a lot like you, makes you happy and expresses your personality!
