Choosing the Right Wording for Your Wedding Invitations
Writing the wording for your wedding invitations can be very difficult. There are so many rules and traditions to follow, but here at BlueBird we don’t believe you should have to stick to any particular rules if you don’t want to! As long as you are happy with them and your guests are given all of the correct information that they need that’s all that matters. We are always here if you need advice on your wording and will often write this for you if you are stuck or unsure of how to word certain tricky points such as not wanting children to attend etc.
There are some very important points to cover however, to make sure your guests turn up to the right place at the right time!
All wedding invitations should include
- Names of the bride’s parents or other hosts (this can of course be the couple themselves)
- First name of the bride (second and middle names optional)
- First name of the groom (‘traditional’ invites should use the groom’s full name and his title (Mr/Lieutenant/Sir)
- Where the ceremony is taking place
- Date, month and year of the wedding ceremony
- Time of the ceremony
- Location of the wedding reception
- Address to which guests must reply (traditionally a postal address, but of course this can be an email address or even a phone number!)
Traditionally the brides name is written before the groom’s, even if they are hosting the wedding themselves, but of course if you feel that the grooms name looks better written first for aesthetic reasons then why not break the rules.
Here are a few wording examples to illustrate the above points
Very Traditional invitation wording
Mr and Mrs (Bride’s Parents Name)
request the pleasure of the company of
……………………………………………………..
at the marriage of their daughter
(Bride’s Name)
to
Mr (Groom’s Full Name)
at (Ceremony Details)
on (Day, Date, Month, Year)
at (Time)
Reception thereafter at
(Reception Details)
Traditional with separated/divorced/both sets of parents
Mr Gilmont
and
Mrs Brown
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter
(Brides Name)
to
(Grooms full name)
son of
Mr and Mrs Bennett
at (Ceremony Details)
on (Day, Date, Month, Year)
at (Time)
and afterwards at
(Reception Details)
Non Traditional
(Bride’s Name)
and
(Groom’s Name)
request the pleasure of the company of
……………………………………………………
at their marriage
at (Ceremony Details)
on (Day, Date, Month, Year)
at (Time)
and afterwards at
(Reception Details)
Very Non Traditional
Hooray, it’s our wedding day!
(Bride’s First Name)
&
(Groom’s First Name)
Would love
………………………..……………..
To join them in their wedding day celebrations
on (Day, Date, Month, Year)
at (Time)
Reception at
(Reception Details)
Other points to consider
- Pocketfold invitations or gatefolds are a good idea if you have a lot of extra information
- Specify any dress requirements you may have e.g. black tie, smart, no jeans etc or indeed ‘fancy dress optional’!
- Will any food be served? Do you need to include the menu for guests to choose from?
- When will the celebrations finish?
- Do you have a gift list or perhaps a poem asking for money/honeymoon contributions?
- Put maps and directions to the ceremony and reception venues and, include a list of nearby hotel/guest houses and their phone numbers. taxi numbers can also be useful.
- Are children welcome to the wedding? We have several sensitive ways to word this if they are not.
- Sometimes it is nice to include an ‘Order of the day’ so guests know what to expect.
- Having a reply date can help significantly with your planning – when guests don’t reply the date gives a good excuse for a gentle ‘nudge’ and will also help when ordering matching wedding stationery such as place cards/table plans etc well in time for your big day.
Don’t forget to order a few spare wedding invitations to allow for mistakes when writing out the invitations and for any extra guests you may decide to ask at a later date due to cancelations etc.