Correct invitation wording

Oct 15, 2008 11:37 AM by WeddingChannel.com

Posted in Love & Sex / Weddings / Wedding Planning

Details Are Really Important

With so many blended families, levels of formality, and types of hosts, it can be difficult to know what the correct wording is for your situation.

Traditional Wording

For the bride and groom who cherish long-standing traditions, conventional wording and spelling will govern their invitation choices. Some specific rules for formal wedding invitations are as follows:

The invitation to a wedding ceremony in a house of worship reads "Mr. and Mrs. Julian Bruce Clemens request the honour" (using the traditional "u" spelling) "of your presence." "Favour," as in "the favour of a reply," also uses the traditional spelling.
No punctuation is used, except after abbreviations such as "Mr." and "Mrs." or when phrases requiring separation occur in the same line, such as in the date.
Numbers in the date are spelled out, as in "the twenty-sixth day of July," but long numbers in a street address may be written in numerals: "1345 Hubarb Drive."
Half hours are written as "half after four o'clock" -- not as "half past four" or as "four-thirty."

Less Formal Wording

When less formality is desired, alternatives to traditional wording can be used.

Semiformal wording may read, "The pleasure of your company is requested at the marriage of..."
Informal wording may read, "Please join us as we celebrate the marriage of..."

Destination Weddings

You needn't add anything special to your destination-wedding invitations, but you should mail them much sooner than you would typical wedding invitations -- at least four months prior to the wedding. You should also strongly consider sending save-the-date cards or emails prior to the wedding invitations so that guests can arrange their schedules accordingly (and perhaps make a vacation out of their trip). If your destination is a popular vacation spot, you should definitely get in touch with guests early on.

Additional information, such as guest lodging and travel information, can be mailed separately to those who send positive response cards; don't try to stuff it all into your wedding invitations. Posting such information on your personal wedding website is ideal and will speed the process for your guests -- they can book travel and hotel accommodations right online.

More from WeddingChannel.com:

Invitation Etiquette
DIY Wedding Invitation Advice

Photo: Janae Shields Photography

Comments

Comments on "Correct invitation wording"

Amen to Invitatinimagination's comments! If you have a wedding planner, make sure to mention the invitations and timelines when you first start the discussions. When I had my wedding last year my planner quickly figured out that I was likely to have many friends coming in from abroad for the festivities. She told me to talk to the people from whom I was getting my invites (www.giftsin24) and to ask them about the timeline for sending the invites to overseas guests. While giftsin24 specializes in personalized stationery, they also knew lots about wedding stuff and really helped out on the phone. I was glad that I sent invites early, it helped the overseas guests make travel plans well in advance.

I have found(24 years as a stationery retailer,and presently a consultant/contractor for a national stationery retailer) The above mentioned time frame for a destination wedding is really a sliding scale.For this type of invitation a save the date is actually a must,and instead of the prescribed six months,it often is sent out ahead of that actual time frame.The actual invitation can be sent with a smaller time frame,but it would depend on the arrangements that might have to be made at the destination. It is always preferable,in any instance to adhere to the advice of a high end stationery store(they have qualified store personnel,and a wide array of books and choices.) It not advisable to follow advice given on blogs or by people who do not own stationery stores or are not in the stationery business.In this environment,some things change very quickly and others hold to traditional values.