How Do I Word A Wedding Invitation?

Written by: Deneice Arthurton

Perhaps the first thing to decide when preparing wedding invitations is whether you want to go for the traditional and ‘correct’ form or whether you would rather have something more modern.

Traditional wordings are very simple and there are many resources for samples and variations. Contemporary wordings are unlimited and are often quite personal to the senders.

There are examples of both a traditional and an alternatively worded wedding invitation sample at the end of this article.

Vital Information to be Included in a Wedding Invitation

No matter whether you opt for traditional or modern there are certain pieces of information that must be included in the wedding invitation so that your guests have all the details they need. Erroneous omissions of important information can be costly to put right resulting at worst in having to reprint all of the invitations again. Ringing round many guests to provide additional information can be very time consuming at a period where you may already be stretched with all the other arrangements to be made. Ensure you include all of the following in the invitation:

The brides name and the grooms name.
The date of the wedding.
The venue for the wedding.
The time of the wedding ceremony.
If there is an evening/ after ceremony reception state where this is. (where the locations are difficult to find some people opt to include maps or directions for guests unfamiliar with the area)
An RSVP request.
The address that the RSVP should be sent to.
What date you expect the RSVP by.

Sample of a Formally Worded Wedding Invitation

It is traditional for the bride’s mother and father to act as hosts and the invitations are therefore sent out from them in the third person.

If you don’t incorporate a line to write the guest’s name within the wedding invitation then don’t forget to hand write it at the top of the invite.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith
request the pleasure of your company
at the wedding of their daughter
Sarah Jane
to
Mr. David John Brown
at St Joan’s Church, Norfick
on Saturday 26th September 2010
at 2.30 pm
and afterwards at
The Barn, Staithe Rd, Norfick

RSVP to Mr and Mrs Smith
Golden Cottage
The Street
Norfick
NR20 2PE
by 30th August

Formal Wording allowing for divorced parents, where parent(s) dead or groom’s family hosting

If the mother and father are divorced, but are not remarried and still with the same surname, the wording would stay the same.

If the mother and father are divorced and the mother has remarried then the invitation would be worded as above but with the mother’s new married name. For example – Mr Smith and Mrs Green. The rest would stay the same.

If one of the parents is dead then the invitations would be sent out with only the name of the surviving parent if they are still single. If the father has remarried where the mother is absent for any reason the wording would be Mr. and Mrs. David Smith request the pleasure of your company at the wedding of his daughter……..

If it is the father who is absent then the ‘his’ would be changed to ‘her’.

If the bride is orphaned it is acceptable for the bride and groom to act as hosts and word it accordingly.

There are also cases where the groom’s parents may be hosting the wedding in which case the wording would be changed to ‘request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their son’.

Example of an Alternatively Worded Wedding Invitation

Anything goes here. It is to for you to decide how informal or light hearted you wish to make it. Informal wedding invitations are usually hosted by the bride and groom but there are no rules on this.

Sarah Jane Brown
and
David John Smith
would like you to come and help them to celebrate their wedding
on
Saturday 26th September 2010
at Norfick Registry Office
at 2.30 pm
You are then invited to join us straight afterwards as we start our married life together
with a party
at The Village Hall, The Street, Norfick

RSVP by 20th September
Sarah and David
10 The Street
Norfick
NR20 2PE

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