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Proper Wording for Wedding Invitations
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Traditional Wedding Invitation Wording
The wording of the invitation is the part people
struggle with the most. There are lots of nuances to keep in mind.
As you read through these and other sources you might consult, it’s
important to remember that etiquette traditions are strictly guides
for you. If you want to do something a little different, you should!
MyGatsby Word Wizard for Wedding Invitations
MyGatsby
offers a large variety of verses to help you create the perfect verse
for your special situation. Use our word wizard to select a verse,
and then fill in the information for your event to customize the message
with your event details. Here are scenarios offered by the MyGatsby
Word Wizard:
Wording Etiquette
There are a number of spelling and wording conventions that apply
to all parts of the invitation.
1. No punctuation is used except after courtesy titles (such as Mr.
and Dr.)
2. Capital letters are treated like sentences, and are most often
only capitalized as you would read wording like a sentence (not at
the beginning of each line). Proper names and courtesy titles are
also capitalized
3. Numbers in the date are spelled out and follow the day (Saturday,
the second of July)
4. Years can or need not be used, but if you want to include it, be
sure to spell it out (Two thousand and five)
5. Times are spelled out and refer to the placement of hands on a
clock.
a. Half after two or half past two (not 2:30
p.m.)
b. Three o’clock in the afternoon (not
3:00 p.m.)
c. Seven o’clock in the evening
6. Formal invitations are usually written in third-person. For example,
“Mr. and Mrs. Craig Chastain” instead of “We.”
The Hosts
The first line is often the most difficult to iron out as it’s
often seen as a way to not only convey who is hosting the wedding
but who the couple would like to recognize. Before blended families
and when women were brides at young ages, it was almost always the
bride’s family who hosted (and thus paid for) the wedding. Now,
a combination of people in a couple’s life host weddings.
Extending the Invitation
The next line—how the hosts invite their guests—varies by
venue and personal taste. The most common phrase “the honour
(or honor) of your presence” is traditionally reserved for worship
services or a wedding that takes place in a church or synagogue. The
“pleasure of your company” or “honour of your company”
usually indicates that the service will not be a worship service.
Again, etiquette outlines only what is traditional not what you should
and should not do. Other phrases for this line include:
1. would like you to help celebrate the marriage of
2. invite you to celebrate with them at the marriage of
3. would consider it a blessing if you could be present at the marriage
of
4. request the pleasure of your company
5. request the pleasure of your presence
The most formal of wedding invitations, which have gone almost completely
out of style, did not use a pronoun of “you” or “your.”
Rather, a blank line was left in the printed invitations in which
the guests’ names would be hand written.
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Everett
request the honor of
Mr. and Mrs. David Bonner’s
presence the marriage of their daughter
Mary Joanne
to
Mr. Sean Patrick O’Shea
Saturday, the second of July
at noon
Queen Anne’s Presbyterian Church
Whose Address Should be the Return Address?
The Return Address, printed on the envelope flap, should be the address
of those hosting the event. If it is a wedding and the bride's parents
are hosting, then it should be the bride's parents' address - names
are not commonly used with a formal return address. Please note, guests
who are unable to attend or who wish to send their gift before or
after your wedding date will use this address to send packages.
Whose Address Should be on the Response Envelope?
Having your name and address pre-printed on the front of the Response
Card envelope is a handy and easy way to encourage your guests to
respond promptly. Traditionally speaking, the hosts name and address
should appear on the response envelope. However life isn't as simple
as it used to be, so you may need use your own discretion. Keep in
mind that the bride and groom's names should not both appear on the
response envelope; for many families and religions it is frowned upon
for an unmarried couple to be living at the same address.
"No Children" - How to Address
this Situation
There really is no easy way to tell your guests that their beloved
children are not invited. The most subtle approach is to spread the
"no children" restriction by word of mouth. If you are looking
for a more "formal" statement, here are two ways that avoid
putting the bad news directly on the invitation:
On the reception card:
'Adult Reception'
or
On the response card:
Please respond on our before (Date)
M_________________
Number of Adults____
Contemporary Wedding Invitation Wording
Contemporary invitations can include all or just some of the traditional
elements. Some couples prefer to include a quotation or poem in their
invitations. Consider your invitation design when deciding what to
say.
You can really have fun with the wording. We’ve seen invitations
written in rhymes, in Dr. Seuss-style language, and in a completely
casual voice (these started with “We’re tyin’ the knot.”
Play around with wording and look everywhere for inspiration.
Poetic invitations:
Couple often forgo traditional wording and write something from their
hearts.
Two friends, two hearts
joined together in friendship
united forever in love.
It is with joy that
Meera Chakborty
and
Darin Gupta
ask you to share
in a celebration of love
as we exchange our marriage vows
on Saturday, the first of August
Wording inspired by invitation design:
If your invitations have an Irish Claddaugh on them, consider using
“love, loyalty and friendship” as a design element on your
invitation. Or, if
Wording inspired by common interest:
Two book lovers might find it fun to include this quotation “Are
we not like two volumes of one book? ~Marceline Desbordes-Valmore”
on their invitations. Whatever the couple’s interest, there are
bound to be quotations that speak to you.
Wording inspired by the event theme.
You may choose to use a verse that is related to the theme of your
wedding. For instance if you are having your wedding by the ocean
or on a beach:
Seaside Wedding...
Because our love is as enduring as the seas
Luke and Janet
will exchange marriage vows
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