Wedding Invitations – The Basics
Wedding invitations can seem pretty simple, but there’s a lot of thought that should go into your perfect invitation.
First, it’s the couple & wedding! That’s easy, right? Some things to think about, do you want your full name including your middle name or keep it short and sweet?
Now onto the date and time. The time should be the exact time, you do not want guests to arrive too early. Most guests already arrive 15-30 minutes before the event time stated on the invitation, so bumping up the time could have guests waiting over an hour for the wedding to start! Here are some examples for more of a casual vs formal wedding.
Casual Wording
Saturday, October 7th, 2017
3pm
Formal Wording
Saturday, the seventh of October
Two thousand and seventeen
Three o’clock in the afternoon
An important detail to go onto the invitation is the venue name and address to make it hassle-free for your guests. How else will they know where your big day will be!? If the venue is hard to find, directions or map insert would be great for your guests! (p.s. stay tuned for what you can use detail cards for!)
If you are having a reception at the same location as your ceremony, you can add a small detail at the bottom of your invitation. Some wording could be “reception to follow” or something more fun “dinner, dancing & cake to follow!”. If you are having a reception at a different location, a reception/detail insert card would be best for those details!
You’re dreaming about it right now, aren’t you? Your perfect venue, with the perfect friends and family, marrying your perfect person! It wouldn’t be complete without that perfect invitation! Invitations are the first glimpse of your wedding that the guests will see, they need to portray your perfect day!
“Invitations are the first glimpse of your wedding that the guests will see, they need to portray your perfect day!”
Who’s hosting?
Now onto the more complicated detail, the introduction of the invitation. There are endless ways to invite your guests! Are you and your fiance paying for the wedding? Just your parents? Your fiance’s parents? Or maybe both of your parents? Whoever is hosting the wedding, wording can be key.
I’ve made figuring it out easy! I have separated different wording ideas for your wedding invitations under who would be hosting.
Order of info on the Wedding Invitation:
Who’s Hosting? or a Greeting Line
Couples Name
Optional Greeting Line
Date & Time
Location
Optional Closing Line
DING
Are you and your Fiance hosting/paying for your wedding with no help from family?
- We invite you
- You are cordially invited to our wedding
- (You and your fiance’s name) joyfully invite you to their wedding
- (You and your fiance’s name) request your presence
- The honor of your presence is requested at the marriage of
- Please join us for the wedding of
Are you more traditional and the Brides parents are hosting?
- Mr and Mrs (Father’s name) request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter (Bride’s Name) to (Groom’s Name)
- Mr and Mrs (Father’s name) request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter (Bride’s Name) to (Groom’s Name)
- (Mother’s first name) and (Father’s full name) invite you to celebrate the marriage of their daughter (Bride’s Name) to (Groom’s Name)
Are the parents of the Groom hosting?
- Mr and Mrs (Father’s name) request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of (Bride’s Name) to their son (Groom’s Name)
- Mr and Mrs (Father’s name) request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their son
- (Mother’s first name) and (Father’s full name) invite you to celebrate the marriage of (Bride’s Name) and (Groom’s Name)
Are both of your parents paying for your wedding?
- Mr. and Mrs. (Bride’s Father) & Mr. and Mrs. (Groom’s Father) request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their children
- (Bride’s parents names) and (Groom’s parents names) request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their children
- (Bride’s parents names) and (Groom’s parents names) invite you to share in their joy at the marriage of their children
- (Bride’s parents names) and (Groom’s parents names) invite you to share and celebrate at the marriage of their children
Maybe you and your fiance are paying with some help from your parents or family?
- Together with their parents
- Together with their families
- Please join us as we celebrate the joyful union of (Bride’s name) and (Groom’s Name) together with their families