blabbergirl on How to Write a Wedding Invitation

pictures.  She wanted something that expressed faith in God. She wanted something that showed where she and her fiance met, which was in Nicaragua on a missions trip.  We found a beautiful picture of  a roughhewn rock in the lake in Nicaragua, with nothing on it but a white cross. That was an inspiring find. First, I scanned in casual spontaneous pictures of the bride and groom, and feathered the edges of the photos to give a soft look. I wanted the invitation to fold over, but reveal the picture of the rock on the inside – however when I did that the cross was hidden. So I moved the cross over in Photoshop and it looked like it had always been there. Now the front of the invitation would show the happy couple and the cross on the back page would be visible. The invitation text was on the left of the picture inside. On the real invitation we used separate pictures of bride and groom on the front, and a couple shot inside.    

In the celebration of love

Mr. and Mrs. Donald Romance

and Mr. and Mrs. Steven Ecstatic

invite you to share in the celebration

of the marriage

uniting their children

Rebecca Romance

and

Edward Ecstatic

on Friday, the eleventh of July

at one o’clock in the afternoon

Two thousand and ten

 at Holy Life Church

3434 Willow Park

Cumberland,  Maryland

(Obviously I changed their names for privacy reasons.) When the wording was just right, I took the layout, and pictures, and quantity to a printer, selected the paper and the envelopes. This custom designed invitation cost about the same as if we had ordered one of the fancy embossed invitations from the printer's book, with gold foil and parchment insert.

The other invitation I wrote recently was for a friend in her late 40's getting remarried. She and her fiance were having a small wedding with her kids, his kids, her parents, and a few close friends.  So we needed an invitation for that small crowd, although most of them knew all about the arrangements.  But then my friend wanted to send 200 or so really nice announcements to all their many friends, contacts and colleagues from church and work. They had a lot of important relationships with people from all phases of their lives – way too many for a small wedding.

We got the big book of invitation samples from the Hallmark store and chose a beautiful embossed blank card with matching lined envelope. Here's how we worded the invitation:

A  New Beginning

with the blessing of their families

Rebecca Romance

and

Edward Ecstatic

INVITE YOU TO CELEBRATE

THE JOY OF THEIR MARRIAGE

SATURDAY THE EIGHTH OF AUGUST

TWO THOUSAND AND EIGHT

AT 4 O’CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON

AT NEW LIFE CHURCH

8080 CARMEL DRIVE

CARMEL, INDIANA 

Rebecca used the embossed cards and envelopes from Hallmark and printed 25 of the wedding invitations on her computer.  Then we worked on the wording for the announcement:

A  New Beginning

TOGETHER WITH THEIR FAMILIES

Rebecca Romance

AND

Edward Ecstatic

JOYFULLY ANNOUNCE

THEIR MARRIAGE

SATURDAY THE EIGHTH OF AUGUST

TWO THOUSAND AND EIGHT

CARMEL, INDIANA

Since there were to be 200 of the announcements, we had Hallmark send it off and have it printed, and it was lovely. Both of these couples wanted to invite people to share in their joy, and share in their celebration, rather than “requesting the honor of someone's presence.”

Neither of these were traditional invitations but they were very different from each other. Traditional invitations, with their formal language, thick, creamy paper, double envelopes and little embossed reception cards, RSVP cards and matching envelopes, are very impressive, and very expensive. But I think it is refreshing and interesting to do a one of a kind custom invitation that it is just as tasteful, but unique.  

So if I should ever remarry (I’m a widow) I will be very creative and only have the language and the visuals that are deeply meaningful to me.  Although Emily Post might not like it! I've included  the  layouts for both invitations and announcement.   Also, you'll see my candle gift idea where I used part of the ceremony (a scripture),  lacquered it to a candle, and dried the bridal bouquet as a wreath.