How to Word and Format Wedding Invitations

Start your wedding right with the invitations.

Wedding invitations are your guests' first glimpse of your wedding day, so the wording and design are important features. While there are a large number of ways you can phrase the invitations to your big day, certain approaches are widely used and can help get started with a minimum of fuss.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Invitation Protocol

1. The first item to put on the wedding invite is the actual invitation asking the recipient to be your guest at the upcoming wedding and/or wedding reception. Use the names of the individuals who are paying for the wedding to show respect and provide recognition for their efforts. The top of the invitation should state these individuals are inviting you to the wedding of the bride and groom.

   Clearly state the details of the wedding and/or reception so the invitation serves its purpose. These details include the date, the exact time and the place where the wedding ceremony will take place. If the guest is invited to the wedding reception, also be clear about when, where and if children are invited. If the wedding is private, or was held out of town, the newlyweds may send out invitations just for a reception. On the wedding reception invitation, the couple would state when and where the wedding was held and that they would like the pleasure of your company at the wedding reception. Again, provide specific details and address the envelope of the invitation with all the names to be included in the reception invitation. For an informal wedding -- for example, when the wedding is held in a home -- replace formal wording with a more casual phrasing.

2. Most wedding invitations will follow a set of formalities as described previously, but the words should match the style of wedding being planned. An example for a casual wedding invitation, for example, might look like this:

   Mr. and Mrs. John Doe
   and
   Ms. Sue Jones
   request the honor of your presence at the wedding of their daughter
   Annette Doe
   and her son
   John Jones
   On Saturday, June 18, 2011
   at 2:00 p.m.
   First Lutheran Church
   1000 Main Street
   Minneapolis, Minnesota

   Reception immediately follows wedding at
   • Reception hall name
   • Address
   • Phone number

3. The formal and traditional wedding invitation will follow the same format. There are formalities used in the wording to create this style. Spell out each word including the date, year and address components -- for example, use "street," not "St." When an individual has a formal name, use Roman numerals; use II to express the second iteration of the name, not "second" or "2nd." Write out everyone's full name, including the middle name. For church weddings, state "request the honor of your presence," and for a non-religious wedding, state "request the pleasure of your company."

Tips & Warnings

• On a separate card, or the back of the wedding invitation, add a map, directions, hotel room reservation details or any other information guests will need to attend the wedding and wedding reception.

References

• Hello!Lucky: Wedding Invitations Wording