- The first question you will be faced with when you begin to design your own text for your invitation or you consult with a printer, is who is issuing the invitation to the wedding? There is a difference in the wording according to who is inviting the guests to attend. The first section of the invitation is known as the host line as it lists who is hosting the wedding. The invitation is also issued by the hosts. This can be the parents of the bride, the parents of the groom, the parents of the bride along with the parents of the groom, the bride and groom themselves, the bride and groom along with their parents, or another arrangement. In the case of divorced parents it is proper to mention both names if both are hosting. Even deceased parents--who obviously cannot be extending an invitation-- can be properly included int he wording. List a deceased parent in the line following the bride or groom's name, following the words "daughter of" or "son of" and the living parent's name; the deceased parent's name is followed by the word "deceased" or preceded by "the late."
- Clearly stating what is being requested of the guests is the job of the request line. There are several correct choices including the following: "request the honor of your presence at the marriage of of their daughter," "would be delighted by your presence at the marriage of their children," and "invite you to to join them in celebrating their wedding." Match the wording to who is doing the inviting and where the ceremony is being held. In general, an invitation to a ceremony at a formal location should be formally worded.
- Next the names of the bride and groom are inserted if the invitation is being issued by their parents, grandparents, stepparents or other host. The formal version is the bride's name without a title and the groom's name with the title Mr. preceding it. A contemporary choice would be both the bride's name and the groom's name without titles.
- The next section of the invitation lists the details of the time and the place. A formal invitation spells out all of the information related to the date and the time; a less formal contemporary invitation spells out only the month and day of the time and the date. The address follows.
- The final entry on the invitation is an information line regarding the reception. Generally this should read as follows: "Reception will be held at the same location immediately following the ceremony," or "Reception immediately following the ceremony at (insert the location with address)."
- Sometimes circumstances of a wedding do not lend themselves to the normal wording for the invitations. When that occurs it is logical to alter the wording accordingly. After all, everything about a wedding is a matter of personal taste, even the wording on the invitation.
