Wedding Invitation Wording 101

It is almost that time of the year! Our favorite time of the year, in fact– wedding season! But before wedding season is upon us, it’s wedding invitation season! People all over the country {and world!} will soon be are receiving formal {or sometimes not-so-formal} wedding invitations! Once these are opened, people begin to have a better idea of what their traveling plans will look like for the summer, and where their wedding invitations will take them!

Seattle Wedding Show, Weddings in Woodinville | Citrus Countryside Invitation Suite, orange, yellow, pink, green | Perfectly Posh Events | Alante Photography

Photo Credit | Alante Photography

But before these invitations are stuffed, stamped, and mailed to their recipients, they have to be created and thought through! So before you send out your invitations, we’re giving you a “Wedding Invitation Wording 101” to give you some examples, and scenarios of what to say in your wedding invitation and when to say it.

DeLille Cellars Wedding in Woodinville, WA | Groom getting ready photo | Perfectly Posh Events | Lucid Captures Photography

Seattle Wedding Show, I Do Sodo | Colorful invitation envelopes | Perfectly Posh Events | Barbie Hull Photography | Songbird Paperie

Photo Credit {L to R} | Lucid Captures Photography, Barbie Hull Photography

We’re giving you a few examples of wording, depending on your situation or the style you’re wanting to convey to your guests. It is helpful to know, that depending on how traditional or non-traditional you would like your invitations to sound, there is so much flexibility to be as creative as you want in the creation of your invitations. So take these with a grain of salt, and add a little bit of your guys’ personality into your own invitations, wether that be with a meaningful quote, song lyrics, or anything else special to you both! Here are just a few to get you started:

INVITATION TO CEREMONY & RECEPTION
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Wright
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Caitlyn Marie
to
Mr. Stephen Dempsey
Saturday, the eighteenth of April
two thousand and sixteen
at half after five o’ clock
Church of the Resurrection
Evanston
and afterward at the reception
Lake Michigan Shore Club
The favor of a reply is requested {or RSVP}
23 Soundview Avenue
River Forest, Illinois, 60601

ANOTHER INVITATION TO CEREMONY & RECEPTION
The honor of your presence
is requested
at the marriage of
Miss Andrea Miller
to
Mr. Robert White
on
Saturday, October the twenty-ninth
two thousand and sixteen
at three o’clock
The Hopewell School
Richmond, Virginia
A reception on the grounds will follow the ceremony
RSVP
Ms. Andrea Miller
87 Grace Street
Richmond, Virginia 23223

LAST EXAMPLE OF AN INVITATION TO CEREMONY & RECEPTION
This is a very non-traditional, straight to the point invitation that is free of formal wording, but is great at getting all the necessary information across:

Mary Ann Smith
and
George James MacLellan
invite you to share with them
the joy of their marriage
Saturday, the tenth of July
two thousand and sixteen
at half after four o’clock
First Congregational Church
Seattle, Washington
with reception to follow at
Lord Hills Golf Club
RSVP
Mary Ann Smith
2420 1st Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98087

We know these all look great, but what if there are certain circumstances you have to work around when wording your invitations? We have a few solutions to a few scenarios, to help give a little bit of guidance in this area:

Your parents are divorced but are still hosting the wedding together.

Suggestion: The proper way to word an invitation when the bride’s parents are divorced is to list the names of the bride’s parents at the top of the invitation. The bride’s mother’s name should be on the first line and her father’s name should go on the line beneath it; do not separate the lines with “and.” If the bride’s mother has not remarried, use “Mrs.” followed by her first name, maiden name, and married name.

Your divorced parents have remarried.

Suggestion: Traditionally, only the parents’ names appear on the invitation. But if you would like to include your stepparents, it’s perfectly acceptable to list them. Place your mother (and her husband, if she’s remarried) first, and include your last name.

Mr. and Mrs. Peter William Gadd
Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Albert Johnson
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Brittany Angela Johnson

One or both of your parents are deceased.

Suggestion: If one parent is still living, that parent should issue the invitation. If your mother has not remarried, you should place “Mrs.” before her name.

If neither of your parents is alive, the invitation may be issued by you or other relatives, such as your grandparents (in which case you should handle it as you would divorced parents who have remarried), or you and your fiancé.

Miss Brittany Angela Johnson
and
Mr. Brandon Mark Long
request the honor of your presence
at their marriage

You have been married before.

Suggestion: If your parents are issuing the invitation, include your married name:

Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Albert Johnson
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Brittany Angela Johnson

Or you and your fiancé may issue it yourselves:

Brittany Angela Johnson
and
Brandon Mark Long
request the honor of your presence
at their marriage

Once you’re ready to create an invitation, there’s several places you can go to get your wedding invitations made. There are popular online places that are economical and easy, such as Minted.com or weddingpaperdivas.com that have pre-made invitation templates created that you simply fill in yours and your family’s information, then you order them, then they’re shipped right to your door! You can also look up local wedding invitation designers in your area. Seattle Wedding Show, I Do Sodo | Colorful invitation envelopes | Perfectly Posh Events | Barbie Hull Photography | Songbird Paperie

Photo Credit | Barbie Hull Photography

We know there can oftentimes be more things that need to be included when sending an invitation, like an RSVP card, directions and maps, registry locations, wedding website, etc. So keep an eye out in the next couple weeks for another blog post talking about what all needs to be included in that invitation envelope! We’re going to break it down for you, and also talk about some sensitive topics, like communicating it is an adult-only wedding!

Gig Harbor Wedding at The Edgewater House | Navy and cream invitation suite | Perfectly Posh Events | Mike Fiechtner Photography