When it comes to wordings to be used in wedding invitations, most bride and bridegrooms would prefer to stay traditional and formal. Conventional etiquette says that no abbreviation is allowed and the cards need to be hand-addressed. However, in this modern age, some abbreviation is commonly found especially when it comes to time and address; whereas hand addressing can take up a lot of time if the guest list is a long one. Thus, help may be needed from family and friends who have nice handwriting to complete the task.
Even though times have changed and some wedding invitations are no longer being addressed by the bride’s mother, some wedding etiquette must still be followed. Regardless of the wedding theme, the wordings used must be formal. For example, the full names of the bride and bridegroom, the parents or the hosts must be used instead of nicknames. Usually, the first names of the guests will see in the card are the people who is paying for the event. Thus, it is advisable to determine who is funding the wedding as they will be considered as the hosts. They will be named first on the invitation card. If the bride and bridegroom are financing the event themselves, then it is an honor and respect to name the parents as the parents like stating “Sharon Lee, daughter of Mr. And Mrs. John Lee”. It is also important to clarify how the parents would like to be addressed if they are divorced or remarried. Some prefer to include their extended family like the names of their step-mother or step-father on the invites.
The next line of wording for wedding invitations is the one that requests the guests to attend the event. If the wedding ceremony is held at a place of worship, then the line should read “Request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their son/ daughter”. Whether the word “son” or “daughter” is used will depend on the gender of the person whose parents are financing or hosting the occasion. On the other hand, if the ceremony is held at home or other secular location, then the line should read “Request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their son/ daughter”. Alternatively, it can read “as “would be delighted to have you attend the marriage of their son/ daughter”.
When addressing the bride and bridegroom, traditionally, and still being practiced as today, is to name the bride first then followed by the bridegroom. For example, “Sharon Lee to/ and Peter Adams”. In terms of date and time, they are traditionally spelled out in full such as “Saturday, the fifth of April, two thousand and eight, at eleven o’clock in the morning”. For simplicity sake, one can also write as “Saturday, April 5, 2008, at 11 a.m.”.
When it comes to the location, if it is a well known place within the city and the only one with that name, then it is not necessary to spell out the full address. For example, “Toronto Temple of Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario”. Otherwise, it would be necessary to print the address in full, like “The Lion’s Rotary Club, 7th floor, MENSA Building, 55 York Road, Toronto, Ontario”.
As for notifying the time of the reception, the bride and bridegroom should inform the guest that there is going to be a party. This can be included in the invitation card or a separate reply card. It could read “Reception to follow at the Pool Side Café at The Lion’s Rotary Club”. It is also a courtesy to inform whether a full meal will be served, like “And afterwards for cocktails and light refreshment in the Sapphire Room”. If the reception is not held at the same location as the wedding ceremony or does not follow immediately after the ceremony, then it is advisable to indicate this clearly on the card or a separate reception card. It could read like “Reception 3 o’clock, Parkroyal Hotel, 43 McKenzie Road, Toronto, Ontario”.
Conventionally, R.S.V.P is written at the bottom of the invitation card. Guests are expected to reply themselves by the date indicated. However, to receive the reply promptly, nowadays a separate reply card is usually printed to be enclosed in the invitation card for the guests to respond. It could read like this, “Please reply before 7th February. _______ (Guests’ names) will/ will not attend. Number of people attending is _____”. Another detail that needs to be indicated in the card is the dress code for the wedding event, whether it is a “smart-casual” or a “black tie” affair.
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