Introduction to Wedding Invitations: Examples of Wording, Etiquette, Trends, and Cost
Wedding invitations are the focal point of your wedding stationery, providing the first glimpse of wedding style and formality. While save the dates can be cute and fun, your invitations will be a true reflection of your event. Plan your wedding invitations carefully with my complete wedding invitation planning guide.
The anatomy of a wedding invitation
Wedding invitations can include multiple attachments, depending on the nature of your wedding and your stationery budget. (obviously more enclosures means higher costs)
o External envelope: Contains all the annexes, formally addressed to the addressee.
o Inner envelope: contains all the content of the formal invitation from a third party for its protection during shipping.
o Reception card: specifies where and when the reception will take place; it is generally included only if the ceremony and reception are held in different locations.
o Response Card: In which your guests indicate acceptance or regret. In a stamped envelope with your address. Be sure to include an RSVP deadline.
o Map/Directional – optional insert to help guests navigate and arrange accommodations
Cost and Budget Considerations
Before you go shopping, familiarize yourself with the invitation printing process and jargon; this will help you determine your needs in advance and avoid unnecessary costs. Pricing is determined per invitation, so if your guest list is huge, be prepared to allocate a significant portion of your budget to wedding invitations. Costs can range from $1 to $50 each. Bulky papers, colored inks, and unique graphics add to the cost. Custom designs can also be expensive. Printing options also affect cost.
Invitation Printing Options:
o Engraving, the most formal and expensive, results in a raised print that is pressed through the back.
o Thermography, less expensive than etching, results in a raised print that is not pressed through to the back
o Less expensive than etching or thermography, lithography results in a print that does not lift or press.
o Laser printing: the least expensive option. – produced on a laser printer and results in a print similar to that of lithography.
When factoring in total costs, don’t forget to factor in postage as part of your budget, including postage for the reply card envelopes. Are you looking for ways to save? Keep your design simple, stick to one color. Use lighter stocks and include fewer inserts. Use reply postcards instead of cards with envelopes.
trends
As with all other aspects of your wedding, your invitations give you the opportunity to reflect a particular color, theme, and/or season of your wedding. During the spring, include pressed flowers or a floral motif in your wedding colors. Asian-inspired florals or anything 3D that adds texture are all the rage right now. For fall, incorporate warm, colorful leaves. For a summer wedding, feature seashells and starfish in brilliant ocean blues or sunset orange/reds. And for winter, incorporate snowflakes into a simple white invitation.
Other popular suggestions range from unique color combinations and patterns to ribbons or other clever theme elements like bindings. Many couples are going back to the traditional, formal look and feature both sets of initials as monograms on the cover, but what’s even hotter is a creative logo or historic family seal. Whatever you decide, make your invitations innovative and unique to your personal style and your wedding.
Tips, rules and etiquette
o When to send them out: Send wedding invitations 6-8 weeks before the big day. (if you think your guests will need more advanced notice, send save-the-date cards as well) Try to order invitations 3-4 months in advance to ensure they go out on time.
o How many to order: Order about 25% more than the number of guests you are inviting; you will surely make mistakes or make last minute additions.
o Consider hiring a calligrapher for an added touch of elegance. (This is the first impression of your wedding!) Be sure to factor in extra time to ensure your invites go out on time. Many rules apply to the wording and addressing of invitations. Here are some of the basics to make sure yours are “bug free”:
invitation wording label
o Dates and times must be specified (half after 4:00 p.m., not 4:30 p.m., and April 22, not April 22)
o Mr. and Mrs. are abbreviated and Jr. can be, but the title Doctor must be written
o No punctuation is used, except after abbreviations and between city and state.
o An invitation only to the wedding ceremony does not include an RSVP
o “Hosting” the wedding can mean anything from a group of parents helping plan the event, inviting guests, or covering costs:
If there is a set of hosts, list their names at the beginning.
If both sets are hosting, list on separate lines with parents of the bride first.
If one set is hosting but you want to include the other set as well, list their names below your son/daughter’s name.
If you are hosting your own wedding, start with the request line and list the parental relationship below your name.
If you and both parents are hosting, list your names first followed by “together with your parents” before the request line.
addressing label
o No abbreviations should be spelled out, except for Mr., Mrs., Ms. and Jr. States.
o If one of your single guests is bringing a date they know personally, send that person a separate invitation instead of including “& Guest” on the inner envelope.
o If you cannot get the name of a single friend’s guest, please indicate on the inner envelope that they are welcome to bring a guest, NOT on the outer envelope. (this looks weird)
o Unmarried couples living together should receive an invitation, where their names are listed in alphabetical order and on their own lines.
o Guests living together as roommates, not couples, must each receive their own invitation.
o List the names of any children under the age of 18 who still live in the home on the inside envelope instead of “&Family”, which can be very ambiguous and easily misinterpreted. Children 18 and older must receive their own invitation, regardless of their living situation.
o The traditional beneficiary of a married couple must follow this format:
mr mrs ryan parker
2211 First Street, Department 3
San Diego, California 92109
Wedding Invitation Wording Samples
Gone are the days when wedding etiquette called for the parents of the bride, and only the parents of the bride, to host the wedding. Today, anyone can foot the bill, and with modern family arrangements often anything but nuclear, there’s no easy rule of thumb for wording invitations. We’ve cleared up the confusion to give you wording examples of the most common fixes:
Simple and traditional format
[proper names of those hosting] (official hosts line) request the honor of your presence (request line) at the marriage of your [relationship of the bride to the host] [bride’s first and middle names] a [groom’s full name]tea [day of the week] of [day and month of wedding] made [hour] o’clock in the [time of day] made [name of wedding venue] in [city, state] reception to follow
Divorced parents
[proper name of host] requests the honor of your presence at the wedding of [his/her] [relationship of the bride to the host]
Or, if the father has remarried and is staying with his new spouse:
[proper names of those hosting] request the honor of your presence at the marriage of [his/her] [relationship of the bride to the host]
However, if the divorced parents are hosting each other:
[proper name of mother] Y [proper name of father] request the honor of his presence at the marriage of his [relationship of the bride to the host]
When the only living father of the bride is the host The invitation is issued only in the name of the living parent:
Mister. [Mrs.] Jonathan Stephen Smith and Timothy Wright request the honor of your presence at the wedding of their [her] daughter elizabeth ann
When the bride and groom are the hosts
The honor of your presence is requested at the marriage of Miss Ashley Johnson to Mr. Paul Wilkins.
PRAYED
Miss Ashley Johnson and Mr Paul Wilkins request the honor of your presence at their marriage.
Alternative “Request Line” Options
or “pleasure of your company”
or “honor of your presence” (used instead of the formal “honor” when the ceremony is not taking place in a house of worship)
or “share and celebrate in your joy” another creative idea that reflects the theme and tone of your wedding.