Are you ready to order your stationery, but feeling totally clueless about how to word your wedding invitations?
I have to admit, I’m not one of those stationers who has set templates for invitations. The wording on my designs is flexible and I’d actively encourage you to come up with something unique. However, if you need help, I can supply wording forms to fill in which should make the process a little easier.
Who’s It From?
The main choice for most couples is who the invitation will be addressed from. Traditionally, it would be worded from the bride’s parents as they’d have been hosting the wedding.
Nowadays, this isn’t a given, so formal addressing is no longer the norm. Family situations can be complicated, you may be a same sex couple, and/or you may be paying for the wedding yourselves. In these situations, many couples choose to address their invitations directly from themselves. Alternatively, you could use something like the following:
‘Together with their families
Alex & Sam
request the pleasure of the company of…’
I firmly believe you should make your invitation wording as formal or informal as you like. If your parents are footing the bill, you might want to opt for something more traditional, but don’t feel you can’t add a little fun and informality elsewhere. Your invitations should give your guests a sense of what your wedding will be like. The tone and style of your wording can play a key part in this.
What About Grammar?
My biggest piece of advice is, to a certain extent, forget everything you’ve been taught! I can’t tell you the number of conversations I’ve had with couples over the last 10 years who have wanted full stops at the end of every line of text, or capital letters at the beginning.
I can totally understand why standard grammar feels appropriate, but invitations should be viewed differently. Not only from a design perspective, but also because an invitation should read as one sentence, not as separate lines.
What to Include
Your main invitation should have the basic details your guests need to attend your wedding – date, time, venue, and RSVP details.
If you’re having a large wedding, extending your celebration across a weekend, or you’ve got lots of guests travelling from overseas, you might want to consider adding an information card or booklet.
In terms of wording, my advice here is to keep it brief. Your guests don’t need step-by-step directions from Google Maps! A short description of the final stages of the journey, a sat nav postcode, and perhaps a little map will be fine.
Other than directions, what else?
Here’s a quick rundown of what you might want to include on an information card:
- Accommodation – Either at your venue or options locally. Again, keep it brief. 2-3 recommendations are enough.
- Gifts – Even if you don’t want gifts, letting guests know your wishes will stop the frantic phone calls and texts!
- Cash – It’s a good idea to let guests know if there’s going to be a cash bar. If your venue doesn’t take card payments, it’s also helpful to share the location of the nearest cash point.
- Local Taxi Numbers – If booking taxis in advance is advisable, add this detail too.
- Extra Events – Let people know if you’re extending your celebrations beyond your wedding day.
- Restrictions or Advice – For example, ‘no heels’, ‘wellies essential’, parking etc.
- Dress Code – Guests will appreciate knowing whether formal wedding attire is expected or if it’s a more casual affair.
So, that’s how to word your wedding invitations (and what to include)! Once you’ve settled on your wording, don’t forget to proofread everything, and then proof it again! Of course, I’m always happy to answer any questions you may have.
Photo Credits:
Dark Floral Stationery – Emma Barrow Photography @barrow_emma
Boho Coastal Stationery – Maxi Photography @maxiphotographydevon
Industrial Luxe and Dartmoor Coachella – Clare Kinchin Photography @clarekinchinphotography