| Complete Guide To Wedding Invitations & | | | | - Abbreviations should not be used. You |
| Wording | | | | should spell a name out or leave it out. |
| | | | �E.g "Peter Edward Jones" would be used |
| What is a Wedding Invitation For | | | | rather than "Peter E. Jones" |
| | | | |
| A wedding invitation is used to ask guests to | | | | Also, "Road," "Street," "Avenue," |
| attend a wedding. It should provide all the | | | | "Reverend," "Doctor," and all military |
| necessary details and the invitation should | | | | titles should be spelled out. The only |
| give your guests an indication of what to | | | | exceptions are: "Mr." and "Mrs." |
| expect. | | | | |
| | | | - Phrasing should be in the third person. |
| When To Send The Invitations Out | | | | |
| | | | - Only proper nouns should be capitalized |
| Wedding Invitations should be typically sent | | | | (names of people and places, cities, name of |
| out four to six weeks before the wedding | | | | the day of the week, month name, etc.) |
| date. Invitations should be sent out eight | | | | |
| weeks before the event to out of town guests | | | | - If both Mr. and Mrs. Jones are doctors, |
| or those who may require more time to | | | | they can be referred to as "The Doctors |
| prepare. | | | | Jones." |
| | | | |
| Response Card | | | | - You should not mention gifts on the |
| | | | invitation as you should expect nothing from |
| As well as sending the wedding invitation | | | | your friends other than their presence at the |
| you may wish to send a reply card and self | | | | event. |
| addressed envelope. The reply card response | | | | |
| can be used for supplying details to the | | | | - Many people considered it socially |
| caterer and to get a general indication of | | | | incorrect to include, "no children" on the |
| the number of guests attending. Guests | | | | invitation. Including "Black tie" on the |
| should be asked to return the reply card two | | | | invite is un-necessary. If the wedding takes |
| weeks before the actual wedding day or by | | | | place after six o'clock, your guests should |
| the date indicated on the card. | | | | assume that it is a formal event. |
| | | | |
| Save The Date Card | | | | Points To Remember |
| | | | |
| Save the Date cards can be mailed out | | | | - Name of parent(s), host(s) or sponsors |
| between 3 and 12 months before the event. | | | | |
| They announce that the wedding date has been | | | | - Day/Date (spelled out - e.g. Sunday, the |
| set and allows guests to prepare for the | | | | twenty-fifth of March) |
| event. It should not be used in place of the | | | | |
| wedding invitation and should also inform | | | | - Does the day definitely correspond with the |
| guests that a wedding invitation will | | | | event date? (check a calendar) |
| follow. | | | | |
| | | | - Year (two thousand and eight) |
| Invitation Wording | | | | |
| | | | - Time (at six o'clock in the evening) |
| - Times, dates and days are traditionally | | | | |
| spelled out. | | | | - Name of Place (Holywell Church) |
| | | | |
| - Punctuation should not be used at the ends | | | | - Name of bride and groom (Bar/Bat Mitzvah, |
| of lines (commas, periods, colons, etc.) | | | | graduate) |
| Commas are used within lines to separate the | | | | |
| day from the date, the city from the state | | | | - Location of Place (city but no post code - |
| and a man's surname from "Jr./junior/II/III," | | | | street address is optional) |
| etc. | | | | |
| | | | - Ask a friend to proof read your invitation. |