Your wedding invitation plays an important role in your wedding both aesthetically and functionally. In the excitement of choosing pretty paper and design it’s easy to overlook the importance of your wedding invitation wording. What should your invitations actually say?
Most important – and most obvious – is that your key information is all there. What do your guests need to know to be able to attend? It helps to remember the old primary school ‘who, what, when, where’ writing trick.
- Who? Of course you need to include the names of who is actually getting married, but people also take cues from the invitation as to who is hosting the event. The names of your parents may be included, or a reference to your families.
- What? A wedding of course! But you should also specify if the event is a ceremony only, a reception, an afternoon tea, or a weekend-long extravaganza. You should also give hints as to the style of the wedding, so that guests can dress and behave appropriately.
- When? Dates and times need to be clear and accurate.
- Where? List your venues. It’s up to you if the full address is written out or if the name of the venue is sufficient, but check how easily your guests can find the correct location with a quick Google search.
- And Also: Don’t forget your RSVP details! You may also include the dress code, although this can also be communicated on your wedding website or just through word of mouth if you prefer to keep it simple.
This is mightall seem pretty obvious and self-explanatory. The trick is how to include all this information. There are a few Do’s and Don’ts which we’ve covered before, but when it comes to more abstract decisions about wording it can be even more confusing.
The trick is this: The style of your wedding invitation wording is directly related to the style of your wedding. Try this flowchart for a starting point:
Now you’ve narrowed down your options considerably – pat yourself on the back, that’s half the work! Now it’s time to think about the specific wording. Here’s some ideas based on your wording style:
- Formal– Traditional etiquette is much more important if you’re going for the formal side of things, so be sure to brush up on that! We’ve written a breakdown of wording a formal invitation, so try that for a start.
- Casual – You can more-or-less set your own rules if your wedding is going to be casual, but that can be even more confusing because there isn’t a clear template to follow! Feel free to get creative, just remember to include all the basics as listed above. If you’re stuck, there are some great ideas online you can seek inspiration from.
- Somewhere In-Between – If your wedding style is more of a hybrid, try reading examples of formal and casual invitations to decide which you prefer, and what elements you want to incorporate from each. You could use casual wording but include your parents names, or use formal wording but with a casual design. As long as the basics are all there, you can mix-and-match to your heart’s content.
That should give you a solid starting point to invitations that fit perfectly with your wedding. Remember the basics, keep an eye on your etiquette, and the rest is up to your own creativity. Happy invitation writing!
featured image via shutterstock