Wedding Invitation Basics

You’ve probably spent hours combing through wedding invitation designs. After finally selecting the perfect one that matches the colors and theme of your wedding, now you have to decide what they’ll say. Wedding invitations now-a-days can be as unique and creative as you want them to be, as long as they cover the basics.

The Basics
Your wedding invitation should include these seven things.

1) The host – typically the bride’s parents, other times the bride and groom. Address it as “Mr. and Mrs. Jack Johnson” for parents, or “Ms. Jane Doe and Mr. John Smith” for the bride and groom.
2) The request – use “request the honor of your presence” if the parents are hosting, or “invite you to join us in the celebration of our marriage,” if the wedding is being held by the bride and groom.
3) The couple – “Jane Doe to John Smith.” You may also use and as a replacement of “to.”
4) The date and time – for formal ceremonies, spell our all times and dates (three o’clock in the afternoon.)
5) The location – include the address for all destinations.
6) Reception time – you may include it on your invitation if it is the same place as your ceremony; otherwise it is best to include a separate invitation. Also, specify what will be served – drinks and desserts or a full meal?
7) The RSVP – the most important part! Ask guests to respond with a formal reply before a set date and include the number of people in the party.

The invitation is also the place to specify any details that you may want guests to know. This includes the welcoming of children! If you want children at your wedding, you do not have to include anything, however, if you prefer your friends and family get a babysitter for the evening, it is polite and acceptable to include “adult reception” on your invitation. This is also the place to include a dress code – whether your event is formal, semi-formal, black tie, etc.