WEDDING STATIONERY WORDING : GUIDE & TEMPLATES
How to word your wedding invitations, and the ‘proper’ etiquette, is one of the biggest hurdles to tackle when planning your wedding stationery. In this blog I navigate through the basic wording styles, along with some full examples.
If you are looking for a gift of money wording or money poems for your invitations scroll to the bottom of the blog. The last section of the guide also covers envelope addressing advice.
I also plan on writing another blog soon to explore the more creative and unique options when wording your wedding invites, for those who want something non-traditional. Most of all, as I always say, this is your event, choose what is right for you as a couple.
Save the Date
Title
Save the / our date
We’re getting hitched / married
Get ready to party!
Names
First and second names are a good idea if you are inviting distant relatives or family friends
Date
Date and year, no start time necessary.
Save the dates are normally only for day guests, but if you are sending to evening guests, state ‘the evening of’. You may also say ‘the weekend of’ if you want the guest to attend events before/after the wedding day.
Location
Town / City. Can also include venue
Extras
‘Formal invitation to follow’
Wedding Website
Events before / after wedding day
Layout
The wording doesn’t have to be in the order shown.
For example, maybe you would like your names large, and ‘save the date’ small with the details. Or you would like the date large, and the names and details small.
Formal Example
Kindly save the date for the wedding of
Olivia Jones and Phillip Campbell
on Saturday the 1st of February, 2021,
Edinburgh.
Formal invitation to follow.
Informal Example
Save Our Date
Olivia and Phillip are getting hitched!
1st of February, 2021
Edinburgh
Formal invitation to follow
Day Invitation
Host
Together with their families
Mr & Mrs W. Jones together with Mr & Mrs H. Campbell
The couple's name ( e.g... Olivia and Phillip)
Invite
Religious:
request the honour of ( your / guest name ) presence at
Non- Religious:
request the pleasure of ( you / guest name ) company at
invite ( you / guest name ) to celebrate with / witness / share in
would love for you to join them
Ceremony Style
the marriage / wedding / joining of
the marriage of their children
their wedding / marriage / union
Names
Traditionally the bride's name is first, followed by the grooms. For same sex marriages there are no formalities, and if you can't decide, alphabetically is always a good option.
Formal invitations include middle names.
Time
at half past one in the afternoon
at 1.30pm
Date
on Saturday the first of February, two thousand twenty one
on Saturday the 1st of February, 2021
Ceremony
Venue and location.
Full address and postcode optional, this is normally detailed on the information card.
Reception
Followed by dinner and dancing
Followed by a reception at ‘x’ location
Food, fun and festivities to follow
Other
Carriages at 'midnight' or party end time
Website and password
Dress Code
Religious Formal Example
Mr & Mrs W. Jones together with Mr & Mrs H. Campbell request the honour of your presence at the wedding of their children
Olivia Sarah Jones and Phillip Fredrick Campbell
at one o’clock in the afternoon on Saturday the 1st of February, two thousand twenty one
at St Giles Cathedral. Followed by a reception at The Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh.
Carriages at midnight
Formal Example
Mr & Mrs W. Jones together with Mr & Mrs H. Campbell request the pleasure of the company of Mark and Lucy at the wedding of their children
Olivia Sarah Jones and Phillip Fredrick Campbell
at one o’clock in the afternoon on Saturday the 1st of February, two thousand twenty one
at The Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh.
Followed by dinner and dancing. Carriages at midnight
Informal Example
Together with their families
Olivia Jones and Phillip Campbell
invite Mark and Lucy to celebrate their marriage at 1pm, on Saturday the 1st of February, 2021
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh
Food, fun and festivities to follow
Informal Example
OLIVIA & PHILLIP
Olivia Jones and Phillip Campbell would love for you to join them in celebrating their marriage
at 1pm, on Saturday the 1st of February, 2021
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh
www.olivia-phillip.com (password: 010221)
Evening Invitation
Details
The only information you need to change for the evening invites are the time and location wording. For example: … are invite to the wedding reception of … at 7 o’clock in the evening
RSVP Wording
Basic Details
Your reply is kindly requested by the 29th of December, 2020.
_ space for guest(s) to write their name(s)
_ Accepts with pleasure _ Declines with regret
Menu Choices
Starter _ _ Main _ _ Dessert _ _
Dietary requirements _ _ _
Kindly RSVP by the 29th of December, 2020.
_ space for guest(s) to write their name(s)
_ Joyfully accepts. _ Regretfully declines
Dietary requirements _ _ _
Alternate RSVP
Include an email address / phone number if you are also happy to be contacted this way. If you are not providing the guests with a pre-addressed RSVP envelope, also include your home address.
Travel
Do you need to know if your guest wants to use the coach you have organised, or needs help finding someone who can drive them? You can add a tick box, or email to contact you.
Drinks
Is there a wine option during the meal you need to pre-book e.g. white / red / rosè?
Other
Add any other unique requests you have from the guests. For example a song choice to give the DJ. Or an RSVP to a brunch the next day.
Information Card
Venue Address
It's good include the venue’s full address, even if it is easy to google. Saving any confusion, especially if you are having a barn or remote venue.
Transport
Include any transport provided by you, for example coaches or taxis. You can also include any helpful public transport advice.
Accommodation
Any recommended nearby hotels or B&Bs etc. If you have a special nightly rate at your venue you can include this, or detail that guests should contact you for the code.
Website
Wedding websites can be a great way to provide your guests with more information, contact details, RSVP etc. You can also use it to share your photographs and videos after the big day. Provide the web address and password if you have one.
RSVP
If you are not doing a formal RSVP card you can detail how to reply in your information card. For example, provide an address / email / phone number etc. Or direct guests to your website if you have one. Also note if you need them to provide you with menu choices, allergies, travel requirements etc. State the RSVP deadline date.
Menu Choices
Again, if you are not doing a separate RSVP or menu with your invite, include this information. Even if you are providing a set menu ask guests to inform you of any allergies.
Gifting
If you have a registry list, you can include the details in the information card. If you would prefer a monetary gift you can also include a message, some examples are given below. If you wish your guest to donate to charity instead, include the details. Or can choose not to mention gifts and leave the choice to your guests.
Gift of Money Examples
Your presence at our wedding is all that we wish for. However, if you wish to give a gift, we would be very grateful for a small cash donation towards our honeymoon / making our house a home / married life.
We are so very lucky to have already started our family home together. If you wish to give us a gift, a contribution towards our honeymoon would be the cherry on top of the cake!
If you were thinking of giving a gift to help us on our way, a gift of money in a card would really make our day!
Envelope Addressing
Digital
Digitally printed addresses are only available on light - medium coloured envelopes. There are many options for the font and layout. For example you can have a calligraphy style guest name, with a simple serif / sans-serif font for the address. Or it can all be printed in one serif / sans-serif font.
You can also have your own address printed on the reverse of the envelope. This is a good idea if you want the peace of mind that everyone has received the invite (ie. not changed address and forgot to update you).
Digitally printed addresses also have enough room for full names, eg. Mr Phillip Campbell & Miss Olivia Jones. Or a full family, eg. Phillip, Olivia, Henry & Sarah Campbell.
Calligraphy
Hand calligraphy addresses can be done in any colour ink (including metallic inks), and on any colour envelope. In order to keep the address clear and legible for UK postage it is suggested to have the address left aligned, with the names in sentence case and the actual address in all caps.
Calligraphy addressing is larger, so it is suggested to keep guest names to title, initial and surname, eg. Mr & Mrs P Campbell or Miss O Jones. Alternatively you could use first names only if you wish to be more informal, or for families you could say ‘The Campbell Family’, if you are inviting everyone in that household.
Digital Examples
Mr Phillip Campbell & Miss Olivia Jones
123 New Street
Edinburgh
EH4 8RT
Phillip, Olivia, Henry & Sarah Campbell
123 New Street
Edinburgh
EH4 8RT
Calligraphy Examples
Phillip & Olivia
123 NEW STREET
EDINBURGH
EH4 8RT
The Campbell Family
123 NEW STREET
EDINBURGH
EH4 8RT