Wedding Invite Etiquette

Rules to Make an Elegant Wedding Invitation

For formal weddings, there are some rules for wedding invite etiquette that should be observed when writing it. Important is how you compose the invitation. Here are some things to remember when you compose:

- You should write out names in full, including the middle names.

- Especially for very formal invitations, it is appropriate to use the British spelling for “honour” and “favour”.

- All words should be spelled out including the hour, the date and the year. Spell out all words in the address including Street, Road and Avenue. The only exceptions to this rule in address are Saint (St.) and Mount (Mt.)

- Use Roman numerals in names, instead of “the third” or “3rd”.

- If the ceremonies will take place in a house of worship, use “request the honour of your presence”. While for ceremonies taking place in a non-religious setting, say “request the pleasure of your company.”

Wedding invite etiquette for printing dictates that wedding invitations are printed with black ink in an “engraved” or script type style. For less formal weddings, wedding invite etiquette is more informal and creative. Other colors of ink aside from black can be used. There are some invitations that use black colored paper where they use gold or silver ink. These are nice looking but very expensive because of the ink used.

Wedding invite etiquette for wording will depend on the different types of families and can be quite complicated. The wording should include the names of those giving the event, the type of wedding, the purpose of the event, the date, hour, place and RSVP information. The parents of the bride can issue the invitation or the couple themselves. Wedding invite etiquette for the reception cards will depend if the reception is taking place immediately after the ceremony or will take place later in the day. You may also include menu choices on the response card, if it is necessary to order the guest’s meals in advance. A separate sheet may also be included for a map or directions, if the ceremony or reception venues are difficult to find.