How you word your wedding invitation depends on how formal your wedding is, who is hosting your wedding, and your cultural heritage. The wedding invitation wording suggestions in this article are based on American Anglo-Saxon traditions of the past 70 years or so.
However, none of the so-called rules are etched in stone. We have a substantial collection of etiquette books dating back to the mid 1800’s – as well as books about medieval life – and many of the wedding invitation wording rules have changed. Let’s just say we should all count our blessings that we live now!
Here’s a list of some general dos and don’ts:
- No periods at the end of a line.
- Use proper given names; for example Anthony, not Tony, Cynthia not Cindy.
- No abbreviations other than Mr., Mrs., Dr., and Jr.
- First letter of each line is not capitalized, unless it is a proper noun; for example Sunday, the fifth of October” is correct or “on Sunday, the fifth of October” is correct.
- Dates and times are written out: half after five o’clock, two thousand and three.
- The first word of the year is capitalized.
- The “honour of your presence is requested” is traditionally used for church weddings only.
- Never type in all-caps.
And here are several examples of how to word your wedding invitations based on different circumstances:
Modern Wedding Invitation Wording
Traditional Wedding Invitation Wording
Divorced Parents Wedding Invitation Wording
Deceased Parent Wedding Invitation Wording
