Wording Options
The wording that you choose for your invitations will depend on who is hosting the
wedding and how formal you want the tone of your Wedding to be.
To view our standard forms of wording, please click here.
If you would like guidance on appropriate variations for different family circumstances (divorced parents, step parents etc), we will be more than happy to help.
General Hints & Tips:
- The Bride’s name is usually written before the Groom’s name.
- Where invitations are being sent by the Bride’s parents, it is normal to include the Bride’s first name and middle name(s) but not her surname.
- Ensure that all addresses, postcodes, names, times and other details for your invitations
are checked and double-
checked before you send them to us!
- We are often asked by brides what is the correct way to write guests’ names on their invitations. The answer is, there are no rules about this but it depends how formal you would like your invitations to be. If you would like the tone to be quite informal, it is perfectly acceptable just to use forenames e.g ‘John & Sue’, or ‘Auntie Beryl’. A slightly more formal tone would be achieved by adding a surname e.g ‘John & Sue Clarke’, or even more formal would be to include titles e.g Mr John Clarke & Mrs Sue Clarke’ and ‘Master’/’Miss’ for children.
- If you do not wish to specify guest names on your invitations, they can instead be printed to read ‘request the pleasure of your company’. However bear in mind that this may make it more difficult to monitor and control guest numbers.
- You may wish to include additional wording at the bottom of the invitation (just before the RSVP section), for example ‘Dress Code: Black Tie’ or ‘Unfortunately no children’ or ‘Please indicate any special dietary requirements when replying’.
- The date and time can be written in words e.g Thursday the Eleventh of July Twenty Twelve at One O’Clock, or numbers e.g Thursday 11th July 2012 at 3.00pm. Some couples prefer to write the time using a 24 hour clock e.g 15.00.
- You do not have to include the full Wedding/Reception Venue addresses on the invitation, however it is a good idea to include this on the guest information card so that your guests have the postcode to enter into a satnav if needed.
- Your RSVP date should be set for at least 8 weeks after ordering your Wedding Invitations and at least 4 weeks before your Wedding date. You are very likely to have to chase some RSVPs so ensure that you allow enough time for this.
- It is customary to include a postal RSVP address, although it is perfectly acceptable to also include an email address or phone number for replies.
Our standard wording for other items of stationery*:
Orders of Service:
Order of Service
for the Marriage of
[Bride]
and
[Groom]
[Image of Venue if Required]
[Wedding Date]
[Wedding Time]
[Wedding Venue]
Menu:
Menu
The Wedding Breakfast of
Mr and Mrs [Surname]
[Image of Venue if Required]
[Reception Venue]
[Wedding Date]
RSVP:
Reply Card
Guest Names: ...........................................
[ ] Accept with pleasure
[ ] Decline with regret
Please indicate any special dietary
requirements here:
..................................................................
* N.B If you would like different wording to the above, this must be specified at the time of ordering.
