Invitations Etiquette

Wedding Etiquette
Today's wedding etiquette feature is all about the invitation.
For so many couples, the wedding invitations (and everything associated with the invitations) prove to be the most problematic part of the wedding planning process. Perhaps both sets of parents have remarried or the Bride and Groom have decided to host the wedding on their own. In this day and age, there is no standard definition of a wedding. So, to help you in your woes…here are some invitation etiquette rules made easy:
A traditional wedding invitation should be worded as follows:
Mr. and Mrs. Bride’s Father’s First Name / Last Namerequest the honour of your presenceat the marriage of their daughter
Bride First / Middle NameTo Mr. Groom First / Middle / Last Name
Day and Month of the wedding spelled outyear spelled outat time spelled out
Location of the CeremonyCity, State

Or rather…

Mr. and Mrs. William McLucasRequest the pleasure of your companyAt the wedding of
Abigail Dee ToTait Elliott Larson
Saturday, the twenty-seventh of AugustTwo thousand and sevenAt half after five o’clock
Old South ChurchBoston, Massachusetts

It’s good to use this as your template, then customize with your own unique details. For most couples, however, it simply isn’t this straight forward. Here are some ways to tackle the more unique situations:
Bride and Groom are Hosting the Wedding

Ms. Bride First Name / Last Nameand Mr. Groom First Name / Last Name
request the honour of your presenceas they celebrate their marriage
Day and Month of the wedding spelled outyear spelled outat time spelled out
Location of the CeremonyCity, State

Both Sets of Parents are Hosting the Wedding

Mr. and Mrs. Bride’s Father’s First Nam / Father’s Last NameandMr. and Mrs. Groom’s Father’s First Name / Last Name
request the honour of your presenceat the marriage of
Bride First / Middle / LastandGroom First / Middle / Last
{etc}

Parents/Parent has Divorced or Remarried

Mr. and Mrs. Bride’s Mother {New Husband’s} First Name / Last Name andMr. and Mrs. {New Wife} Groom’s Father First Name / Last Namerequest the honour of your presenceat the marriage of their daughterBride First / Middle / Last
{etc}

Small Wedding then Large Reception
…to the ceremony and reception

Mr. and Mrs. Bride’s Father’s First Name / Last Namerequest the honour of your presenceat the marriage of their daughterDaughter first name / middle nametoMr. Groom First name / Last name
Day, Month spelled outYear spelled outat time spelled out
Location of Ceremonyand afterward at the receptionLocation of Reception

…to the reception only

Mr. and Mrs. Bride’s Father’s First Name / Last Namerequest the pleasure of your companyat the wedding reception for their daughter
Daughter’s First Name / Middle NameandMr. Groom’s First Name / Last Name
Day, Month spelled outyear spelled outat time spelled outLocationCity, State

When a Parent or Parents Have Passed
(It should be sent only from the living parent…)

Mr. (Mrs.) Father/Mother’s First Name / Last Namerequests the honour of your presenceat the marriage of his/her daughter
Bride First Name / Middle NameToMr. Groom’s First Name / Middle / Last
{etc}

When the Groom’s family hosts the wedding

Mr. and Mrs. Groom’s Father’s First Name / Last Namerequest the hour of your presenceat the marriage of
Miss Bride’s First Name / Middle / LastTo their sonGroom’s first Name / Middle Name / Last
{etc}

Although these are many of the more common circumstances, they of course, barely crack the surface. There are so many ways to phrase a wedding invitation, depending on your own familial situation. What IS important is that you convey the tone of the wedding thru the invitation. Sometimes, proper etiquette isn’t the only element to consider.
For those of you that are more whimsical, and less inclined to follow tradition, here are some fun, quirky ways to phrase a wedding invitation…
Traditional…but Cheeky

Mr. and Mrs. Eric P. Brownrequest the honour of your presenceas their daughterEmily Ceciliabids single life adieu and makes an honest man out ofMr. Tad Everett JenningsSaturday, the fourth of Maytwo thousand and sixat half after five o’clockSt. Mary’s ChurchSmithville, NY

Traditional…but Cute

Mr. and Mrs. Eric P. Browntogether with Doctor and Mrs. Charles E. Jenningswould be honoured by your presenceas their childrenEmily Cecilia and Tad Everett Jenningspromise to love, honour and respectfully disagree with each other {about the quickest way to get to 89th and 5th}Saturday, the fourth of Maytwo thousand and sixat half after five o’clockSt. Mary’s ChurchSmithville, NY
{customize to suit your personalities}

Traditional…With Personality

Mr. and Mrs. Eric P. Browntogether with Doctor and Mrs. Charles E. Jenningsrequest the honour of your presenceas their childrenEmily Cecilia and Tad Everett Jenningstie the knot, take the plunge, and otherwise “seal the deal”Saturday, the fourth of Maytwo thousand and sixat half after five o’clockSt. Mary’s ChurchSmithville, NY

Casual and Sweet

Elissa and Eric Brownand Charles and Meredith Jenningswould be honouredto share with you the moment at which the lives of their childrenEmily CeciliaandTadwill be forever—and most beautifully—changedThis celebration of love, new beginnings and {first date} that brought them togetherwill be held onSaturday, the fourth of Maytwo thousand and sixat half after five o’clockSt. Mary’s ChurchSmithville, NY
{personalize to suit your own moment}

Casual and Personal

The only thing that could make us happier thanthe marriage of our {pragmatic} daughterEmily Cecilia to the {adventurous} Mr. Tad Everett Jennings is if you’d share in the occasion with usThe couple will wed on Saturday, the fourth of Maytwo thousand and sixat half after five o’clockSt. Mary’s Church12 Winding WaySmithville, NYAfter witnessing their vowswe invite you to join us for libations and merrymaking
{customize to suit your personalities