One of the most searched topics on emilypost.com over the last 25 years has been 'wedding invitations'. It is so important to get it right, for two reasons:
Printing is costly and details are easy to get wrong.
When all the elements are in place, aesthetics are also an important part of setting the tone of the wedding.
Inner envelopes, tissue, engraving, wording, listing hosts, including parents, rsvp cards, inserts, related events - we've got you covered.
Unlike formally worded invitations, which use only "the honour of your presence" or "the pleasure of your company" to invite guests, less formal couples can keep their wedding invitation wording casual. Dates are more casually worded, titles omitted, and reception invitations may be issued more simply. However, the basic information common to all invitations still applies: who is hosting, the nature of the event, where and when it will take place, and how the guest should respond, if necessary. Learn more.
In accordance with long-standing traditions, the following etiquette guidelines apply to the wording of formal wedding invitations:
A wedding invitation is issued by the host(s). The hosts' name(s) are spelled out and include middle names and titles.
Titles such as Mr. and Mrs. are not spelled out. Doctor should be spelled out, unless the name would be too long to fit on one line.
The phrase "the honour of your presence" is used when the ceremony will take place in a house of worship. Honour is spelled with a "u" in the British fashion. For other venues "the pleasure of your company" is the traditional wording.
If the bride shares her parents' last name, only her first and middle name are used.
The groom's name is spelled out, and is preceded by a title. For example: Mr. Stephen Eugene Hall.
The date is also spelled out, as is the year. Note that there is no "and": two thousand twenty-three.
The day of the week and the month are capitalized; the year is not.
Use the phrase "half after" when indicating time, rather than "half past" or "four-thirty."
The phrases "in the afternoon" and "in the evening" are not necessary.
Provide the city and state of the wedding location. The state is spelled in full, but may be omitted if all guests are local.
"RSVP," which is an abbreviation of the French “Respondez, s’il vous plait,” means "please respond." Each of the following usages is correct: RSVP, R.S.V.P., r.s.v.p., R.s.v.p. and "The favour of a reply is requested."
RSVP is only used on reception invitations or combination wedding/reception invitations; it's not used on wedding-only invitations. When used, it goes on the lower left.
RSVP on its own indicates that replies should be sent to the return address on the outer envelope of the invitation. If you want replies sent to a different postal address, or to include an email address or phone number as alternative methods for sending replies, add this information below the RSVP:
The wording of formal wedding invitations may vary depending on who is hosting the wedding. Here are samples of formal wedding invitations based on a variety of hosting scenarios to help you properly word your own invitation.
The inner envelope bears the title and last names of the specific people invited. This allows the host to be very clear about who is invited, and by omission, who is not invited.
If children are invited but are not receiving a separate invitation, their names may be written on a line below their parents’ names on the inner envelope. If no inner envelope is used, children’s names are written on the outer envelope below the names of their parents.
For example, the inner envelope for Mr. and Mrs. James Darling and the two Darling children, Sarah and Jonathan, would be written:
Mr. and Mrs. Darling
Sarah Darling
Jonathan Darling
It’s also fine to write familiar names for close family: Aunt Martha and Uncle Bill.
The outer envelope is addressed conventionally using titles, first, (middle), and last names.
While titles are abbreviated (Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr.) all other words such as “Street,” or “Boulevard” are spelled out. State names may be written in full or use the two-letter postal code abbreviation. Middle initials aren’t used, so either write out the middle name or omit it. Generally, an invitation to parents and children is addressed to the parents:
Mr. and Mrs. James Arthur Darling