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When it comes to wedding preparations, the smallest details are discussed and argued over. Everything has to be perfect. Even the invitations take careful planning. The wedding invitation sets the tone for the day. From this, one can tell if there will be a particular theme or color scheme, if it will be a formal or casual affair, and where it will be located. The bride and groom didn't settle on the wedding invitation design and wording without much thought and discussion first. In fact, there's a lot more involved than picking a style and requesting the honor of one's presence. So as not to be accused of breaching etiquette, there are certain rules that must be followed. Wedding invitations are customarily mailed to guests six to eight weeks prior to the occasion. Because of this, the invitations themselves need to be chosen as soon as possible in order to have them printed and addressed in time. How the invitation should be worded depends on several different factors: who is paying for the wedding, where it will be held, if it will be a second wedding and if it will be a formal affair. If the parents of the bride will be paying for the affair and are considered the hosts, and the wedding will be held in a house of worship, the invitation should be worded as follows: Mr. and Mrs. John Doe request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Myrtle Jane and Mr. Joseph Smith on Sunday the nineteenth of September Nineteen ninety nine at two o'clock Sacred Heart Church 200 Main Street Your Town, Your State You may have noticed there are no abbreviations; that's because on a formal wedding invitation all words must be spelled out. Another item of note is in the line under the parent's name; they've requested the "honour of your presence". This indicates the wedding is held in a house of worship. If the wedding was held in a home or out-of-doors, Mr. and Mrs. Doe would instead request the "pleasure of your company." It's also considered proper etiquette to use the English spelling, "honour" instead of the more American "honor." If the happy couple will be paying for the affair instead of the parents of the bride, the invitation should be worded as follows: Myrtle Jane Doe and Joseph Aloysius Smith request the pleasure of your company at their marriage on Sunday the nineteenth of September Nineteen ninety nine at two o'clock The Doe Residence 37 Main Street Your Town, Your State A guest list should be drawn up prior to ordering the invitations. The bride and groom as well as their families should all be consulted to avoid any hurt feelings. Things to consider when drawing up the guest list are the amount of guests who will be attending and the type of affair. For a large wedding, for instance, it's customary to invite friends, relatives and even business associates. For a smaller more intimate affair, only members of the immediate family and a couple of very close friends are asked to attend. The guest list can be the source of many arguments and tears, but the important thing is to make sure no one close to you will feel snubbed. When addressing the invitations, there are several things to consider; for instance, are you inviting a married couple or a single person? Are guests allowed? Below are some rules of thumb for addressing a wedding invitation: - Address all invitations by hand. Wedding invitations with printed labels are considered tacky and lazy. - Don't use abbreviations. - Use titles. For instance, if the invitations will be issued to a single person, it will be addressed as Miss Susan Walker or Mr. David Jones; for a married person, it should be addressed to Doctor and Mrs. Richard Clark or Mr. and Mrs. Ronald McDonald. - If a single person is allowed to bring a guest, this would be indicated on the envelope: Miss Susan Walker (and guest). - If children are invited to attend, their names will not appear on the envelope unless they are over the age of 18, in which case they should receive their own invitation. If you do want to indicate children are invited, their names can be written on the inside of the envelope. Never assume children have been invited unless that's been indicated as being the case. Besides the invitation, each envelope will most likely include a smaller envelope with a reception card. Reception cards require a response by a certain date. There are many reasons for this. First and foremost, so the bride and groom can have a headcount to give the caterer. Since each meal has a price tag and has been paid for in advance, it wouldn't do to respond at the very last minute. If you do, the bride and groom have to pay for any extra meals out of their pocket on the day of the affair.They will also need to know how many wedding favors to have made, the size of the wedding cake and other small details. It's disrespectful, not to mention very bad manners, to respond late, or even not at all, especially if you show up at the last minute. Being invited to a wedding is an honor. It means the bride and groom consider you to be someone very special in their lives. The next time you receive an invitation, look closely at the wording. It will give you an indication of what to expect. read more: http://www.invitationstyles.com/classic-invitations-c-23_131.html
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