All wedding invitations should include the following elements:
Who’s hosting
The request to come to the wedding
The names of the bride and groom
The date and time
The location
Reception information
Dress code
RSVP date & to whom it contact for RSVP
Take on Wedding Invitation Wording Line by Line
1. Who’s Hosting
Traditionally, the bride’s parents are the hosts of the wedding, and are named at the top of the invitation, even for very formal affairs. However, including the names of both sets of parents as hosts is a gracious option no matter who foots the bill. Also, more and more couples these days are hosting their own weddings, or do so together with their parents.
If it’s a collaborative affair hosted and paid for by the bride, groom and both sets of parents, you can also use “Together with their parents, Alex & Jen request the pleasure of your company …”
What If Any Parents are Deceased?
If you want to include the name of a parent who is deceased, you’ll need to rearrange things a bit, as someone whose passed can’t actually serve as a host. An alternate way, then, to include a deceased parent just means rearranging the wording a bit.
Try this, for example:
Don Lloyd Algama, son of MDM. Foo Lee Lee and the late Mr. Felix Algama,
and
Alexia Tan , daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Tan Boon Leong,
request the honor of your presence
at their wedding
on Saturday, 23rd June 2018
at 7.30 pm
The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur
Black tie required
What to Do If Any Parents are Divorced and/or Remarried
If the bride or groom’s parents are divorced and you want to include both as hosts, you can include them all, just keep your each parent on a separate line. If you’re going to include the name of stepparent, keep it on the same line. It might seem complex at first, but all it requires is a few more lines. This is an example of a bride with divorced (and remarried) parents’ wedding invitation wording:
Mr. Tan Ai Kiong & Madam Chew Siew Ying
invite you the wedding of their children
Alvin Tan and Alice Lim On 01.06.18
Grand Ballroom Level One
Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur
Cocktails 5.30 pm
Dinner 7.00 pm
Dress Code: Formal
2. The request to come to the wedding. There are many ways to ask for the pleasure of your guests’ company. Here are few options:
“the pleasure of your company”
“at the marriage of their children”
“would love for you to join them”
“invite you to celebrate with them”
“honour of your presence”
3. The Names of Bride and Groom
If there names haven’t been included in the host line, they should still take center stage a few lines down. No one would forget to add this to a wedding invitation, of course, but you might be wondering whose name should go first on a wedding invitation? Traditionally the name of the bride always precedes the groom’s name. Formal invitations issued by the bride’s parents refer to her by her first and middle names, the groom by his full name and title; if the couple is hosting by themselves, their titles are optional.
4. The Date and Time
For formal weddings, everything is written out in full (no numerals). The year is optional (the assumption being your wedding is on the nearest such date). Time of day is spelled out using “o’clock” or “half after five o’clock.” The use of a.m. or p.m. is optional. For casual weddings, numerals are fine.
5. The Location
The street address of a venue is not usually needed, unless omitting it would lead to confusion or your wedding is taking place at the host’s home. The city and state should be written out in full in either case.
6. Reception Information
Very formal invitations include this information on a separate card. Otherwise, it can be printed on the wedding invitation itself if there is room; if the ceremony and reception are held in the same location, you may print “and afterward at the reception” or “reception immediately following.” When the reception is elsewhere, the location goes on a different line. Include the time if the wedding reception is not immediately following the ceremony.
7. Dress Code
Wedding invitation etiquette dictates that the dress code, if it’s to be included on the invitation, is is the lower right hand corner of the invitation. If you don’t include a note on attire, the invitation will indicate the dress code. For example, if the invitation is very fancy, guests will likely anticipating a formal, black-tie affair, or conversely, if the invitation on the simpler side, that indicates a more casual dress code.
8. RSVP
Most couples choose to include rsvp date and contact in the card for their guests to response with. You also can have the separate response card if you have more budget or having people RSVP via your wedding website. If that’s the case, include the website address on a separate card, just as you would with an RSVP card, and indicate that guests can let you know if they can come directly on the site.
