Invitation Etiquette

Credit: wedding-ross.com

Your wedding invitation is the first formal approach to set the mood for the wedding and reception. It is important to recognize the formalities and etiquette prior to sending the invite to your guests. The slightest mishap can alter the impression you are trying to set for your big day, so make sure to dot your I’s and cross your T’s with this Do’s and Don’ts checklist.

Do’s

• Do use the third person for formal invitations
• Do use the phrase “request the honor of your presence” for a ceremony in a church
• Do use the phrase “request the pleasure of your company” for an off-site ceremony
• Do spell out numbers in the date and the year. (twenty-fifth of September)
• Do spell out numerals in times. (five after five o’clock)
• Do capitalize the first word of the invitation and all proper nouns.
• Do name titles for medical doctors, doctor should be spelled out.

Don’ts

• Don’t use commas or periods at the end of a line, line breaks serve as punctuation.
• Don’t include any reference to gifts or the registry.
• Don’t hint that you are not allowing children. Have this information conveyed by family, bridesmaids, and other friends.
• Don’t include information about post-wedding events on the invitation itself. Rehearsal dinner, bridal shower, bachelor and bachelorette parties, and day-after brunch deserve their own invitation.