We often get questions about how to choose the right wording for wedding invitations. It can be a little confusing trying to figure out how to clearly communicate the details and the style of your event. Most importantly, remember that the wording should reflect the overall style of your special day. Whether you're having a formal affair or a backyard shindig, we have a simple guide to help you navigate wedding wording etiquette. 

Invitations:
Below are some examples of wedding invitations we have printed recently with different wording variations, as well as some other tips.

For the bride and groom's names, if  you're having a traditional wedding, use full names: Sarah Elizabeth Smith and Adam Thomas Brown
If you're having a more casual wedding, you can use just your first names: Sarah and Adam

For the parents hosting a traditional wedding: Mr. and Mrs. John Smith
For the parents hosting a more informal wedding: John and Rachel Smith

If  your ceremony is in a place of worship: request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter
If your ceremony is in a secular location: request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter

If the ceremony and reception take place in the same venue: Cocktails, dinner and dancing to follow
If the ceremony and reception are at different locations: Reception immediately following, Countryside Hotel
Or you can use a totally different separate reception card, but make sure to mention the time if the reception does not immediately follow.

Couple Hosting with Both Parents

Couple Hosting

Bride's Parents Hosting

Bride and Groom's Parents Hosting Together

Bride's Parents Hosting; mention Groom's Parents

Divorced Parents Hosting

Response Cards:
Response cards should always have a respond by date, shown clearly at the top or bottom of the card. You can opt for a simple design, with a blank space for your guests to write a note, or spell everything out for them to make sure they provide with all the pertinent information.

Sometimes, you will need your guests to choose an entree option. In this case, you can use wording such as: Please initial an entree option for each guest

If you have many events, and need to know how many of your guests will be attending each, you can add a space that says: Number Attending

You may also provide a space for guests to let you know of any dietary restrictions by noting it and leaving a space at the bottom of the card.

Open Response Card

Response with Events

Response with Meal Choices

Open Response on Colored paper

The winter blues are real, so we're thinking of sunny days in Mexico to pass the time. Last year, we designed these invitations for a lovely couple having a destination wedding. They wanted to incorporate the symbol of a zia sun into the design, as well as a nod to the beach with a wave illustration. We created a custom monogram featuring the sun and their initials. We letterpress printed the suite in gold and a subtle tint, including a custom envelope liner. Overall, it had an elegant, but laid back vibe, much like a destination wedding in Mexico!

We loved working on these invitations for Elaine and Euan for their destination wedding in Scotland last year. They wanted invitations that were modern, yet formal and our Hudson design fit the bill. For a more personal touch, we added an image of the castle they were married in to the top of the invite, and a floral image that they supplied to the information card. The whole set was letterpress printed in charcoal gray and bright red ink on warm white paper.

Fun fact: Wedding Breakfast is a term used by our friends across the pond in the UK. Traditionally, the bride and groom are fasting prior to the prior to their wedding, and would thus be breaking their fast at the reception.

We designed and printed these pale green wedding invitations for a sweet couple getting married at Blue Hill at Stone Barns this Spring. The invitation set is based on our Pale Floral design, but with a minty green twist. Each card features a different floral arrangement in green with charcoal gray text which looks lovely on a soft white paper. These letterpress invitations feel like a breath of fresh, spring air and are helping us get through the winter blues.

Here's a sneak peek of a wedding suite we worked on this winter. We're in love with the bright yellow painted edges on the invitation cards! It's such an unique wedding color, that catches your eye right away. Stay tuned for more shots of this Park City letterpress suite...

Last year, we worked with a wonderful couple who was planning a romantic wedding in the French countryside. What a dream! Ven and Adrian came to us with some lovely floral illustrations, so we designed the text around them and letterpress printed Save the Date cards and invitations. Eventually they hand painted elements of the floral drawings, so each card was truly unique. The couple's wedding was featured on Style Me Pretty and we are swooning over the beautiful details and scenery. You can read more and check out a gallery of their gorgeous wedding here.

Photos by 2 Brides Photography, featured on Style Me Pretty

We worked with a lovely couple last year to create letterpress invitations for their wedding at the Lyndhurst Estate in Tarrytown, New York. They were drawn to a couple of our wedding designs (Hudson and Vintage NYC), so we combined elements from both to come up with a unique set of invitations. We used a vintage image of the estate on the top of the navy and gold card. The set has a very regal feeling, fitting their beautiful venue.

We love these modern letterpress invitations we designed and printed for a wedding this fall. The couple wanted something a little understated and fresh feeling and we think this hits that mark. They opted for rich black ink on warm white paper and we played with some fun line variation on each of the cards.