RPS Engagement Week: Wedding Invitation Wording Etiquette

Welcome back to Engagement Week at Rock Paper Scissors! All week long we've been sharing tips and advice surrounding engagements right here on the blog, and are posting wedding and engagement inspiration on Pinterest as well.

Today is all about wedding invitations - in particular, our guide to wording etiquette.

So you've found an invitation suite that you love - now it's time to make sure it's worded it correctly! There are 6 parts to traditional invitation wording: the hosts, the request, bride & groom, date & time, location, and ending. While there's room for creativity throughout the wedding and invitation process, it's important to know proper etiquette - that way you can know what rules (if any) that you want to break. Let's take a look at each traditional invitation wording component:

1. Hosts

• Married: Mr. and Mrs. John Smith
• Divorced: Mrs. Jane Smith and Mr. John Smith
• Divorced and Remarried: Mother of the bride is written first
• Parent has passed: Mr. John Smith and the late Jane Smith
• There are a variety a more unique host options as well: "Together with their families" (Bride Name & Groom Name) invite you to john them… Or if the Bride & Groom are hosting, "Together with our families, (Bride Name & Groom Name) invite you to join us…

2. The Request

• If it's a church ceremony, use: "Request the honor of your presence"
• If you're hosting a secular ceremony, feel free to use: "The pleasure of your company" or "invite you to join us as we celebrate" or other less traditional options.

3. Bride & Groom

• Bride is listed first with only first & middle name. If the bride does not share a last name with parents, the last name is also included.
• The groom is listed second, addressed as Mr. (or Dr., etc.) with first, middle & last name included.
• You may leave out middle names of both bride and groom, if desired.
• Having a same sex wedding? There's no rule in this case for which name comes first, but when in doubt, alphabetical order (of the last name) is always a safe bet.

4. Date & Time

• It is traditional to spell out the day, date, and year, with the day and month capitalized
• Do not write "and" in the year - for example, two thousand fifteen, not two thousand and fifteen

5. Location, Location, Location!

• Only the name of the venue (s) are typically written on the invitation
• Street addresses are suggested to be written on a card with directions, and additional information card, or your wedding website.

6. Ending The ending of your invitation will depend on what's planned, but the following are great options:

• Reception to follow
• Cocktails, Dinner & Dancing to follow
• Feast & Merriment to follow

Love what you see in the invitation wording samples above? Each photo is from a real couple who chose Rock Paper Scissors as their wedding invitation destination! We loved working with each of them, and we'd love to help your wedding invitation dreams come true.

To learn more about Rock Paper Scissors weddings, email weddings@rockpaperscissorsshop.com or make an appointment online today!