wedding invitation wording - 5 tips from a 2023 bride + wedding stationer
So you’re getting married, congratulations!
No matter where you are on your wedding planning journey, it can be daunting when it comes to sending your invitations, knowing what to include, and what you should and shouldn’t say to the expectant guests of your big day.
I got married in May this year, and as I am a wedding stationer and have been lucky enough to work with hundreds of lovely couples on their wedding stationery over the years, it was a no brainer that I would design our invitations. But when it came to designing my own it was tough to decide what to have (so be reassured that planning a wedding can be daunting even for the professionals!) I felt there may be an expectation for our invitations to be really elaborate, but after some thinking I realised that as long as myself and my now husband (!) were happy, then that was all that mattered. If you hadn’t already guessed, I love flowers and design. He, however, loves minimalism. So we decided to marry them together (no pun intended) and to let my floral illustrations and our wedding website do all the talking, and keep the wording super simple.
Which leads me nicely to hot tip number one:
1. FOCUS ON WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO YOU
If you find yourself trying to please your Great Auntie Joan once removed and losing sight on what is meaningful for you as a couple, then this is your sign to take a step back, pause for a second and look at the bigger picture.
Remember that it’s your day.
Know that you want to go all out on the invites with fancy matching details cards, corresponding RSVP’s and an illustrated map? This is your time to shine! Want to include a drawing of your dog? I’m here for it! Or perhaps you’re both award winning poets and want to include your poems within your wedding invitations. Whatever it is that will feel individual to you, you make the rules.
The amount of text you can include will be dictated by the design, layout and card size you choose. For example, a ready to order design will already have an editable text layout, or if you choose to go bespoke then the world is your oyster. Have a brainstorm of your ideal wedding invitation scenario and an idea of your budget and work with your designer to make your dreams become a reality.
real wedding WORDING EXAMPLES
…for no kids at your wedding
2. your invitations set the tone
Your wedding invites (and/or save the dates) are the first thing your guests will see, and the first thing that will get them excited for your big day!
It’s completely up to you how traditional you go with your wording, and I always recommend reflecting the overall feel your wedding day will have in the text that you choose.
For example, if you’re having a formal, black tie, sit down wedding breakfast that your parents are hosting in a luxury manor house, you might want to consider following a traditional example:
-FORMAL-
’David and Claire Hennesey & Peter and Moira Blossom
invite you to join them in celebrating
the marriage of
Chloë Grace Hennesey & Paul Robert Blossom’
Or, if you’ve hired a massive field for a bank holiday weekend, with a tipi and bands playing for a laid back festival wedding with fancy dress and wellies required, perhaps a non-traditional wording template is more for you:
-INFORMAL-
’Ruby & Sam are getting hitched!
Join us for a weekend of festival fun
and help us celebrate our ‘I-dos’’
3. don’t forget the main details
Such as:
Names
Date
Time
Reception venue/time (if different)
How and when to RSVP by
-STEP ONE-
Now this is an important one, once you’ve both drafted out your wedding stationery text: Get it proof-read. Ideally, by both someone who is involved with the wedding planning (your mum/maid of honour/brother) and can point out any key information that may be missing.
-STEP TWO-
Once you receive your initial proofs from your wedding stationer it will all start to feel exciting and real! Double check over your design and make sure you’re happy with the general layout and the way the text sits and is easy to read. This is the time to make any changes.
-STEP THREE-
Get it proof-read a second time! Once you receive your final proofs, you are almost ready to send to print. I would recommend getting it proof-read by someone different this time. Perhaps a friend or colleague who could make sure it reads well and is understood from an outside perspective, and that there are no big mistakes that would result in a re-print.
real wedding WORDING EXAMPLES
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4. lose the rsvp cards
Perhaps a controversial opinion, but most of your guests will genuinely lose them or simply not send them back. Save yourself some time, money and effort (and the cost of a stamp for your guests!) and bring your RSVP into the digital age. I’m seeing much more of this now, with many couples opting to forgo paper RSVPs in favour of a wedding website, a dedicated email address or simply just including your phone number.
(Don’t be disheartened if you do choose to include them however, as they can be a really cute little addition to your wedding stationery suite!)
And do remember to ask your guests for dietary requirements, and give them a date to respond by.
Which leads me nicely to…
5. prepare yourself to be asked lots of questions
No matter how simple and easy to understand your invitation wording is, regardless of how organised you are, and how much you feel you’ve conveyed your wedding plans inside and out. I guarantee that you will get at least 20% of guests, at some point, asking something that you’ve already told them.
Whilst they will be over the moon and looking foward to celebrate with you, the nature of sending invitations is that it’s often done very far in advance. And so, after the initial excitement, this hopefully small percentage of your nearest and dearest will forget to RSVP, they’ll ask what time the ceremony is, what DAY the ceremony is, they won’t read your beautifully crafted wedding website, your thoughtfully designed stationery suite and they will definitely lose the all important invitation that they’ve had ‘somewhere safe’ for months. So prepare yourself and fingers crossed your guests will pleasantly surprise you!
It may feel stressful in the run up, but know that it will all pay off on the day - the feeling of having all our favourite people together in the same place and so full of love is pure magic. Bonus picture of our Spring (but felt like the height of Summer) wedding day captured by the incredible talented Maytree Photography if you’ve got this far.
Any questions?