Why standard wedding invitation wordings needn’t be your only option
Here’s the thing: you’d never use a ‘standard wording’ for any other letter to your friends and family. If you send letters or notecards to anyone, ever, then 1) you’re awesome! and 2) I bet they’re fun to read.
When you send your wedding invitations, don’t google ‘wedding invitation wordings’ (or worse – ‘standard invitation wordings’). In this case, Google is unintentionally evil with the results it throws back.
Contrary to what it tells you, etiquette is over.
You don’t need to follow any centuries-old rules to get your wedding invitations right!
Don’t be scared to use your own words. Your invites will be personal, unique and sound like they’re from YOU!
The whole ‘request the pleasure of your…’ thing seems a little stilted in 2016. Yes, it’s easy to use the formal phrasing, but you can stray from the path if you’d like to!
I’ve been writing most of my wedding invitation samples this year with alternative wordings. I’d like to think a little ingenuity can go a long way: perhaps seeing something different will convince a few couples it’s ok to go your own way with more inventive wordings!
If you haven’t finalised your invitations yet, then do consider breaking the mould. Most stationers will be happy to print an alternative wording for you – and many will be delighted to be different!
The only thing you need in your wedding invitation is the essential info:
- your names
- the date of your wedding
- and the time
- the venue
and a few ‘advisable to haves’ would be:
- RSVP date and details
- names of your hosts (if parents are paying, it’s kind of nice to mention them!)
The rest is up to you.
A favourite way to make your invites more personal and fun is to mention the party:
- delicious dinner and dancing until dawn
- bring your dancing shoes!
- followed by an evening of food, music, dancing, and laughter
- reception and happily ever after to follow
When it comes to handwritten invitations, short and sweet is best! It will save you time (if you’re writing your own) or money (if you’re hiring a calligrapher). And really, you can write whatever you like!
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