How to word your Contemporary Wedding Invitations

There are so many formalities when it comes to wedding invitation etiquette that it can make your head spin. The good news is that if you’re planning a contemporary or less traditional wedding, there is much more scope to word your invitations as you see fit.

Contemporary wording is becoming more and more popular with modern brides as it gives them an opportunity to express the way they feel about their marriage. You may for example wish to ‘warmly invite’ your guests to your wedding. If your parents are hosting your wedding they may like to convey the depth of their happiness by saying they are ‘proud to invite’ guests on the ‘joyful occasion’ of your wedding, or they may wish to invite guests to ‘share in our joy’ as you ‘exchange marriage vows’.

For an up-to-date but still formal feel it’s perfectly acceptable to combine some traditional phrases with more modern wording. This is a great way to get the best of both worlds. Here are some other guidelines on how to word invitations to a contemporary or less formal wedding.

• You may wish to use the first person (we cordially invite) rather than the third person (Mr and Mrs), or use the first and last names of your parents.
• Your invitations should include the following information: the names of the hosts (usually the bride’s parents), what the event is (ceremony and / or reception), when it will be held, where it will take place, directions or a map to the venue, and the RSVP date and address.
• The bride’s name should appear before the groom’s name.
• If you are American it is considered acceptable to use American spelling rather than the more traditional British spelling still expected of traditional invitations.
• One invitation can be sent to a couple and their children, however a separate invitation should be sent to those over the age of eighteen.
• Although traditionally it’s not considered polite to include details of your gift list with your invitation, more and more modern brides are now doing this. The best advice is to consider who you will be inviting and how they would feel about you including a gift list. If in doubt, go without and ask your bridesmaids and parents to circulate details on where you are registered on request.

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