Expert Tips

[Guide] Wedding Invitation Styles, Wording and Free Printables

WEDDING STATIONERY & WEDDING INVITATIONS

So, you’ve decided to invite a few people to your wedding, now you need to send them an engagement announcement, wedding invitation and, of course, a thank you card afterward too. Your wedding invitations and stationery set the stage for your big day. It’s the first impression your guests will receive and a way to string along that ethos from start to finish, one that’s sewn throughout the entire event.

From the save-the-dates to the programs and the place cards, the choices can be overwhelming. Whether your theme of a contemporary vision, filled with florals, neatly nautical or even completely classic, you’ll need to hone in on the designs you love and choose a route during the planning process.

Take your time going through and checking out these gorgeous wedding invitations, the beautiful photos, and bouts of wedding inspiration apparent throughout our list of sites below.

 

Wedding Invitation Styles:

The good news is that there are tons of different wedding invitations styles and designs. The bad news is that there are tons of different wedding invitations styles and designs. The options are endless and couples can easily get thrown down a rabbit hole of decision.

Start by narrowing things down by matching your styles to your wedding themes. If you’re having an elegant event, then you should focus on elegant and high-end invitations. Ones with posh appeal and maybe even with gold-foil accents, for example.

There are also vintage, rustic, art deco, modern, DIY and many more choices. Browse tons of designs in a variety of sizes, shapes, materials, and layouts—​then completely personalize your favorite to fit your vision.

Remember to have some fun too, choosing invites can be stressful so enjoy the moment.

Pro tip: Check out invites made with materials other than paper. Acrylic is gorgeous and super trendy right now!

Wedding Invitation Wording: 

The wording on your invitation should correspond with the formality and style of your wedding. From formal to casual, the wording should reflect the tone you’d like to set. Every wedding invitation should include these elements: host{s}, the couple getting married, time, date and location. But be inspired and infuse your personal styles! Choose wording that complements your situation and spirit of your wedding.

Tips:

  • Check with your officiant for style specifics but traditionally—​if a couple marries in a house of worship, the request line wording reads “request the honor”.
  • Words, dates, and numbers are typically spelled out, and the only abbreviations are Mr. and Mrs.
  • Punctuation is typically found only in the time, date, or location.
  • If the bride’s parents are hosting and the daughter shares their last name, it can be omitted from the invitation.

Wording Example:

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Johnson

request the honor of your presence

at the marriage of their daughter

Anna Evelyn

to

Mr. John Michael Smith

Saturday, the twenty-third of July

two thousand nineteen

at five o’clock

Grace Fellowship Church

Osceola, Wisconsin

“Thank You” Wording Quotes:

  • Thank you for sharing our special day with us.
  • We are blessed to have such wonderful friends and family.
  • We sincerely thank you for adding to the joy of our special day with your presence and thoughtful gift.
  • We appreciate your thoughtfulness.
  • On this day of joy, we thank you for joining us in the celebration of our love and the beginning of our new life together.

RSVP Wording Examples:

_____ graciously accepts

_____ regretfully declines

_____ Yes! See you soon

_____ Sorry! Love to but can’t

Please reply on or before July 12, 2019

OR

_____ graciously accepts

_____ regretfully declines

___ Chicken ___ Steak ___ Seafood

Please reply on or before July 12, 2019

Reception Card Wording Example:

Reception Cards are often sent when the reception is being held at a different location than the ceremony.

Please join us for

Dinner and Dancing

at 5’oclock

Wathah Reception Hall

Roslyn, NY

Second Wedding Invitations Wording Examples:

It’s also important to note, best online invitations destinations all have more muted and classic options for second-time marriages. We like that because as older brides ourselves we have found of the more modern and recent designs that the online invitation sites offer to be a little “too much” in terms of design.

HOW TO CREATE EXTRAVAGANT WEDDING INVITATIONS

Every couple wishes to have the most special and memorable wedding and for that, they come up with original ideas for decorations and adornments that extend up to the wedding invitations.

But luckily the diversity that we benefit from nowadays allows one to combine the more natural of styles with the most luxurious and create a ravishing mix. Just as a royal wedding imposes, you are responsible for creating a flawless event that is a must to start with glamorous wedding invitations that will dictate the code for the rest of the wedding.

You cannot simply choose a model and order it in bulk; these types of events ought to be thoroughly planned and everything has to match not leaving anything on the outside. As such, the wedding invitations have to be in perfect accordance with the theme, the wedding attire of the bride and the groom, the venue and its décor. It has to be a strong connection between all of these otherwise you risk having your wedding labeled as kitschy.

It is well known that precious metals are the clearest indicators of luxury so you must not neglect them when it comes to the invitations either. The design ought to express elegance, as well and the color scheme ought to scream royalty.

THE ANATOMY OF A WEDDING INVITATION

Here’s a list of the most important items in a wedding invitation suite.

​The Invitation

Your wedding invitation should feature all the details of your wedding. Names, date and time, and the ceremony venue and address.

Reception Card

The main invitation can get too busy with detail if you have a separate reception so this is a nice way to include a little card with the time and location (with address) of the reception.​

Response Card (and Envelope)

Guests fill out and mail a response card to let you know if they can or cannot attend your wedding. Be sure to provide a due date (usually 2-3 weeks before the event) so that guests know to RSVP in a timely fashion.​

You’ll also need to include an addressed, stamped envelope so that guests can easily send their response cards back.

Direction Card

While everybody has a cell phone with maps these days, it is still nice to provide clearly-worded directions to use on a card.

Envelope

This is the main envelope that features both the guests’ names and mailing address, as well as the return address. Hand-calligraphy provides a classic look to these outer envelopes.

Apart from the typical golden and platinum shades, you could experiment with electric blue and emerald green. Purple, though, remains the royal color, so you cannot go wrong with the usage of its entire palette. You could try an ombre style with it, but do not forget about the motifs.

A luxurious wedding invitation ought to feature an intricate design with a lot of subtle details. Using expensive fabrics to create ribbons and bows is an expressive way of informing your guests about the type of event they are invited to attend. Vintage brooches are also good embellishers to go for. Just make sure they are eye-catching, and in this sense, rhinestones will help.

Make a mental sketch of how you would like your invitations to look and then start the seeking. If you do not find anything that resembles your sketch you can make a drawing and present it to the ones in charge of their printing. Do not settle for anything less than what your event requires.

16 Free Wedding Printables

Wedding printables are amazing DIY helpers when it comes to wedding planning. We searched the internet to find 16 amazing printables for you to download. These are great ways to add a personal touch to your day, plus they are all free!

These amazing illustrated table numbers from IW will make a stunning addition to your settings.

Illustrated Table Numbers (by IW)

Drink Labels (by Eat Drink Chic)Small Desserts Flags (by Elli)

Candy Bars Tags (by The Pretty Blog)

Cute Coffee Cup Sleeves (by Elli)

TBridesmaid Cards (by Something Pretty)able Signs & Set (by Snippet & Ink)Printable Instagram Sign (by Pretty Little Palace)Edible Favor Label (by The TomKat Studio)Fun-filled Book for Kids (by Lovely Indeed)Printable Cupcake Toppers (by Notepourri)Wedding Invitation (by A Handcrafted Wedding)Bridesmaid Cards (by Something Pretty)Invitation Template (by Wedding Chicks)Postage Stamps (by Yes Baby Daily)Drink Tickets (by Evermine!)

WHAT YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT WEDDING INVITATION ETIQUETTE

  1. The most important elements of a wedding invitation are:

The names of the bride and the groom;

The date, time, and location of the wedding;

The date, time, and location of the reception;

All the necessary RSVP information.

  1. Invitations notice of at least four weeks:

Four week’s notice is ideal for simple, in-town weddings. If it is going to be an out-of-town wedding, then at least six weeks is recommended. For a destination wedding, you need to give at least three to six months notice.

  1. Remember special Instructions:

If there are any special instructions to be included in the invitation, like children not allowed, no sit-down dinner or reception requires a separate invitation, then be sure to put it clearly on the card.

  1. Don’t forget the dress code:

Make sure you mention any dress code requirements for your wedding invitation. Add words like black tie, casual, smart casual or cocktail attire. If you want them to come dressed in clothes of a particular color, put it in there as well.

See also
  1. Invited Parties.

Some weddings are supposed to be a solemn, very intimate affair. Putting ‘and guest’ or ‘guests’ after the name of the invited person clearly gives them the right to ask other people to come to your wedding.

4 Ways to Tell Guests “Kids Aren’t Invited To Our Wedding”

Option 1: Straight to the point

Simple, direct and there will be no confusion. Somewhere on your invitation you should come out and say:

No children

Adults only

Adult wedding and reception

Adult only affair

Option 2: Subtle is the way

WARNING. The subtle way sometimes doesn’t work. To be subtle you add the specific names of the adult guests on the RSVP card.

May want to confirm verbally that you aren’t expecting children.

Option 3: Lie!!! It’s not your decision

It’s not uncommon for wedding venues to specify no children, and sometimes you just know that a venue isn’t child-friendly. Include one of the following statements on your invitation if this is the case:

Due to restrictions at our venue, children are not invited;

Management requests no children under 16.

Option 4: Sugarcoat it

Approach the situation delicately with something cute and thoughtful:

In order to allow all guests, including parents, an evening of relaxation we have chosen for our wedding day to be an adult-only occasion. We hope this advance notice means you can still join.

Addressing & Sending Wedding Invitations

Wedding invitations are much more than just a single envelope. The are several enclosures and there is some etiquette involved in how things are ordered.​

Before You Start

  • Give yourself lots of time to assemble and mail all invitations.
  • Order extra envelopes. You will make mistakes.
  • Think carefully about your reply address. Gifts are likely to be sent to the return address on the outer envelope.
  • Organize the master guest list in a spreadsheet. You will refer to it for multiple things so it will be valuable to be prepared.

How to Address the Envelopes

  • Double-check the spelling of your guests’ names before addressing the envelopes.
  • Invitations are always addressed to both members of a married couple.

The Inner Envelope

The inner envelope bears the title and last names of the specific people invited. This allows the host to be very clear about who is invited, and by omission, who is not invited.​

For example, the inner envelope for Mr. and Mrs. Robert Firestone and the two Firestone children, Connor and Peter, would be written:

Mr. and Mrs. Firestone

Connor Darling

Peter Darling

The Outer Envelope

The outer envelope is addressed conventionally using titles, first, (middle), and last names. An invitation to an unmarried couple residing at the same address is addressed with both names connected by “and.” Use one or two lines, depending on length.

While titles are abbreviated (Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr.) all other words such as “Street,” or “Boulevard” are spelled out. State names may be written in full or use the two-letter postal code abbreviation. Middle initials aren’t used, so either write out the middle name or omit it. Generally, an invitation to parents and children is addressed to the parents: Mr. and Mrs. Peter Roseweld

To an unmarried couple living together: Invitations to an established couple who are unmarried but live at the same address are addressed to “Ms. Joselle Bridgetta and Mr. Mike Munlever,” on one line.

To a married woman doctor or two married doctors:  If the woman uses her husband’s name socially, the address is “Dr. Jessica and Mr. Robert Deltor.” If she uses her maiden name both professionally and socially, it is “Dr. Jessica Deltro and Mr. Robert Deltor.” If the husband is also a doctor, the address is either “The Drs. Deltor”.

How to add “and Guest”

Since it’s awkward and impersonal to address the outer envelope as “Mr. Peter Porter and Guest,” the two envelope system works well. Address the outer envelope to “Mr. Peter Porter” and the inner envelope to “Mr. Peter Porter and Guest.”

How to Stuff the Envelopes

  1. When two envelopes (inner and outer) are used, insert the invitation (folded edge first for a folded invitation, left edge for a single card invitation), so that you see the printed side of the invitation when the envelope flap is opened.
  2. When there are enclosures—reply card and envelope, map, printed directions, etc.—they are placed on top of the printed side of the invitation, with their printed sides up, in size order with the smallest on top. Again, when the flap is opened, the printed side should be visible. If the invitation is folded, insertions are stacked in size order—smallest on top—but within the fold. Tissues are optional. If used, they are placed on top of the invitation and below any enclosures. If the invitation is folded, they are inserted into the fold.
  3. The inner envelope is then placed unsealed in the outer envelope, so when the outer envelope flap is lifted, the name(s) of the guest(s) is visible.
  4. Before sealing the outer envelope, double- and triple-check that the names on the inner and outer envelopes match up.

Mailing

Before you buy stamps, take an assembled invitation to the post office and have it weighed. It’s likely that the inserts, or even an unusually shaped envelope, will call for extra postage. The post office usually has wedding-themed stamps that will cover the cost of most invitations with enclosures. Some post offices may be out of stock, however, so leave time to find them at another branch or to order them online.​

Remember that maps and other inserts sent to out-of-town guests will make those invitations heavier than ones sent to local guests and may require a postage adjustment. In that case, be sure to assemble two sets and have both weighed.

Lastly, ask at your post office if it is possible to have your envelopes hand-stamped. This produces a different postmark (often considered more attractive) than if your invitations were run through an automatic sorter.

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