Wedding Invitation Tips, FAQ’s, & Examples
The wedding invitation is where it all begins. It sets the tone for the style and theme of the event and gives guests their first glimpse into the tone of the big day! From more casual events to formal celebrations with details engraved on heavy card stock, there’s an endless variety of invitation styles to choose from.
There’s no exception when it comes to second wedding invitations. No matter if this is your first walk down the aisle or even a vow renewal, the invites should reflect the event. Below you’ll find some sample wedding invitation wording along with some of the top questions about sending, wording and addressing these special invites. If you have a question that isn’t answered here, please Ultimate Guide to Wedding Invitations to ask our wedding etiquette experts.
Our Favorite Sites for Wedding Invitations
Gone are the days of having to wait to deal with snooty invitation stores. There are so many great online stores that sell invitations. While there are hundreds of options, at Team Wedding, we have our favorites.
These online wedding invitation stores are each unique in their own way and most offer 24 hour shipping on most orders. Customizable full-color wedding invitations, announcements, and invites of all sizes, there is plenty of choice and great quality invitations. Personalize and preview your second wedding invitations and vow renewal invitations.
First up we have Wedding Paper Divas, a site that can guide you in any direction stylistically as well as creating moments (and paper trails) for the entire wedding event. From the bridal shower to the thank you cards, it’s a one-stop shop with exciting and fresh designs.
Minted is exclusively for wedding customers. Using independent artists to create their contemporary invitation designs, you’re getting something a bit more original when ordering from here.
Make Your Own Wedding Invitations
If you’re looking to trim some costs from your wedding budget or you’re a creative person, you can make your own wedding invitations. You don’t need any special skills or software to make your do-it-yourself invites. There are lots of great tools out there for the budding bride-to-be, including sites that teach you to make your own invitation to books and how-to guides for doing it all on your own completely.
On some of the wedding invitation websites, if you aren’t sure what’s involved or where to begin, they step you through the entire process. They will have a lot of materials and resources you’ll need as well as tutorials on how to do it all. You can create beautiful, personal DIY wedding invitations for your second wedding or vow renewal.
For true DIY wedding invitations, you can use some cool books or word templates to create them. For example, DIY Banded Invitations with Template allows you to do it all at home. You can also try Rustic Yet Modern DIY Wedding Invitation Template which are also super easy to master. There are lots of Wedding Invitation Template Resources online and many Crafty Ways to Make Your Wedding Invitations Unique.
Frequently Asked Questions About Wedding Invitations
Destination Wedding Invitation Etiquette
Question: This is my second wedding and my fiancé and I are planning a destination wedding. I sent my Save-the-Date cards and some of my guests have already told us that they cannot attend. Should I go ahead and send these people a wedding invitation?
Reply: Always send invitations to everyone who received Save-the-Date cards. Who knows? Their plans could change by the wedding date. Even if you hadn’t sent Save-the-Date cards, you would still send invitations to everyone you want to share in your day no matter if you thought they could attend or not. People can surprise you. It is always best to give them the choice of whether or not they wish to attend. Don’t worry about a guest feeling obligated to travel.
Handling “No Gifts Please” on Your Invitation
Question: My fiancé and I are in our forties and have both been married before. We really don’t need anything. How can we state on our invitations that we would rather not receive gifts? Can we simply write, “No Gifts Please”?
Reply: I love your focus, however, it’s not considered polite to mention gifts on a wedding invitation, wanting them or not. Any mention of gifts implies that you were expecting them and puts the focus on the gift rather than the invitation. The best method of relaying your preferences is by ‘word of mouth’ and on a personal wedding website. These are very simple to create and offer a great way to share your love story with all.
Hosting & Paying
Question: This is my second wedding and my fiancé’s third, so we are paying for our own wedding. How do we word the invitations? Should it be worded so that is appears as if my parents are hosting the wedding?
Reply: It is entirely your choice. If you want to assert that your parents are hosting, and they agree, then you may use the traditional form. However, many couples prefer to word their invitations as if they are hosting their weddings: The honour of your presence is requested at the marriage of bride and groom… or, Bride and Groom invite you to share… . here are more examples of a couple issuing the invitation.
Invitations From Children
Question: This is my second wedding and my children want to host my wedding. Can they issue my invitations? How is this done?
Reply: This is a very sweet way to begin your new lives together. Young children really can’t invite since they’re too young to host (and pay). But, if they are adults, this would be fine. Your children’s names would be listed first on your invitation from the oldest to the youngest. If your fiancé has children who wish to co-host, their names would be listed under your children’s names from oldest to youngest. Example wording for children issuing wedding invitations.
Plus One Not Included:
Question: We’re tight on a budget and can only hold so many people at our venue, do we have to include plus ones on the invitation?
Reply: Everyone on the guest list that is married or knowingly has a significant other should be allowed to bring their plus one. If you want to make this more specific, address the names of their plus one on the invitation to ensure who is and – is not – invited on the big day.
No Gifts Please
Question: My fiancé and I are in our forties and we really don’t need anything. How can we state on our invitations that we would rather not receive gifts? Can we simply write, “No Gifts Please”?
Reply: I love your focus, however, it’s not considered polite to mention gifts on a wedding invitation, wanting them or not. Any mention of gifts implies that we were expecting them and puts the focus on the gift rather than the invitation. The best method of relaying your preferences is by ‘word of mouth’ and on a personal wedding website. These are very simple to create and offer a great way to share your love story with all.
Paying Means Hosting:
Question: This is my second wedding and my fiancés third, so we are paying for our wedding. How do we word the invitations? Should it be worded so that is appears as if my parents are hosting the wedding?
Reply: It is entirely your choice. If you want to assert that your parents are hosting, and they agree, then you may use the traditional form. However, many couples prefer to word their invitations as if they are hosting their weddings: The honour of your presence is requested at the marriage of bride and groom… or, Bride and Groom invite you to share… . here are more examples of a couple issuing the invitation.
Do We Follow Up With Guests:
Question: It’s getting close to the wedding date and some of our guests haven’t RSVP’d? Is there an easy/appropriate way to handle a follow up?
Reply: Shoot them an e-mail or give them a quick phone call. Whoever is closer to the guests – you or the groom – should handle that particular person. You can even ask you parents to help you out in contacting. Caterers and the like may need head counts and your guests should be respectful.
Children Sending Second Wedding Invitations:
Question: This is my second wedding and my children want to host my wedding. Can they issue my invitations? How is this done?
Reply: This is a very sweet way to begin your new lives together. Young children really can’t invite since they’re too young to host (and pay). But, if they are adults, this would be fine. Your children’s names would be listed first on your invitation from the oldest to the youngest. If your fiancé has children who wish to co-host, their names would be listed under your children’s names from oldest to youngest. Example wording for children issuing wedding invitations.
E-mail or Handwritten?
Question: My fiancé and I want a small, informal affair. May I e-mail or handwrite my wedding invitations? I want to keep our expenses low.
Reply: For an informal wedding, you may send any type of invitation you wish. E-mailing your wedding invitations may not be your best choice since e-mail is sometimes unreliable and some guests may not have e-mail. Snail mail is always more intimate and, sometimes, e-mail gets deleted, stuck in a junk folder or unread for weeks. Yet, verbally inviting your guests is also acceptable, personal, intimate, and free!
