Once you and your fiance have compiled the guest lists, you should start thinking about your invitations. You will need to decide on the type of invitation (traditional/formal, contemporary, and informal) and the printing style (engraved, thermography, and offset printing). The invitations, along with any other stationery used, should be ordered approximately four months in advance, and mailed 6-8 weeks before the wedding. An invitation should be sent to each married or cohabiting couple on your guest list, the efficient and spouse, attendants, siblings, and parents. The R.S.V.P. date should be set at about three weeks before the wedding. As you receive denials, you can send out invitations to those you might have had to remove from the guest list. When you order your invitations, add 20% to your actual head count.
Invitation wording can be tricky when you have parents that are deceased, divorced, or remarried. The following are samples of different invitations:
Bride's Parents Sponsor: |
---|
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Smith request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Janet Smith to Mr. David Jones on Saturday, the first of May at two o'clock |
Groom's Parents Sponsor: |
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jones request the honor of your presence at the marriage of Miss Janet Louise Smith to their son Mr. David Brian Jones |
Bride and Groom's Parents Sponsor: |
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Smith and Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jones request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their children Miss Janet Louise Smith and Mr. David Brian Jones |
-or- |
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Smith request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Miss Janet Louise Smith to Mr. David Brian Jones son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jones |
Bride and Groom Sponsor: |
The honor of your presence is requested at the marriage of Miss Janet Louise Smith and Mr. David Brian Jones |
-or- |
Miss Janet Louise Smith and Mr. David Brian Jones request the honor of your presence at their marriage |
Bride's Mother Sponsors (not remarried): |
Mrs. Mary Ann Smith requests the honor of your presence at the marriage of her daughter Janet Louise |
Bride's Mother Sponsors (remarried): |
Mrs. Mary Ann Clark requests the honor of your presence at the marriage of her daughter Janet Louise Smith |
-or- |
Mr. and Mrs. James Walter Clark request the honor of your presence at the marriage of Mrs. Clark's daughter Janet Louise Smith |
If the father is sponsoring the wedding, the invitation would read the same as above with his name inserted. |
Bride's Divorced Parents Sponsor Together: |
Mrs. Mary Ann Clark Mr. Joseph Smith request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Janet Louise Smith |
Invitation wording for a military wedding:
The following is a guide on putting the invitation together with
enclosures:
Place the response card, along with any other enclosures, face up inside the invitation. Then place the invitation with enclosures, facing the back flap inside the inner envelope. The inner envelope should already have the guests names written on it. The inner envelope is placed unsealed inside the outer envelope with the names facing the back flap. When you address the envelopes for your invitations, the address should be hand written or calligraphy can be used.