NAMES

It is customary to have the bride's name first on all wedding stationery. For same-sex couples, we suggest listing the person with the shorter name on top (if the design has the names stacked).

Formal:
If you are adding the bride’s parents to the introduction section, the bride’s last name can be omitted; if the parents are divorced, then the last name can be added for clarity. Middle names can also be added. The groom’s name is listed in full, or his first and middle names followed by the line “Son of Mr. & Mrs. John Doe”.

For a less formal feel, you may opt to list first names only.

DETAILS

Timing
For a formal ceremony, the date and time should be spelled out in full. For example, if your ceremony is on April 26, 2025 at 6 p.m., the wording should read, “Saturday, the twenty sixth of April, two thousand twenty-five (no “and” in the year), at half after six in the evening”.

This is just a guide; modern invitation design often has times listed by numerals, so we suggest using what works best for the design layout.

Evening begins at five o’clock; from noon until 4 pm is considered afternoon.

Location
List the ceremony venue as follows: “Venue Name” on one line with “City, State” (spelled out in full) on the following line. Street addresses are only included if it is a private residence.

RECEPTION

If the wedding ceremony and reception are being hosted in the same location, you can simply state “Reception to follow” or “Dinner and dancing to follow”. If it is being held at another location, on a separate details card you can include the venue & address of the location (or on your website).

If you’re not serving a full meal, we suggest indicating this with “hors d'oeuvres & merriment to follow” or "Join us after the ceremony for cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and dancing” or something similar.

ATTIRE

Typically attire is not listed on the invite, unless it is black tie. Any other type of suggestions for attire should be on a separate enclosure card and/or your website.

WHAT NOT TO INCLUDE

• Website Addresses: These should be reserved for enclosure cards, vellum, or hang tags
• Attire: Anything other than black tie
• Venue Address: Only if it is a private residence

REPLY CARDS

These cards are small, to collect only the pertinent information. These details need to be kept to a minimum, as there is limited wording for this card.

DEADLINE DATE

The deadline date should be a minimum of 4-5 weeks in advance of your ceremony; the year isn’t listed for the date if the wedding is taking place in the same year as mailing the invitation suite.

ACCEPT / DECLINE

As a way to determine who is attending, you can have different options to note this.

Accepts, or accepts with pleasure
Declines, regrets, or declines with regret

NUMBER OF GUESTS ATTENDING

If you have a strict guest count and need to specify how many can attending, typically “we have reserved _ seats in your honor” can be added. Prior to mailing, you can write in the number on the card while stuffing the envelopes.

MEAL CHOICES (IF APPLICABLE)

Meal choices can be indicated by words (chicken, beef, vegetarian, etc.) or icons. For words, please note that the full title of the meal won’t fit on a traditional card; just single words to note which type.

If you need to know which selection is needed for each guest, a short phrase such as “initial next to entrée choice” will suffice.

If you are requiring to provide food allergies to your caterer, we suggest using a short phrase such as “dietary restrictions”.

GUEST NAMES

This is required so you can know who is attending.

DETAIL CARDS

These cards are perfect for directing your guests to your website, online RSVP’s, accommodations, reception location information, attire and special events. Short, easy to read wording is best for these cards.

Example:

Welcome Drinks
{location name, address}
{Date & Time}

Accommodations
We have a block of rooms at
{hotel name}
Please book prior to {date}
to receive the discounted rate

More Information
for details, please visit
{website}

ONLINE RSVP’S

If you are opting to collection your responses via your website, make sure you include the deadline date. This is best combined with the website, so they are reading this along with the website address.

Details & RSVP
For more information,
and to respond by {date}
please visit
{website}

or

For More Information
and to respond by {date}
please visit
{website}