Proper Wording
General wording dos and don’ts:
- No periods (.) at the end of a line
- First letter of each line is not capitalized unless it is a proper noun (for example, “Sunday, the fifth of October” is correct, or, “on Sunday, the fifth of October” is correct
- Time and date are written out (half after five o’clock, September first, two thousand and three; two thousand three is also correct and more formal)
- Only events taking place in houses of worship would have the phrase “the honour of your presence” used on the invitations. Otherwise, it’s appropriate to use “request the pleasure of your company
Proper Addressing
Here are some basic rules for addressing your invitations:
- Couples who live together receive a single invitation. Address it the same way you’d address the invitation of a married couple with different last names—alphabetically, on separate lines of the envelope
- Address an invitation to a married couple, both doctors like this: The Doctors Smith. It’s that simple. If they are married, but have different last names, list both names in alphabetical order (on separate lines): Dr. Benton, and on the next line, Dr. Smith
- Married couple, one a doctor: the spouse with the professional title is listed first. Dr. Kate Lawler and Mr. Brian Lawler or Dr. and Mr. Lawler
- A widow is traditionally addressed as “Mrs. John Smith”, but if you feel the guest may not want to be addressed that way, ask how she prefers to be addressed
- A divorced woman who has kept her married name should be addressed as Ms. Jane Alden
- A couple who does not live together technically should be sent their own invitation, but it’s not incorrect to simply send the invitation to the person you are closer to with both names listed alphabetically (each on its own line)
Proper Mailing:
Mailing your invitations can be daunting, so use these tips to avoid common pitfalls:
- Mail “Save the Date” cards to out-of-town guests as soon as your wedding date and location are set. Including information about hotels now, instead of sending it with your invitations.
- Mail invitations six to eight weeks before your wedding date. When you have a large number of out-of-town guests, eight weeks will allow them time to complete reservations and secure travel arrangements more economically.
- Date your response cards to be returned to you at least two weeks before your big day.
- Have a return address on the back flap of your mailing envelope. The return address should be that of the person whom you’ve designated to receive response cards—be it the bride’s mother, the groom’s mother, or the couple themselves. The response card envelope should be printed with the same address
