At Brown Sugar Design, we believe that your invitations should reflect your individual style. Whether that style be formal or contemporary, we are always available to assist in choosing an appropriate wording.

While tradition has long dictated invitation wording, rules of etiquette have loosened to accommodate changing times and wedding trends. The wording of your invitations and accessories should ultimately fit the invitation’s design, be it formal, playful, or traditional. It should also fit your personality and keep in step with the mood of your wedding. Listed below are a few guidelines commonly used, both formal and informal. Keep in mind that the end result should be something you and you future spouse are happy with.

Invitations commonly follow a pattern, even when not worded in a traditional way:

Host
Request
Bride and Groom
Date and Time
Location
Reception

The Host Line
Traditionally, the host of the wedding is the individual(s) who will be paying for the event. Many couples today wish to include their families and those whom they care for regardless of monetary responsibility.

Bride’s Parents hosting:
Mr. and Mrs. John Smith
or (less formal)
John and Eliza Smith

Bride and Groom’s Parents hosting together: (Bride’s Parents should always be listed first)
Mr. and Mrs. John Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Walters
or (less formal)
John and Eliza Smith
Lance and Sharon Walters

Bride’s Parents hosting with mention of Groom’s Parents:
Mr. and Mrs. John Smith
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Samantha Rose
to
Mr. Carter Gary Edwards
son of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Walters

Couple hosting:
Samantha Smith
and
Carter Walters

Couple hosting, with mention of both families:
Together with their families,
Samantha Smith
and
Carter Walters

Divorced Parents hosting:
Ms. Eliza Smith
Mr. and Mrs. John Smith

The Request Line:
The request line will vary depending on whether or not the ceremony is to be held in a house of worship or in a secular location.

Ceremony to be held at a religious location:
request the honour of your presence

Ceremony to be held at a secular location:
request the pleasure of your company
or
would be delighted by your presence

Informal (couple hosting):
invite you to share in the joy of their wedding day
or
invite you to join them in celebrating their wedding

The Bride and Groom Lines:
The Bride’s name should always be listed first. If last names are expressed elsewhere on the invitations (with the parents’ names) you may choose to use only first and middle names.

Traditional:
Samantha Rose
to
Mr. Carter Gary Walters

Informal (Parents Hosting):
Samantha Rose
to
Carter Gary

Informal (Couple Hosting):
Samantha Rose Smith
to
Carter Gary Walters

The Date and Time Lines:
A traditional approach requires that the date and time be spelled out rather than numbered.

Traditional:
Saturday, the fourth of February,
Two thousand and six
at six o’clock in the evening

Informal:
Saturday, February 4th, 2006
6:00 pm

The Location Line:
If the ceremony is to be held at a well-known location, the address does not need to be provided.

Ceremony held at a place of worship:
Center Church
Lopez Island

Ceremony held at a secular location:
The Fairmont Hotel
Seattle, Washington

Ceremony held at an unknown location:
The Smith Residence
5565 Harrison Avenue
Seattle, Wahington

The Reception Line:
If not all guests will be invited to the reception, a separate card outlining reception details would be required.

Reception and Ceremony to be held at the same location:
Reception Immediately to Follow
or
and afterward at a reception for the happy couple

Reception and Ceremony to be held at different locations:
Reception immediately following the ceremony
The Fairmont Hotel
or
Reception to be held at the Fairmont Hotel immediately following the ceremony

All in the Details:
In consideration of your guests, you may wish to include other details on the invitation. If the reception is not going to include dinner, you may wish to alter the reception line to reflect your plans so that individuals know to eat dinner before they arrive. For example, the reception line could say, “Cocktails and hors d’ouerves to be served immediately following the ceremony.” If the attire of your guests is an important factor in the plans, you may wish to include a line to specify. “Black Tie” or “Casual Attire” could be included either on the invitation or on a separate reception card. Other details, such as if children are not invited or if you’d like donations to charity made in lieu of gifts, should be included on separate cards rather than on the invitation. It is considered bad etiquette to include where the couple is registered anywhere within the invitation or its accessories. That information should be conveyed by family, and only when it is requested by others. It can also be included on a wedding website for the couple, such as those available on The Knot or Wedding Window.

If you have any questions not answered by this information, or you would like help customizing your invitation wording, please contact Brown Sugar Design’s Seattle invitation professionals at 425.830.3680 or info@bsdstudio.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

A big congratulation to Lindsay and Tom who got married this past week! (November 3, 2006)

Lindsay and Tom were having a, in Lindsay’s own words, “country chic” wedding in Bellingham, WA. Before you get your Stetsons out and coyboy up, this was not that type of “country” style. The look desired was a laid-back yet sophisticated invitation.

We fulfilled that by creating a gatefold style invitation in brown that was then wrapped in a ripped handmade paper and finished off with a gold double-faced satin ribbon…and that was just the outside! The inside was designed with brown text on a cream stock that was then mounted on a metallic brown paper to offset it just slightly from the matte finish brown of the entire invite. Using the two browns was a nice subtle touch without bombarding the design with too many elements.

Lindsay and Tom’s Ingredients:

• Invitation
• RSVP
• Directions Card with Map