There are many elements to planning a wedding and invitations are just one part of the process. Get it wrong and you could end up with 25 toasters, offend family members or have guests turning up at the wrong time for the ceremony.

Depending on whether you are having a traditional wedding or a more relaxed modern affair will determine how the invitations should be presented and what should or shouldn’t be included on them. Here are the must know tips on correct wedding invitation etiquette.

Traditional Wedding Invitations

Traditional invitations are normally printed on white or off white paper using a fancy black font. Sometimes the paper is edged in silver or gold. The guest names are normally handwritten in calligraphy by a professional.

Traditional wedding invitations have two envelopes that should be the same colour as the invitation. The inner envelope contains the invite and is not glued shut. This is placed in the outer envelope so the invitation is facing the recipient when it is opened. The outer envelope should always be addressed formally using titles and full names. Never write ‘and guest’ on the outer envelope. The inner envelope can be addressed without using full names. You can also address the inner envelope with ‘and guest’, children’s names or even Grandma.

Here are some other tips for writing traditional wedding invitations:

Never abbreviate titles with the exception of Mr. Mrs. and Ms. Don’t forget to use full stops
Full stops should only be used in the invite for the abbreviated titles mentioned
Numbers should be written out in full, including street addresses. For example, Saturday, Second of August Two Thousand and Fourteen
The Bride’s name should always be written before the Groom’s
Traditional wedding invitations do not include a dress code. The time of the wedding determines the dress code. For instance, a day time wedding is morning suit, an afternoon wedding is black tie, and an after dark wedding is white tie
If you are getting married in a church or place of worship, the invitation should begin with the words, “The honour of your presence”. All other locations should begin with, “The pleasure of your company”

Modern Wedding Invitations

Modern weddings are generally more relaxed and this enables invitations to be more personalised. Many of today’s wedding invitations are in the colour theme of the wedding, include requests for money as a gift and are personalised to the couple in some way.

As most couples already live together before they get married, they have already established a house together. Many modern invitations will include a poem indicating the couple will have a wishing well at the wedding for gifts of money. This money is normally used to purchase household items they need or don’t already have, or some even put it towards their honeymoon.

When it comes to BYO alcohol, unless you are having a backyard wedding it is unlikely your venue will allow it. Some people also find this tacky. If you are on a budget, perhaps consider having canapés after your ceremony instead of a sit down meal.

Here are some ideas to personalise your invitation:

Use unique wording on your invitation that represents you as a couple
Include a photograph of you both on the invite
Use personalised stamps with your favourite photo as a couple
Include a line from your favourite love poem
Hand-make your invitations for a more sentimental touch. Just note it may be more expensive and time consuming than if you were to have them printed professionally

What did you, or are you, including on your invitation? How did you decide on the lay out?

Sources:

http://www.i-do.com.au/wedding-tips/wedding-invitations-and-stationery/traditional-wedding-invitations/1430/

http://weddings.about.com/od/invitations/a/How-To-Address-Your-Wedding-Invitations.htm

http://weddings.about.com/od/invitations/ss/personalinvites.htm