Halifax Wedding - Invitations

NEXT SHOW

Halifax Wedding - Invitations

Topic: Choosing Invitations, Proper Wordings

Timeframe: Six Months

Wedding Stationery

No element of a wedding carries as much timeless elegance as well-chosen stationery. Along with the invitation, there are announcements, thank you and other note cards (formal and informal), at-home cards, wedding programs, and table place and menu cards. Other printed items may include directional maps, accommodation and transportation cards, ribbon favors, matches and napkins.

Bridal suppliers and printers offer dozens of sample books to browse. Keep in mind, you can choose almost any type style and color on any invitation. Your stationery source can help you decide on a style that suits your wedding (based on formality, time of day, season and color scheme). They can also help you choose the correct wording in any given situation.

Generally, the color of your stationery should match that of your wedding gown: a white gown would suggest a white paper stock, an ivory gown, ivory stock. Colored paper is also an option, coordinating with your wedding colors.

Wedding stationery can be engraved, embossed or printed, combined with calligraphy or hand-written type. Calligraphy may be done by computer or by hand (see the following calligraphy section).

Invitation Wordings

When preparing your invitations, generally you do not include the street address of ceremony or reception sites. If the location is difficult to find, or its name is easily confused, the inclusion of the street address may be necessary. You can also substitute more of an identity for the city; instead of the mailing address, “Pittsburgh,” use the neighborhood's name, “Penn Hills.” If the wedding is held in a private residence, always include the street address.

Custom dictates certain styles and wordings, such as the British spellings of “honour” and “favour.” Each situation follows a rule. For example, if the bride is a doctor and her parents issue the invitation, her title should not be used. However, if the bride and groom issue the invitation, the bride's name should be preceded by her title, (e.g., Dr. Mary Elizabeth Jennings). When the bride is in the military service, the information on her rank and branch of service is excluded unless it is a military wedding.

Enclosures

Reception Cards indicate the time and place of the reception. These are optional only if everyone invited to the ceremony is also invited to the reception. In that case, the reception information can be included on the invitation itself. Should you have a group you wish to invite to the ceremony, but not the reception, invitations should contain only ceremony information and separate reception cards should be ordered. Additionally, this is the format necessary if you wish to invite black tie attire. The lower left corner of the reception card should carry the notation, “Black Tie Invited.”

Response Cards will help to determine the number of people who will attend your wedding. Should you prefer the courtesy of a handwritten reply, you may either include the phrase, “The favour of a reply is requested” on your reception card (never on the invitation). A response card is sent with its own self-addressed, stamped envelope.

Map Cards, Accommodation and Transportation Cards can be ordered from the stationer and will provide clear directions and information about the hotel, ceremony and reception, out-of-town guest accommodations, and/or transportation (car rental, airport limousine service, etc.). Most brides cover all of this information on a carefully drawn and photocopied map that includes phone numbers and addresses of hotels, etc.

At-Home Cards provide friends and relatives with the address and telephone number of the couple's home, and the date which they can be contacted there. These can be an ideal way to inform everyone of the couple's name(s), especially if the bride is retaining her maiden name or if the couple is ass

Atlantic Wedding Showcase * 411-154 Willowdale Drive * Dartmouth, NS B2V 2W4 * 902-462-2969
info@atlanticweddingshowcase.com