Wedding Etiquette 101

Wedding Invitation Etiquette INVITE YOU TO CELEBRATE THE MARRIAGE OF THEIR DAUGHTER Etiquette Order of Operations MR. AND MRs. LAMRENCE GRACE If Bride's Family Issues Invitation: Father of the Bride followed by Mother of the Bride If remarried, husband of Mother of the Bride, Mother of Bride, followed by Father of the Bride Mr. and Mrs. Jack Brown and Mr. John Smith Crystal Marie AND Christopher Kenneth SON OF If divorced, Mother of the Bride, followed by Father of the Bride Mrs. Lydia Brown and Mr. John Smith MR. AND MRS. HENRY ANDREMS THE SEVENTE ENTH OF NOVENBER AT THE HUNTINGTON LIBRARY SAN MARINO, CALIFORNIA If Groom's Family Issues Invitation: Father of the Groom followed by Mother of the Groom SATURDAY. THOUSAND AND THELVE AT HALF PAST FIVE IN THE AFTERNOON If remarried, husband of Mother of the Groom, Mother of the Groom, followed by Father of the Groom SEMIFORMAL ATTIRE RSVP RECEPTION TO FOLLON If divorced, Mother of the Groom, followed by Father of the Groom IfBoth Families Issue Invitation: Bride's family precedes Groom's family Or each family can issue own invitations If Couple Issues Innitation: Bride precedes Groom Miss Mary Sue Smith and Mr. James William Doe THE HOST LINE The bride's parents are traditionally named in the host line, because they used to pay for the expenses of the wedding. However, now many other arrangements are common, such as the couple paying for their own wedding or both sets of parents contributing. If Everyone Issues the Invitation: Family, Bride, Groom With their families, Miss Mary Sue Smith and Mr. James William Doe THE REQUEST LINE Be sure to specify if your guest is invited to the wedding ceremony or the reception only. It is considered bad manners to invite the guest to just the ceremony, although the guest may, of course, choose to leave before the reception. Request Line Phrase Box: request your presence at cordially invite you to would be delighted by your presence at THE BRIDE AND GROOM LINE The bride and groom's names are announced without courtesy titles and joined with a "to" or "and." If the groom or bride's family is not mentioned in the host line, they can be listed in the bride and groom line. "requests your presence at the marriage of their daughter, Mary Sue, and William James Doe, son of ..." Please see the order of operations. THE DATE AND TIME Formal: Saturday, the seventeenth of November two o'clock in the afternoon There is a formal and informal version. DID YOU KNOW? May, June, July and September are the most expensive and popular time to tie the knot. A Saturday wedding will be much more costly than a Friday or Sunday wedding. Informal: Saturday, November 17, 2012 2 o'clock or November 17th 2 p.m. or November 17, 2012 2 PM LOCATION Did you know the address is optional? It's traditional not to include street addresses of well-known locations, but this is now less common. RECEPTION INFORMATION If the reception is at the same place as the ceremony, you need only say "reception follows." If it is in a different location, a separate card is often used. Dress Code Word Box: black tie, semi-formal, cocktail attire, festive attire, creative black tie, white tie, black tie optional, dressy casual, informal Not serving a meal? a cocktail reception to follow hors d'oeuvres reception to follow dessert reception cake and punch reception No Kids? Write "adult reception." RSVP LINE You can include a separate self-addressed envelope for the RSVP or some modern couples omit the envelope and have guests RSVP online. THE INSERT The insert can include special information such as travel information. It is considered bad taste to include your wedding registry on your invitation, but you can list your wedding website. Sources: Martha Stewart Weddings Simply Bridal ILLINS DREAMS www.simplybridal.com Wedding Invitation Etiquette INVITE YOU TO CELEBRATE THE MARRIAGE OF THEIR DAUGHTER Etiquette Order of Operations MR. AND MRs. LAMRENCE GRACE If Bride's Family Issues Invitation: Father of the Bride followed by Mother of the Bride If remarried, husband of Mother of the Bride, Mother of Bride, followed by Father of the Bride Mr. and Mrs. Jack Brown and Mr. John Smith Crystal Marie AND Christopher Kenneth SON OF If divorced, Mother of the Bride, followed by Father of the Bride Mrs. Lydia Brown and Mr. John Smith MR. AND MRS. HENRY ANDREMS THE SEVENTE ENTH OF NOVENBER AT THE HUNTINGTON LIBRARY SAN MARINO, CALIFORNIA If Groom's Family Issues Invitation: Father of the Groom followed by Mother of the Groom SATURDAY. THOUSAND AND THELVE AT HALF PAST FIVE IN THE AFTERNOON If remarried, husband of Mother of the Groom, Mother of the Groom, followed by Father of the Groom SEMIFORMAL ATTIRE RSVP RECEPTION TO FOLLON If divorced, Mother of the Groom, followed by Father of the Groom IfBoth Families Issue Invitation: Bride's family precedes Groom's family Or each family can issue own invitations If Couple Issues Innitation: Bride precedes Groom Miss Mary Sue Smith and Mr. James William Doe THE HOST LINE The bride's parents are traditionally named in the host line, because they used to pay for the expenses of the wedding. However, now many other arrangements are common, such as the couple paying for their own wedding or both sets of parents contributing. If Everyone Issues the Invitation: Family, Bride, Groom With their families, Miss Mary Sue Smith and Mr. James William Doe THE REQUEST LINE Be sure to specify if your guest is invited to the wedding ceremony or the reception only. It is considered bad manners to invite the guest to just the ceremony, although the guest may, of course, choose to leave before the reception. Request Line Phrase Box: request your presence at cordially invite you to would be delighted by your presence at THE BRIDE AND GROOM LINE The bride and groom's names are announced without courtesy titles and joined with a "to" or "and." If the groom or bride's family is not mentioned in the host line, they can be listed in the bride and groom line. "requests your presence at the marriage of their daughter, Mary Sue, and William James Doe, son of ..." Please see the order of operations. THE DATE AND TIME Formal: Saturday, the seventeenth of November two o'clock in the afternoon There is a formal and informal version. DID YOU KNOW? May, June, July and September are the most expensive and popular time to tie the knot. A Saturday wedding will be much more costly than a Friday or Sunday wedding. Informal: Saturday, November 17, 2012 2 o'clock or November 17th 2 p.m. or November 17, 2012 2 PM LOCATION Did you know the address is optional? It's traditional not to include street addresses of well-known locations, but this is now less common. RECEPTION INFORMATION If the reception is at the same place as the ceremony, you need only say "reception follows." If it is in a different location, a separate card is often used. Dress Code Word Box: black tie, semi-formal, cocktail attire, festive attire, creative black tie, white tie, black tie optional, dressy casual, informal Not serving a meal? a cocktail reception to follow hors d'oeuvres reception to follow dessert reception cake and punch reception No Kids? Write "adult reception." RSVP LINE You can include a separate self-addressed envelope for the RSVP or some modern couples omit the envelope and have guests RSVP online. THE INSERT The insert can include special information such as travel information. It is considered bad taste to include your wedding registry on your invitation, but you can list your wedding website. Sources: Martha Stewart Weddings Simply Bridal ILLINS DREAMS www.simplybridal.com