Choosing a wedding invitation can be an event more difficult feat than choosing and planning a wedding reception and dinner. Everyone has their ideas. Everyone wants it a certain way. Styles, color and papers change. What was available last year from one supplier is not available currently. And we are not even at wording of the wedding invitation yet.



There are many traditions about wedding invitation wording, It's you and your fianc's choice of whether to follow these rules exactly, in a somewhat manner or not at all. There is after no legislation that you are aware of mandating the style, paper and wording of your wedding invitation. It's your show and your choice so speak.

However it is usually best to go with the theme, venue as well as overall flow of the wedding day. For example if you are having a formal church wedding, you will most likely want traditional formal wording in your invitation. On the other hand if you are holding a smaller wedding in a home setting then a handwritten font less format invitation may be in order.

It can be said that the wedding invitation is your entry point ? the one thing that all your treasured guests will receive. On top of that it sets the whole first impression of your major event ? your wedding day. First impassions are often lasting impressions. Some people might tell you that wedding invitations are a minor part of the mix. Not so as you well know in life. Once first impressions are created it is almost impossible to get rid of and overcome them.

At its most basic, your invitation will tell the world, and especially your valued guests: Who is doing the wedding; what the event is: Where and When it will be held.

The actual wording of the invitation will depend to the largest extent who is issuing it, as well as where the event will be actually held. Traditionally the bride's parent issue the wedding invitations, but in 2008 in today's world guidelines and procedures are more liberal. The bride and groom can choose to issue their own invitations. Also the groom's parents may be the ones to issue the invitations. It's not as if the invitation signals to the world that is actually paying for the whole wedding and wedding reception events. For example if the groom's family are very well off and paying for the majority of the wedding costs, the wedding invitations would still traditionally come from the bridal couple or one or both sets of parents.

There are well established traditions for the protocol of wording invitations in somewhat delicate family situations. For example for parents, who are divorced: then each can be mentioned on a separate line without the word ?and ?between the two lines?

Generally if one or both of the parents have remarried, then only the original parent's names are mentioned, although if there is a particularly close relationship between a stepparent and the bride or groom, then it would well be appropriate to include that person's name.

Lastly it is always a good idea to familiarize you with the traditional modes of wording a wedding invitation. Then you can make an informed decision whether to follow these traditions. If you are in the dark you can unintentionally make a faux pas, confuse or even offend certain of your guess.

After all the wedding invitation is not just any piece of paper. It will be the first thing that all your wedding guests will see of your wedding. Take care in the choice and delivery of your wedding invitation. After all, first impassions are usually lasting impressions.