Ladyfingers Letterpress

WORDING

As with all things wedding, there is a whole host of traditions and books of etiquette related to the stationery for your big day. We have worked with couples who use these traditions to guide their experience and others who decide that they are making their own traditions. Below please find a place to start considering the wording for your wedding suite.

SAVE THE DATES

Typically Save the Date Cards can be sent a year in advance for international, destination, or events where most guests will need to jump on a plane to celebrate with you. For non-destination weddings, six months is plenty of time for most couples to send out Save the Date Cards or Postcards.

A Save the Date can be as formal or as informal as you wish. You send bottles of champagne with beautifully letterpressed labels and send those out to guests as a way to invite your guests to celebrate your nuptials with you! Or you can also send out an equally beautifully stunning Save the Date postcard or card to rouse excitement. Use this a an opportunity to announce your big news and to say "It's official! I'm off the market!"

Formal
Please save the date of
Saturday, September 24, 2011
for the wedding (marriage) of
Basil Lee Crawford
and Taylor Ryan Dunn
Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Formal invitation to follow
www.basilandtaylor.com

Fun & Festive
We're not eloping!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
for the wedding (marriage) of
Basil and Taylor
Cape Cod, Massachusetts
invitation to follow
www.basilandtaylor.com

RSVP WORDING

Before internet, email or even fax machines, there was a time when almost everyone had their own stationery. Not just one piece, but a whole wardrobe of options. Couples would send out invitations and each guest would respond on their own stationery. Sadly, times have changed. Today, couples include a preprinted card for guests to fill out and return. RSVP cards can be simple or ornate - two-sided postcards or panel cards with their own preprinted envelope for return mailing.

The Basics
•Reply cards always provide space for guests' names and a response •It is helpful to request the replies be returned by a specified date (We suggest a month prior to the wedding date. Give folks an additional week, and then start calling. Your catering team usually needs three weeks notice for a final count. You can then start working on seating cards.) •Reply envelopes and postcards have the name and address of the person to whom the reply is being sent printed on the front of the envelope or postcard, generally this is one set of parents or the couple.

You can formalize or enliven any reply card with your choice of the following, or come up with your very own options:
___Will attend ___Will not attend
___Accepts with pleasure ___Declines with regret
___Absolutely ___Unfortunately
___Is psyched ___Is bummed
___Can't wait ___Can't make it
___Waiting with bells on ___Wish I could be there
___Delighted to attend ___Sends regrets
___Wouldn't miss it for the world ___Sorry to miss it

Formal
The favor of a reply is requested before the twenty fourth of August
M_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_______ Accepts with pleasure ______ Declines with regret
___ Beef ___ Fish ___Vegetarian
Fun & Festive
Kindly reply by the twenty fourth of August
Name(s) _______________________________________
_____ accepts _____regrets
Message to the nearlyweds: ____________________
_______________________________________________

No reply date (for rolling invitation lists and B-lists)
Thank you for your prompt response
M _______________________________________
_____ will attend ______will not attend

INVITE WORDING

Crane's' Blue Book is the definitive source for every possible wording situation. You better believe that we have a well worn copy always within arms reach. Rather than include 200 pages of possible wording for you invitations, we will give a few basics and examples. Should you happen to need the the particular wording when one set of parents is still married, and the other set is divorced, one is a doctor, one a judge, the doctor is remarried, the ceremony is at a Temple and the reception is a home, just drop us an email. Let us spare you the overwhelming amount of information and get you just what you need.

Like we've mentioned before, people nowadays are coming up with unique and personal ways of writing the text of their invitations. Below are some suggestions, but by no means are they set in stone. We always like to encourage our clients to make their invites as personalized and unique as possible!

At a minimum this is where to start-

Who: This is you and your honey
What: The wedding, marriage, ceremony, commitment of a lifetime
When: Date and time
Where: Ceremony location and reception location, if different from the wedding ceremony

Invitational Line This line let's the guests know who is extending the invitation, typically these are the folks paying for the wedding. Couples, divorced and remarried parents, and sharing costs all add to challenge of this line. Sometimes folks decide to buck this section all together and they go with, "Together with their parents" or "together with our families"

Request Line This line invites your guests to your wedding. The wording varies according to where the wedding is being held and what type of service it is.

When the ceremony is being held in a house of worship as you cannot request the pleasure of one's company in God's house, you can instead use:

Religious Ceremony:
"request the honour/honor of your presence"

Civil Ceremony:
"request the pleasure of your company"

Date Line
The day of the week and the date of the month are given on this line. Traditionally each words and numeral is spelled out. Sometimes Arley likes to incorporate numerals, let us know which you prefer.

Examples:
Saturday, the twenty fourth of September
on Saturday, the twenty fourth of September
Saturday evening, the twenty fourth of September

Year Line
Due to the immediacy of the event, you do not need to include the year on the invitation. Generally invitations are mailed six to eight weeks before the wedding. However many couples include the year for posterity.

Time Line
The time is always listed on one line, preceded by "at". Lower case letters are used for the entire line. You don't need to include AM or PM unless it's at 8, 9, or 10 o'clock.

Examples:
at six o'clock
at half after six o'clock
at three quarters after six o'clock
at six o'clock in the evening

Location
The name of the location where the wedding will take place.

Street Address
Only needed when there are multiple locations with the same name in the same town, or you have many out of town guests. Not included when a map or directions card is included in the suite.

City and State
The names of the city and state in which the wedding is being held are shown on the last line of the invitation.

Ceremony and Reception at the Same Location
When both the reception and ceremony are held at the same location the last line reads either:

-and afterwards at the reception
-reception to follow

If the reception is happening at a different location, it is acceptable to list it on the invitation, or to have its own separate reception card.

A few other wedding word lessons:
- Stationery is spelled with an "e"
- When using the English spelling of "honour" also use "favour"
- If a gentleman is engaged to be married he would be referred to as one's Fiancé
- If a lady is engaged to be married she would be referred to as one's Fiancée

Although these suggestions may work for many people, we realize they may not work for all people. Feel free to email or call us if you need any further ideas or suggestions!

JEWISH WORDING

The Jewish tradition celebrates the uniting of the two families. The names of both sets of parents appear at the top of the invitations.

Example:
Mr. and Mrs. John Crawford
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Dunn
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of
Basil Lee Crawford
to
Taylor Ryan Dunn

Saturday, the twenty fourth of September
at six o'clock
Temple Shalom
Cape Cod, Massachusetts

or, the name of the bride's parent appear first, if there is a bride:

Mr. and Mrs. John Crawford

request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Basil Lee Crawford
to
Taylor Ryan Dunn
daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Dunn
Saturday, the twenty fourth of September
at six o'clock
Temple Shalom
Cape Cod, Massachusetts