Invitation Etiquette

Quite simply, the wording of the invitation should make clear the identity of the hosts, the date and time of the event and address of the venue and if it is a wedding – the hosts’ relationship to the bride. Wording and formats will vary according to personal preference, but should reflect the degree of formality of your event. If you want to follow a traditional approach there are a few guidelines to follow:

• Invitations are generally written in the third person
• When listing date, time, venue, they should appear in this order.
• Words that are written rather than using signs eg: ‘Mr and Mrs’ are more formal than ‘Mr & Mrs’.
• Invitations have their own rules for punctuation and grammar.Only use capital letters for names, dates and titles.Punctuation is usually left open i.e. no full stops or commas but commas may be used for addresses if preferred.
• Use titles eg: Dr, Mrs etc. when addressing your guests where appropriate.
• If you are not having separate reply cards always include a "please reply by date" to help you to organise.
• If children are invited this can be made clear by including their names on their parent’s invitation. Parents should assume that the invitation is for them alone if their children’s names are not included. You can make a note on the information card if you are not including children.
  
  Click here for our Guide to Wording and Etiquette