Wedding Invitations Are More Than Just Announcements

In essence, a wedding invitation announces the important details of your wedding. There is more to it than just an announcement. For a very momentous occasion, there will certainly be a wedding etiquette to follow based on tradition. There are certain rules that govern wedding invitations so as not to cause any offense or impropriety. By knowing the difference between an announcement and a wedding invitation, you can be guided into making your invitations proper and pleasant.

You must first ascertain the purpose of your wedding invitation. You are basically asking your friends and family members to wear their finest attire and jewelry as they witness your impending union. This is why traditionally one of the opening lines in every wedding invite is the phrase that specifically requests the presence of your honoured guests, which is why it says the “the pleasure of your company is requested” when the wedding is held in a secular place. For a church or synagogue wedding, it is “the honor of your presence is requested”.

Another important detail that you want to relay is the date and venue of your wedding ceremony. All wedding invitations need to be very specific, providing all the essential information pertaining to your wedding. A save the date card usually just informs who is getting married and the date of the ceremony. An official invitation has the date, time, venue and the city’s name. Obviously, by providing a complete address, your invitees will be able to find the venue easily.

You can invite any one you wish to share your special day. Send as many invitations as your venue can accommodate. Many couples often send more invitations than the venue’s seating capacity, assuming that a few will not be able to make it. Some of them are in for a surprise for they could get a 100% response saying they will attend. Moreover, when you are sending out invites with RSVPs, allot six to eight weeks allowance time before the actual date so that your guests can make the right travel plans. You would give your guests enough time to prepare or make changes to their plans. To be sure, you can send a save the date card six months in advance especially when you plan to have your ceremony on a regular holiday.

Wedding announcements as opposed to wedding invitations have a different but specific objective. If invitations are for extended family members and friends, announcements are for those who will not be invited. You are simply announcing your impending marriage. By tradition, these wedding announcements are made by the parents of the bride with the usual line saying: Mr. and Mrs. have the honor of announcing the marriage of their daughter, Ms. to Mr. on this particular day at this church of this city, The word “honor” is spelled in Old English like the Brits for a more formal wedding invitation.

Announcements should be sent out the soonest possible time after the wedding like the next day. You should not use a spare invitation mailed after the wedding to be used as an announcement for whoever receives it will surely be offended since you are stressing that they were not invited to the ceremony. This is a seriously no-no in wedding etiquette, which many brides have made. The appropriate reply to a wedding announcement is a card bearing your warmest greetings or congratulations.

Understanding the difference between a wedding invitation and an announcement is crucial so that you can be sure that your wedding plans are progressing properly according to tradition and etiquette. Weddings are so important that you would not want to stain it with any kind of unpleasantness so abiding by the rule is crucial to have that perfect wedding.