Traditions

Tradition – Who the invite is from

The basic rule is - whoever is contributing towards the cost of the wedding should have their names included on the invitation. If both sets of parents are contributing to your wedding financially you may with to consider adding their names to your invitations, eg:

Mr & Mrs M. Smith
together with
Mr & Mrs A. Brown
invite you to join them in celebrating the marriage of
Jill & Jack

Jill & Jack
together with their parents
Mr & Mrs M. Smith and Mr & Mrs A. Brown
invite you to join them in celebrating their marriage

Jill & Jack
together with their parents
invite you to join them in celebrating their marriage

If the bride's parents are hosting the wedding you could write:

Mr & Mrs M. Smith
invite you to join them in celebrating the marriage of their daughter
Jill Amber Smith
to
Jack Michael Brown

If the parents are divorced you can separate the names

(eg. Mr Martin Smith & Mrs Jan Rodgers together with...)

Tradition – Phrasing

Use the phrase "honour of your presence" when your ceremony is to be held in a house of worship. For more informal ceremonies, "pleasure of your company" is appropriate.

Tradition – The Bride and Groom's name

It was traditional to spell out first, middle and last names, however it is now just as common to write just the bride and groom's first names. Go with what feels right for you.

Tradition 5 – Date and time

Most of our invitations are formatted like this:

on 27 Saturday March 2012
at 3.00 pm

Traditionalists may prefer the date in full, ie:

on Saturday the twenty-seventh of March, two thousand and twelve
at three o'clock post meridian

Tradition – Addressing envelopes

The envelopes are typically addressed with full names, avoiding nicknames or abbreviations. A formal exception to the rule is if a guest uses their middle name as their full name, and their given name as an initial.

Ms. (or Miss) Emily Palmer
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Coleman
Mr. and Mrs. E. Thomas Welsh

In addressing clergymen, military officers and medical doctors, use their titles in full.

Reverend and Mrs. George Harris
Rabbi and Mrs. Jacob Cohen
Doctor and Mrs. Lawrence Jones
Doctors Jones (if both are doctors)
Major and Mrs. Edgar Prescott

Tradition – Inviting children

If the couple's children are invited, include their first names on a second line according to their ages.

Mr. and Mrs. Welsh
Evan and Elizabeth

If you are not inviting children, you may want to call the parents to let them know in advance. It is inappropriate etiquette to write "No Children" on an invitation or envelope.

Tradition – When to send

Mail your invitations 6-8 weeks before your wedding. If your wedding is being held on a holiday weekend or at a popular destination guests may need 6-10 months notice so they can reserve the date and book accommodation far in advance.

Traditions for save the date and wedding thank you cards

To learn more about save the date and wedding thank you cards, use the appropriate button in the left column to navigate to these pages.