Crafting Wedding Invitations: Grammar And Printing Guide

Wedding invitations are an important part of the planning process. They set the tone for the wedding and convey critical information, such as the date, time, and location of the ceremony. With the rise of DIY culture, many couples are opting to design and print their own wedding invitations. This not only saves costs but also allows for a more personalized and creative approach. However, it is important to pay attention to grammar and spelling to ensure that the invitations are clear and polished.

Spelling out full addresses, dates, and names

When it comes to wedding invitations, proper grammar and spelling are essential to ensure clarity and elegance in your communication. One important aspect to consider is whether to spell out full addresses, dates, and names or use abbreviations and numbers. Here are some detailed guidelines to help you make the right choices:

For addresses, the general rule of thumb is to spell out the full address, including the street name, city, and state. For example:

> "The wedding will be held at St. Patrick's Church, 432 Main Street, Springfield, Illinois."

Spelling out the full address adds a touch of formality and elegance to your invitation. It also avoids any potential confusion that may arise from abbreviations or numeric shortcuts. However, if space is a concern, you can consider abbreviating common directions (such as N, S, E, W) and the names of states, following the official postal abbreviations. Just ensure that you use periods with these abbreviations for a polished look:

> "Join us at the Vineyard Estate, 123 Vine St., Napa, CA."

When it comes to dates, the traditional approach is to spell out the month, day, and year in their entirety:

> "We request the honor of your presence at the marriage of Emily Marie Wilson and Jacob Alexander Thompson on Saturday, the twelfth of September, two thousand and twenty-one at five o'clock in the evening."

This phrasing maintains the formal tone of a wedding invitation while conveying the date with precision. If your invitation features a less formal design, you may opt for a more condensed date format:

> "Saturday, September 12, 2021, at 5 p.m."

However, even in this condensed version, it is advisable to spell out the month to maintain a sense of formality.

Regarding names, the general rule is to spell out all names in full, including middle names or dual names (hyphenated or not):

> "You are cordially invited to share in a celebration of love as we join together in marriage Emma Louise Brown and John Daniel Richardson."

Spelling out names in full is a sign of respect and formality. It also eliminates any potential confusion, especially if your guests are not familiar with abbreviated or nickname versions of the names.

In conclusion, taking the time to spell out full addresses, dates, and names on your wedding invitations demonstrates attention to detail and ensures a consistent level of formality. Your guests will appreciate the clear and elegant communication, setting the right tone for your special day.

Abbreviations and acronyms

For example, "Pennsylvania" should not be abbreviated to "PA", and "Street" should not be shortened to "St".

However, if you are incorporating a very modern design or your wedding is informal, you may choose to use abbreviations in your invitation.

It is also acceptable to use abbreviations on RSVP cards unless it is a highly formal affair, in which case you should write out the date and avoid using numbers.

Capitalisation rules

• Proper nouns, such as the names of people and places, are always capitalised.
• The first word of each sentence or new thought on an invitation should be capitalised.
• When writing out the date, only the day of the week and the month are capitalised. The year is not. For example, "Saturday, the sixth of May, two thousand eighteen".
• When writing out the time, do not capitalise any part of the time line.
• When writing out the address, only street names (e.g. Road), city and state names should be capitalised.
• When referring to attire, only the first word is capitalised, e.g. "Black tie".

Punctuation

When it comes to punctuation, there are a few rules to keep in mind when writing your wedding invitations. Firstly, avoid using punctuation at the end of lines, such as commas or periods. The only exception to this rule is when using courtesy titles, such as "Mr.", "Mrs.", or "Dr.", where punctuation is allowed. It is also acceptable to use an exclamation point for emphasis in less formal invitations if it suits your wedding style.

Another rule to remember is that apostrophes should not be used with plural names. For example, "The Smiths invite you..." is correct, while "The Smith's invite you..." is incorrect. This is because apostrophes indicate possession, not pluralisation.

When writing out times, use o'clock for times on the hour and "half after" or "quarter after" for times not on the hour. For example, "two-thirty" instead of "two thirty". Always include a reference to the time of day, such as "in the morning", "noon", "in the afternoon", "in the evening", or "midnight".

Lastly, when writing out the date, do not use the word "and" or any punctuation. For example, write "two thousand twenty-two" instead of "two thousand and twenty-two".

RSVP wording

The wording of your RSVP cards should match the style of your wedding invitations. Whether your wedding is traditional, formal, or informal, you can adapt your RSVP wording accordingly.

The first thing to include on your RSVP cards is a blank line for guests to write their names. On a formal RSVP card, you can write an "M" at the start of the line to indicate that guests should include their proper honorific (Mr., Mrs., Ms., or Miss) before their name.

The next thing to include is a clear deadline for your guests to respond by. This is usually around three to four weeks before the wedding date, giving you enough time to finalise details with your vendors.

You'll then need to include a way for guests to indicate whether they will be attending or not. This could be formatted as checkboxes, circling, or fill-in-the-blank lines.

If you'll be serving dinner at your wedding, you may want to include a section for guests to indicate their food preferences and any dietary requirements or allergies.

Finally, you can include a special request line on your RSVP cards. This could be for song requests, drink preferences, or a favourite memory of the couple.

Formal RSVP Wording Examples:

• Kindly respond by [date] - Accepts with pleasure - Regretfully declines
• Your reply is requested by [date] - Accepts with pleasure - Declines with regret
• The favour of a response is requested by [date] - Accepts with pleasure - Declines with regret

Informal RSVP Wording Examples:

• We can't wait to celebrate with you! Please RSVP by [date] - Wouldn't miss it for the world! - Will toast from afar!
• Will you be joining us? We kindly request your reply by [date] - Will be there with bells on - Will be there in spirit!
• Are you in or what?! Please let us know by [date] - Yes, let's party! - No, and I'll forever regret this decision.

Frequently asked questions