OsloPress

Wedding invitation wording is influenced by several factors – most importantly, in my opinion, the level of formality as well as who will be hosting the event. (and sometimes, a very opinionated relative or significant other!) A simple google search will dump nothing less than a bucket load of options on your lap and this can be, well, overwhelming. For that reason, I will be making several posts on wording. This will be based purely on my own research, and will hopefully prevent at least a few of our brides from feeling completely helpless.

I will begin with a less traditional approach – the wedding not hosted by parents.

These first few start out with a simple introduction:

Example 1

Please join us
For a celebration
of love, friendship, and family as
Jolie Anne Thomas
and
Alexander Raymond Marshall
Join their hands in marriage
Saturday, the nineteenth of May
two thousand and seven
at seven o’clock in the evening
Maplewood Greens
Renton, Washington

Example 2

You are cordially invited
to celebrate the wedding of
Lena Karen Touvelle
and
Patrick Scott Donnelly
on Saturday, the first of July
two thousand six
at Saint Francis Catholic Church
Portland, Oregon
The celebration will continue
at the Sullivan Tavern

Example 3

With joy in our hearts, we,
Melissa Lee
and
Steven Taos
Request your presence
As we exchange marriage vows …etc…

Or perhaps a more straight-forward approach:

Example 4

Emma Elaine Monroe
and
Johnathan Manning Smith
request the pleasure of your company
in celebrating their marriage
on Saturday, the nineteenth of August
two thousand six
at five o’clock in the evening
Meadow Park Inn
Addison, Vermont
Dinner and dancing to follow

Maybe you want to acknowledge your parent or family involvement in a less traditional way:

Example 5

Together with their parents,
Anne Elizabeth Myers
and
Thomas Duncan Moore
request …etc…

or

Together with our parents…

or

Together with our families…

Each of the above examples can be altered to suit your individual needs. I will leave other issues, such as level of formality and capitalization, to another day… As you can see, this is really just the beginning.

Quite a while back, we were contacted by Christa Vagnozzi from The Knot, as well as Danielle Venokur of dvGreen, and asked if we could provide a few samples to possibly be used in an upcoming feature. What we really loved about the idea was they were interested in more than just invitations. We also created a menu and table number for them to work with. Well, some time passed by and as January came and went, we began wondering about that potential feature. On a whim I decided to check out the magazine stand while in a local Target and there it was – the latest publication of The Knot. I have to admit, I was a little hesitant to look inside, and just a bit disappointed when I began flipping through the pages only to find hundreds of wedding gowns. (I always start from the back!) Then I made myself slow down a bit and start from the beginning. That’s when I finally ran across what we had been waiting for. Several items from our Bloom collection are included in a feature titled 4 hot color combos. The white and wood combo is where you will find us – a two page spread highlighting eco-friendly ideas and scrumptious warm tones. So, so lovely you guys! A very big thank you to all those involved!

As seen on p. 36 & 37 in The Knot Spring/Summer ‘08: menu in Bloom and maple, invitation in Bloom and walnut, nestled in the flowers on the table you will see the table number in walnut as well (all images courtesy of The Knot)

I have to admit that after hopping in the car with a copy of the magazine I immediately placed it safely in the back seat. But my curiosity took over, and it wasn’t more than a minute or so before I was flipping through every page of that magazine and examining every single dress. I like to torture myself, you see. Even though my own wedding has come and gone… I have that fear that I will stumble upon the most perfect dress ever created and that I will be devastated because I couldn’t have it for my big day. Thankfully, that didn’t happen on this occasion.