Your guest list is ready, you've found a stationer you absolutely love – what next? You'll need to come up with your invitation wording of course! Some stationers will be able to send you a form or a guide for your wording (myself included), but you definitely don't need to stick to a traditional format if it doesn't suit you. So here are some top tips for going it alone.

(1.) Keep it snappy

Your invitation needs to be concise and to the point, giving the important details of your big day without being too wordy. If you end up with too much text, it will definitely impact the overall look of your design, so keeping things simple is usually best. The most important details you'll need to include are: your names (of course), the date and time of your wedding, along with the location(s). If you're not having separate details and RSVP cards, you may also want to add a link to your wedding website or include a phone number or email address for your guests to RSVP to.

(2.) Write it as one sentence

Your invitation should be written fluidly, in as few sentences as possible. You don't need to include a capital letter at the start of every line and a full stop at the end, just treat it as one sentence that's been spread over several lines. I know it feels unnatural to not use full stops but your invitation will read much better for it.

E.g. Together with their families

Molly and Jason

invite you to celebrate their wedding on

Saturday 16th October 2021

at 2pm

St. Mary's Church, London

followed by a reception at

The Royal Hotel

Carriages at midnight

(3.) Be yourself

If formal wording isn't for you, why not get creative and inject some of your personality into the wording? It's your wedding after all, so your invitation should definitely reflect that. Try not to overthink it, as long as your guests have the important details, that's all that matters!

(4.) Get a second opinion

If you've written a first draft but are a little unsure, get a second opinion! Whether it be your stationer, a friend or family member, let them have a look over to check that it reads okay and to make sure nothing important has been missed. Try not to ask too many people though, as you may end up with lots of conflicting opinions and could be back to square one!

(5.) Check, check and check again

Make sure to check over everything several times before sending it to your stationer. They might not pick up on any small typos and may not question the spelling of a village, venue or hotel etc... if they haven't heard of it before. Most stationers will give you a certain amount of amendments before anything goes to print, so there should be plenty of opportunity to pick up on any errors but it's important to catch them early, just in case!

2021 weddings

If you've booked a 2021 wedding and are a little unsure of what's to come, you can always add a line at the bottom of your invitation to let your guests know that you will keep them updated. Something like the following could work well: ‘we'd love for you to join us if restrictions allow, we will keep you updated if our plans have to change.’

Writing your invitation wording is definitely not one of the most fun parts of wedding planning, so hopefully these tips will help speed up the process for you, meaning you have more time for the fun stuff (cake tasting anyone?).

If you'd like to work with me on your stationery, feel free to get in touch here.

Credits:

All photos by Natalie Stevenson Photography

Bridal accessories by Rachel Sokhal Bridal