Can I please get some help with invitation wording?

Lifestyle Wedding, Fashion & Beauty
1

I’ve been looking at some web sites but haven’t found anything too helpful so far. We still need to finalize the times but here is a general “outline”: Everything in on the same hotel.

Civil Ceremony 5:30 p.m.
Cocktail hour 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Formal Reception 7:30
Dinner will most likely be at 8:00 or 8:15 but this info. doesn’t have to be on the card.
We have the venue until 1:00 a.m.

I have the wording figured out for the ceremony invitations. I’m thinking on the very bottom of the ceremony invitation, I will include a line stating “Cocktail hour immediately following ceremony”.

There will be a separate “reception card”. I would like to include a basic timeline of the evening in there. We’re also thinking of incluing a line at the corner stating “Please no boxed gifts”. We’re not registering anywhere. Keeping in remind it will be a formal reception.

Thoughts? Can I please get some help with wording?

2

Re: Can I please get some help with invitation wording?

I wouldn't use the "Please no boxed gifts" line. I think it is rude.

As for the rest of the schedule, it looks fine. But do you mean "Cocktail hour immediately following ceremony"?

3

Re: Can I please get some help with invitation wording?

LOL…yes, I meant cocktail hour following CEREMONY…edited the post. :slight_smile:

On a side note, thanks a lot for the invitation link you gave me weeks ago on the other thread. Fiance & I have chosen this card from the link you posted: https://www.yourinvitationplace.com/Detail.aspx?ItemNum=SD112TA&WebName=elegantbrides

  1. I honestly don’t care about the “no boxed gifts” line but fiance really wants it b/c he doesn’t want anyone showing up with a box (its not that we’re “hoping” for cash…we really just don’t want any boxes). We already have a house with everything we need. We’re not registering anywhere. Our desi friends know the “drill” since in our circle…we don’t really do boxed gifts. But half our guests are non-desi. Do you think by us not registering anywhere…that will cut down on the chances of anyone bringing anything in a box? I’ve seen that line on invitations before and never gave it much thought. But as you stated…I also don’t anyone to feel that I’m being rude or interpret this as us asking for $$.

  2. For the a formal reception, I know everything needs to be spelled out. Does the following look ok?

" X… & X… Wedding

Civil Ceremony: 5:30 p.m.
Cocktail hour 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Adult reception 7:30-1:00 a.m."

Do I need to break down “dinner time”? Also, since I’m including “cocktail hour immediately following ceremony” on the ceremony invite…I don’t need to include the hotel name again on the reception card do I? Seeing the ceremony invite and then the reception card with the timeline above…its kinds common sense that there is no location change right?

:slight_smile:

4

Re: Can I please get some help with invitation wording?

The 'no boxed gifts please' wording can be made slightly more polite, so you could add something along the lines as ' no boxed gifts please, your duas are enough'. Or maybe 'no boxed gifts please, the couple solely wish the pleasure of your company'. I guess you could play with the wording a little, and make it sound more humble.

5

Just the point of view as a non desi If half your guests are non-desi- you will just confuse them with the box gift line. I didn't know what it meant the first time I saw it- I thought it meant bring the gift in a gift bag :). I have never seen it outside desi functions. I would leave it off. (just my 2 cents).

6

Re: Can I please get some help with invitation wording?

^That's a good point. When I did explain it to non-desis, they were very uncomfortable with it. But anyway, if your guests will know, then I guess don't worry about it.

So glad you found invites you liked! my other brother has been eying those same ones! They are so lovely, and they have them in tons of colors.

Do you need to specify "Civil" ceremony?

I don't think you need to put the dinner time UNLESS there are people coming to that who are not invited to the ceremony (because desis really only care about the dinner timings :p ).

is there any harm in putting the name of the hotel on the reception card? Is there any additional charge? Are you having space issues?

7

Re: Can I please get some help with invitation wording?

Thanks again for the opinions! I talked to fiance last night about my concerns with putting the line about gifts. He's still resisting me a little but I think I'm going to push for not putting anything about gifts at all. I don't want to confuse anyone or have anyone think we're asking for cash. I mentioned to fiance last night that ALL our guests are either our friends or co-workers (except parents/siblings of course). All our desi friends know the "drill" with gifts. And if/when the non-desis ask us where we registered, at that point we can mention the gift issue.

Whiterice: LOL @ the "gift bag"! And yes....I also have never seen that line outside desi invites.

8

Re: Can I please get some help with invitation wording?

lol....yea fiance & I really liked those invites. My reception dress is orange/silver with some white in it....so the color coordinates too. :)

I don't need to specify "civil" ceremony....Should it just say "ceremony" or "marriage ceremony"? Are these "better" than "civil"?

Agreed on the dinner time. Also, last night fiance said he doesn't want "cocktail hour immediately following ceremony" on the ceremony card (no logical explanation behind this).

No spacing issues with the hotel name on the reception card. I just didn't want to overdo it...lol. It'll of course be on the ceremony card.....do you think I should also include it on the reception card?

Below is the wording for the ceremony card:

"We invite you to be with us
on the occassion of a celebration
of a miracle ... love,
when we
bride
and
groom
join together in marriage
on Saturday, the X of April
two thousand and twelve
at five thirty in the afternoon
Hotel X
Address"

** Also, I know the dates/times are spelled out in formal invites (hence the ceremony card). Since the reception is formal too.....should I actually spell out the times on there too?

9

Re: Can I please get some help with invitation wording?

After just wrapping up with my wedding- I would put the time dinner will be served on the reception invitation. I did not and a few issues came up. First- my husband's family has several people with diabetes and they needed to know when to take medications. Two- we had a lot of children there and parents wanted to know if they should bring snacks... I left it off because I thought it looked more elegant but it would have been easier on everyone if they knew the exact time schedule.

10

Re: Can I please get some help with invitation wording?

yes, spell out date and time.
half-past five in the afternoon is more formal than five thirty.

the first part is also very wordy and doesn't flow smoothly... i would recommend this instead:
*
your name and his name
request the honour of your presence
as they celebrate the miracle of love
and join together in marriage
on etc.....*

or you can flip the lines:

your name and his name
request the honour of your presence
as they join together in marriage
and celebrate the miracle of love
on etc.....

or:

*your name and his name

we request the honour of your presence
at our marriage ceremony
as we celebrate the miracle of love
on etc.....*

11

Re: Can I please get some help with invitation wording?

Does he not like the word "cocktails". Some people don't because it implies alcohol. You could say hors d'oeuvres instead, maybe?

Just say 'ceremony', I think.

I agree with SGC about the wording.

12

Re: Can I please get some help with invitation wording?

My fiance took off the 'no boxed gifts' line from our card. Most of his friends are non-desis and his boss etc would be at the wedding as well - and he thought that didn't sound nice at all and that people can bring whatever they feel like bringing. Though ofcourse we can't even take any of the gifts with us (I'll be moving out of the coutnry right after our wedding), so there's no point in getting gifts...but he said to still not have it on the card as it doesn't seem nice.

13

Re: Can I please get some help with invitation wording?

I dont think you should spell out the times and dates...it might confuzzle some guests

14

Re: Can I please get some help with invitation wording?

Whiterice: Fortunately I don’t think I’ll face the dinner issue you had. Ours is a adults reception. The only 2 children invited to the reception are my fiance’s 4 year old niece…and one of my cousin’s 5 year old son. Since all the guests are our friends/co-workers…there won’t be any annoying uncles/aunties. Besides…out of the 150 guests…MINIMUM 100 will the M.D.s from every field you can think of (in addition to at least 10 nurses!) so if someone has a health issue…we’re definately covered.
:hypo:

Sahar: No, he doesn’t have an issue with having “Cocktail Hour” on the reception card. But on the ceremony card…he doesn’t want that line “Cocktail hour immediately following ceremony” on the bottom. LOL…as I wrote before…there’s no logical explanation behind this “want” of his. :smack: But now since I’m pushing for us to totally leave out anything about gifts out of the invitation…I will let him “win” this part and take out that line from the ceremony card. That way, he can think that I also compromised. :wink:

Agreed that I’ll just put “Ceremony” on the reception card.

15

Re: Can I please get some help with invitation wording?

Thank you! :) I will show these options to fiance tonight and try to work on revising the ceremony card.

16

Re: Can I please get some help with invitation wording?

You don't need the cocktail sentence anyway, if you're putting the schedule.

17

Isn't it amazing the work that has to go into a simple invitation? :)

18

Re: Can I please get some help with invitation wording?

OK....here is what I'm consider for the RSVP card.....opinions/constructive criticisms are welcome. :)

**
"The favour of a reply is requested
before March 1, 2012.
We have reserved two seats in your honor.
M______________________
____ accepts with pleasure
number attending ceremony ____
number attending reception ____
____ decline with regret"

**
Question: The part on the RSVP card where the guest name is written...I write down that name right? Or do the guest write their name when responding?

19

Re: Can I please get some help with invitation wording?

I know right! :bummer: Honestly…ordering my dress was less stressful than this!

20

Re: Can I please get some help with invitation wording?

nope, the guests write that down and mail it out. you are addressing the envelopes to the people invited. so mr. and mrs. x, or mr. x and ms. y if they are unmarried. the names on the outer envelope will notify the attendees whom, amongst their family, is invited. as well, this way if only the wife can make it, only she will put her name down. it will give you a more accurate guest count.

don't forget to mail out the inner envelopes pre-addressed with your address and pre-stamped too.

also, spelling out the date and time wherever in your suite they appear will only confuse people who cannot read :p since most of your guests are md's, i can say with certainty this will not be an issue.