Etiquette, especially when it comes to weddings, can seem like a secret code. Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, some tiny faux pas trips you up! Most likely, your guests will forgive you. They may not even notice. Still, over the years, I’ve collected a few wedding invitation etiquette facts that aren’t well-known. If you’d like to avoid even an unnoticeable transgression, here are a few things to watch out for:
Multi-Lingual Stationery
Hosting a wedding where not all guests are English speakers? You’ll need to make sure everybody can understand the words on your invitations! There are a few solutions that we can discuss. I love designing bilingual wedding invitations and bilingual save the dates, like I did for Alison and Guillaume’s wedding.
Addressing for Special Cases
A lot of addressing etiquette deals with relationships. What do you do, for instance, if you’re inviting a widow?
Officially, the outer envelope of a widow’s wedding invitation must be addressed with her deceased husband’s full name. However, this can be sensitive, and many think this is a dated practice. Do what makes you feel most comfortable. You can use her first and last name on the inner and outer envelopes, if you wish.
Acknowledging Your Hosts
According to tradition, it’s the bride’s family who hosts the wedding. Nowadays, it’s becoming more and more common for couples to pay for their own weddings. In other cases, the the groom’s family hosts or both families share the cost of the wedding.
All of these options call for different wedding invitation wording. Even if the bride and groom are footing the bill, they might wish to acknowledge their parents on the invitation. Let me know your hosting situation, and I can help you come up with wording that’s perfect for you!