The Wedding Guide
So, you’re engaged to your favourite person in the world and planning your big day has started. A lot of people feel excited to start on their wedding stationery as it is one of the first tangible item you get to see during the planning process and without invitations no one will attend your wedding. It’s also the first thing your guests see too! That being said, it can be a daunting process and some of the older rules or traditions might try and trip you up. Don’t worry, we’ve got your back!
The Seed Card Company team have worked on hundreds of weddings and been to a fair few as well so have a read of this and hopefully your questions will be answered.
Save the Dates
Save the Date cards are very important to some, and not so much to others. The main thing to remember with Save the Dates is to keep the wording simple. This is not your wedding invitation! The purpose of the Save the Date is to tell your guests to put the date in their diary, to make sure they keep it free and maybe give them a sneak-peak into the amazing day they are in store for.
They are especially important if you are having your wedding abroad, as you need to make sure you give your guests enough time to book days off, book their flights and hotels.
Invitations
The main question we hear regarding invitations is “how do I word them?”. Back in the day there was only one rule with regards to invitation wording. It was a simpler time. But this isn’t the old days anymore. Family structures are not necessarily so simple, you might be inviting your guests yourselves as opposed to your parents hosting the wedding, or your parents may not be together anymore. The examples below will help with how to start your invitation wording:
Traditional Invitation Wording
REQUEST THE HONOUR OF YOUR COMPANY
AT THE MARRIAGE OF THEIR DAUGHTER
ARYA ESHANA
TO
WILLIAM JAMES CROFT
SUNDAY 14TH FEBRUARY
STATIONERS’ HALL, EC4M
AT 3 O’CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON
FOLLOWED BY A RECEPTION
TOGETHER WITH
MR & MRS ALAN CROFT
REQUEST THE HONOUR OF YOUR COMPANY
AT THE MARRIAGE OF THEIR CHILDREN
ARYA ESHANA
TO
WILLIAM JAMES CROFT
SUNDAY 14TH FEBRUARY
STATIONERS’ HALL, EC4M
AT 3PM
FOLLOWED BY A RECEPTION
AND
MR JEREMY STERN
REQUEST THE HONOUR OF YOUR COMPANY
AT THEIR DAUGHTER’S WEDDING
ARYA ESHANA
TO
WILLIAM JAMES CROFT
SUNDAY 14TH FEBRUARY
STATIONERS’ HALL, EC4M
AT 3PM
FOLLOWED BY A RECEPTION
AND
WILLIAM JAMES CROFT
REQUEST THE HONOUR OF YOUR COMPANY
AT THEIR MARRIAGE
ON SUNDAY 14TH FEBRUARY
STATIONERS’ HALL, EC4M
AT 3PM
FOLLOWED BY A RECEPTION
Informal/Modern Invitation Wording
Usually with modern invitation suites, the parent's names are not included at the top. As the couple are the people inviting their guests,
the wording is often more relaxed and fun and does not include titles or traditional elements like carriages.
KATIE AND NICK
5TH APRIL 2022
FROYLE PARK, SURREY
CEREMONY STARTS AT 3PM
OUR RECEPTION WILL FOLLOW
ARABELLA SOFTLY & JAMES TUCKER
INVITE YOU TO BE PART OF THEIR WEDDING DAY
ON TUESDAY, 15TH AUGUST
TWENTY TWENTY-TWO
AT MULBERRY HALL AT THREE O’CLOCK
FOLLOWED BY DINNER AND DANCING
WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN THEM
IN CELEBRATING THEIR MARRIAGE
SATURDAY 16TH OCTOBER 2021
AT 2PM
ASHAM HALL, DORSET
DANCING ‘TILL LATE!
WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN THEM SAY THEIR I DO’S
AT ST MARY’S CHURCH, BASINGSTOKE
ON SATURDAY 16TH DECEMBER 2023
AT FOUR IN THE AFTERNOON
FOLLOWED BY A DINNER AT AUDLEY’S WOOD
Evening Invitations
Evening invitations or reception only invitations are usually worded in the same manner as your main invitation. There are a few differences however, such as the venue (if this is different to where the ceremony was held) and the time.
Some couples prefer to make their evening invitations more informal and do away with tradition. It is your wedding after all, so you can decide to invite people however you wish.
Info and RSVP Cards
These are sent out with the main invitations and ensure your guests know everything they need to and enable you to keep check on your numbers. The RSVP cards need to have a space for the guests name so they can tell you who they are and whether they can or cannot attend. You should also include a section noting any dietary requirements.
The information card is where everything else is included. Essentially a list of information your guests will need for your big day. Let’s face it, you’re going to be too busy choosing awesome outfits or picking a legendary playlist to be texting your guests back every two minutes. Make sure you include: ceremony address, ceremony start time, the reception address (if different) and start time, the dress code, local accommodation for guests who need to stay overnight nearby and a contact number for the nominated person who can answer any little questions. You might also want to include what time your wedding celebrations end (unless you are going for a last one on the dance floor wins situation!), and your personal view of on gifts (load me up or we’ve got everything we need!)
On the Day Stationery
Next up is your on the day stationery. Lucky for you we have already designed these as part of our suites so they will compliment your save the dates and invitations perfectly. Your Order of Service can be very important here, especially if your wedding is going to include hymns or readings. That way your guests can read or sing along, and you won’t have a room full of people just mouthing the words to look like they know what they should be saying. (we’ve never been guilty of this…)
Then there are the menus so that your guests know what they are eating and drinking. Place cards can even be personally printed with each of your guests names, if you do not have a friend with beautiful handwriting who kindly offers to write out all of the guest names for you. Table names and numbers are usually used as part of the centrepieces on your tables, so your guests know where to find their seat. Or as beacon to find their way back too after over filling their plate with the evening buffet food, dancing too hard or having indulged at the bar too long!
Thank You Cards
Lastly, once the wedding is done, memories have been made, you have recovered from the hangover and sunned yourself on your honeymoon, you have the thank you cards. Whether you decide to have these in keeping with your wedding suite design or go for a photo option they are rather important. Your guests have shared one of the biggest days of your lives with you, posed for countless photos, bought themselves fancy new outfits, and maybe even spoiled you with gifts. It is only right to say thank you. We promise they will love it, cherish it, and maybe even stick it up on the fridge… at least until you next visit their home.