Invitation Wording- Opinions wanted!

fallbride57

I am getting ready to order our invitations and response cards.  Our wedding is November 15, 2014 in San Diego, and all guests will be coming from out of town.  Our STDs went out in April.  I included the address for our wedding website on the STD, which includes hotel information, ceremony/ reception location, etc.  Our ceremony and reception are at the same location.  The ceremony starts at 6pm, cocktail hour from 6:30-7:30, and dinner reception begins at 7:30.  The RSVP date is 5 weeks before the wedding for planning purposes (How many tables, centerpieces, costs, etc).  Please let me know what you think of the wording on the invites and RSVP cards.  Also, should I include another insert with our website again?  Thank you much!

Together with their parents

(Brides Name)

And

(Grooms Name)

request the honour of your presence

at their marriage

on Saturday, November fifteenth

Two thousand and fourteen

at six o'clock in the evening

(Name of Venue)

(Venue Address)

San Diego, California

 

The response cards will say:

Please respond on or before

the eleventh of October

We reserved ___ seats in your honour

Name(s) of Guest(s) attending:

Jen4948

zervanbr said:

I am getting ready to order our invitations and response cards.  Our wedding is November 15, 2014 in San Diego, and all guests will be coming from out of town.  Our STDs went out in April.  I included the address for our wedding website on the STD, which includes hotel information, ceremony/ reception location, etc.  Our ceremony and reception are at the same location.  The ceremony starts at 6pm, cocktail hour from 6:30-7:30, and dinner reception begins at 7:30.  The RSVP date is 5 weeks before the wedding for planning purposes (How many tables, centerpieces, costs, etc).  Please let me know what you think of the wording on the invites and RSVP cards.  Also, should I include another insert with our website again?  Thank you much!

Together with their parents

(Brides Name)

And

(Grooms Name)

request the honour of your presence

at their marriage

on Saturday, November fifteenth the fifteenth of November

Two thousand and fourteen

at six o'clock in the evening  People understand that weddings don't take place at six o'clock in the morning

(Name of Venue)

(Venue Address)

San Diego, California

 

The response cards will say:

Please respond on or before

the eleventh of October

We reserved ___ seats in your honour

Name(s) of Guest(s) attending:

I'd make the changes listed above.  I also think that "reserved seats in your honor" unfortunately opens up the possibility that guests will try to substitute uninvited guests in families or couples where one or more but not all cannot make it.  I'd be prepared to have to explain that invitations are not transferable.

CMGragain

Jen has it perfect.

fallbride57

Thank you for the feedback!  I should have mentioned the reason I wanted to insert the number of seats reserved is because we are having an adult only wedding/reception.  I read somewhere this can be a good way to make that clear without being guilty of poor etiquette.  That being said, do you still think it would be best to remove it?

Jen4948

zervanbr said:

Thank you for the feedback!  I should have mentioned the reason I wanted to insert the number of seats reserved is because we are having an adult only wedding/reception.  I read somewhere this can be a good way to make that clear without being guilty of poor etiquette.  That being said, do you still think it would be best to remove it?

Honestly, yes.  If someone RSVPs for their children or anyone else not listed on the invitation, you still have to go through the process of calling and explaining that those people are not invited, and there is a possibility that they will be offended and/or refuse to attend whether or not the invitations say "adults only" or not.  And there are also those who will be offended if you do say "adults only" because their thought is that they could figure it out for themselves and your putting "adults only" on your invitations infantilized them.  It's true that you can't please some people, but it's also true that no matter how polite you are, some people just cannot understand that RSVPing for anyone not listed on the invitation, children, dates, or whomever is not okay.

Maggie0829

zervanbr said:

Thank you for the feedback!  I should have mentioned the reason I wanted to insert the number of seats reserved is because we are having an adult only wedding/reception.  I read somewhere this can be a good way to make that clear without being guilty of poor etiquette.  That being said, do you still think it would be best to remove it?

No matter how you word your RSVP some people will still write in additional guests or make substitutions. I have seen some RSVPs where the number attending was scratched out and replaced with a new, increased number. So in the end, it is just best to keep them simple and call anyone who adds or substitutes guests.

fallbride57

Thank you!  I really wouldn't mind if someone added another adult guest... it does not have anything to do with the money, it is just that I do not want any children at the wedding and was trying to think of the most tactful way to communicate it. While I understand the envelopes should communicate this to guests, I am also aware that not everyone knows this and some people disregard the envelope.  Another question- would it be against etiquette if I used the phrase "adult reception" on our wedding website?  For example, "The adult reception will begin at...." ?

Jen4948

zervanbr said:

Thank you!  I really wouldn't mind if someone added another adult guest... it does not have anything to do with the money, it is just that I do not want any children at the wedding and was trying to think of the most tactful way to communicate it. While I understand the envelopes should communicate this to guests, I am also aware that not everyone knows this and some people disregard the envelope.  Another question- would it be against etiquette if I used the phrase "adult reception" on our wedding website?  For example, "The adult reception will begin at...." ?

Yes, it would be against etiquette to convey in any form that someone is not invited until an invited guest indicates that s/he plans to bring someone who is not invited.