Invitation wording

IG.muse

I'm getting ready to print my invitations and I thought I had the wording figured out but I'm getting nervous about making a mistake and thought I'd ask on this board if anyone might not mind sharing their invitation wording. 

I had just the regular (secular, I guess) wording: parents of the bride "request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter..." But now I'm wondering if it should be "honor of your presence" instead. The wedding is at our reception site but a Rabbi is officiating. I initially thought that the word honor was only used for a ceremony held at a place of worship, but now I'm thinking -- since this is a Jewish wedding and a Huppah can be placed anywhere, should I change the wording to "honor of your presence"?

Hope my question makes sense. Also hope this wording isn't a huge faux pas for a Jewish wedding. My finance isn't Jewish but the ceremony is going to be essentially Jewish. 

Musicheals71

The Book "The New Jewish Wedding" by Anita Diamant offers several wonderful examples of Jewish wedding invitation wording.  She suggested such phrases as "invite you to dance at our wedding" and "share in our simchah". She actually says to avoid "honor of your presence" and "pleasure of your company" because those phrases are associated with Christian weddings.

slbriz34

IG.muse - you are right about honor and request; I believe I read somewhere that any time of religious service (particularly Jewish, Hindu, etc. that can take place anywhere), you'd be permitted to use honor.

As Ms. Diamant's view, it's become so overused now that I don't think it can be interpreted any more as being Christian, not as compared to saying marching down to the wedding march - which would be.

I sort of did the combination of the two, because we are hosting our wedding (not our parents) and I liked how it looks and sounds.  We are saying X and Y request the honor of your presence at their wedding simcha on Sunday .... 2010....

Work with a few items; look at samples online and see what works for you.  GL.

vlevitt

i honestly think that at the end of the day it really doesn't matter what you put on your invites. as long as your name, the location and time are on there that's all people really care about. so if you like honor of your presence, go for it.  with very few exceptions at the end of the day these invites are going into the garbage and no one but us and maybe our parents care, so i think that if you like it, do it.

i'll share our invite wording.  we are splitting the cost of the event 3 ways between us and our parents.

it reads:

together with our parents
(name of parents)
we
bride + bride's hebrew name
and
groom + grooms hebrew name

invite you to share in and amplify our joy as we are united in marriage under the chuppah

location
time
atire suggestion
rsvp info

i like the "share in and amplify our joy..." part, as i think it gives guests the sense that they are an important part of the event, not just an audience.

v.

Musicheals71

Vlevitt:  LOVE your invitation wording!

lynniearudner

I agree with the previous poster -- the "etiquette" on this seems to be relatively relaxed these days. 

we are relatively casual people, and went with this:

together with their families, 

lynnie and FI

request the pleasure of your company

at the celebration of their marriage

on ____ october, 2010

at __ pm

place

dinner and dancing to follow.

vlevitt

awww - thanks, musicheals. feel free to steal/borrow the wording for your invites.

v.

jendawn80

I know i"m kinda late for this post, but I just thought I would share what we decided

With much love and joy, Mr. and Mrs.____
invite you to celebrate in the marriage of their daughter
Jennifer Dawn
to
Ryan ____

Sunday, the thirtieth of May
etc etc