Invitation etiquette: marriage v wedding

Nearhomicidal

This is my first post, and I am unsure if it would be better suited to the "Invites and Paper" board, but I settled for "Etiquette" as I don't want wishy-washy opinions, I want a definitive answer based on what is correct and proper.

On the invitations, are my parents inviting people to celebrate the marriage of my FI and I, or are they inviting peopple to celebrate the wedding of my FI and I? I thought marriage: we are are having a traditional church service followed by a reception.

Two of the snottiest girls at work insist that the wording should be wedding, while I feel that it should be marriage. Who is correct?

mrjcre2011

You have to consider what the actual word means, though. If you use marriage, then the phrasing should be "invite you to celebrate the marriage of ...", but if you use wedding, it can be phrased with or without "celebrate". If you say "invite you to the marriage of" that is grammatically incorrect because marriage is a lifetime commitment, not a ceremony or a party. The only people invited to this marriage are the people IN the marriage, i.e., you and your FI. Either word is fine to use on the invite, just make sure you consider the context and grammar of the phrase.