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Invite wording and RSVP dietary issue

WesternMA0516WesternMA0516 member
First Anniversary Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Comment
in Wedding Invitations & Paper
I need some help checking my wording on the invitation. My FMIL thought it "sounds funny" so I've come up with some basics and just need to figure out how to handle it.

Together with their families (we want to include them, but don't want to list the names)
Jane Mary Doe & John Joseph Doe
invite you to share in the joy and 
celebration of their marriage.

Saturday, the fourteenth of May (Do I have to say Saturday? Can I just say May fourteenth? Write out the numbers? )
two thousand and sixteen
at half-past four o’clock (is this correct? Should it be before the date?)

XYZ Venue
XYZ city, MA

Dinner, Dancing and Merriment to Follow (ceremony and reception are at the same venue)
-----------
Separate issue is the RSVP card. We're having a buffet (plenty of options etc) but our caterer said we should find out about any dietary restrictions (allergies, etc) so they can plan for those. We know some people have these already, but what about people we don't know about? Should we put a line on the RSVP card? 
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Re: Invite wording and RSVP dietary issue

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    Jen4948Jen4948 member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    WesternMA0516 said:
    I need some help checking my wording on the invitation. My FMIL thought it "sounds funny" so I've come up with some basics and just need to figure out how to handle it.

    Together with their families (we want to include them, but don't want to list the names)
    Jane Mary Doe & John Joseph Doe
    invite you to share in the joy and 
    celebration of their marriage.

    Saturday, the fourteenth of May (Do I have to say Saturday? Can I just say May fourteenth? Write out the numbers? )
    two thousand and sixteen
    at half-past four o’clock (is this correct? Should it be before the date?)

    XYZ Venue
    XYZ city, MA

    Dinner, Dancing and Merriment to Follow (ceremony and reception are at the same venue)
    -----------
    Separate issue is the RSVP card. We're having a buffet (plenty of options etc) but our caterer said we should find out about any dietary restrictions (allergies, etc) so they can plan for those. We know some people have these already, but what about people we don't know about? Should we put a line on the RSVP card? 
    Change the wording to

    Together with their families
    Jane Mary Doe
    and
    John Joseph Doe
    request the pleasure of your company
    as they are united in marriage
    on Saturday, the fourteenth of May
    two thousand and sixteen
    at half-after four o'clock
    XYZ Venue
    XYZ City, MA

    Reception to follow

    Yes, you need to include the day and spell out the date.

    For the RSVP card, yes, you can put in a line for dietary requirements.

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    WesternMA0516WesternMA0516 member
    First Anniversary Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Comment
    So "invite you to share in the joy and celebration of their marriage" is not correct? 
    And it's half after? My mom said half past...
    Do you put punctuation? 

    This is not my favorite part of wedding planning. 
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    Jen4948Jen4948 member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    edited February 2016
    WesternMA0516 said:
    So "invite you to share in the joy and celebration of their marriage" is not correct? 

    Yes, it is incorrect.

    And it's half after? My mom said half past...
    Do you put punctuation? 

    It's "half-after."

    This is not my favorite part of wedding planning. 
    My answers are bolded in the box.
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    MobKazMobKaz member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    WesternMA0516 said:
    So "invite you to share in the joy and celebration of their marriage" is not correct? 
    And it's half after? My mom said half past...
    Do you put punctuation? 

    This is not my favorite part of wedding planning. 
    Asking guests to "share in the joy and celebration of their marriage" can be easily misinterpreted.  A current trend is for couples to have private and/or intimate ceremonies.  These ceremonies are followed up with "celebrations" in which a larger guest base is invited.  Your wording can be interpreted to sound as if you have already married, and guests are being invited to a celebration of that event.

    Some would say that including the year of your event is unnecessary as it is implied that the invitation is being extended for an event in the current year.
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    CMGragainCMGragain member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    edited February 2016
    WesternMA0516 said:
    So "invite you to share in the joy and celebration of their marriage" is not correct? 
    And it's half after? My mom said half past...
    Do you put punctuation? 

    This is not my favorite part of wedding planning. 
    "Invite you to share in the joy and celebration of their marriage" is correct if you are already married, and you are inviting people to a celebration party of that marriage/  This is what is sounds like.
    Traditional wording works best.  Your invitation needs to state clearly who, what, when and where - not why.  Your wording is vague about what is happening.  It must clearly state that this is a marriage ceremony, not a celebration party.  "Sharing the joy" sounds like a love fest from the 1970's.  (I remember those!)

    Together with their families
    Jane Mary Doe
    and
    John Joseph Doe
    request the pleasure of your company
    as they are united in marriage
    Saturday, the fourteenth of May
    two thousand sixteen
    at half after four o'clock
    XYZ Venue
    XYZ City, Massachusetts

    Reception to follow


    The only abbreviations allowed are Mr., Mrs. or Ms.  State names must be written out in full.  Half after is traditional for weddings.
    httpiimgurcomTCCjW0wjpg
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    WesternMA0516WesternMA0516 member
    First Anniversary Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Comment
    Thanks for the help. The template on the online ordering is totally different so I wouldn't have realized many of these things. 
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    WesternMA0516WesternMA0516 member
    First Anniversary Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Comment
    Just found more options: http://emilypost.com/advice/informal-wedding-invitation-wording/ and http://emilypost.com/advice/samples-of-formal-wedding-invitation-wording/ 

    EEEK
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    charlotte989875charlotte989875 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    i had a fair number of people with dietary restrictions so I put an email address and asked people to contact me. Most everyone had my cell number and called or used the email address. Some wrote it on the RSVP card. 
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    CMGragainCMGragain member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    WesternMA0516 said:
    Just found more options: http://emilypost.com/advice/informal-wedding-invitation-wording/ and http://emilypost.com/advice/samples-of-formal-wedding-invitation-wording/ 

    EEEK
    This is why I hesitate to use Emily Post as a guide.  She must be rolling in her grave at what her descendants have done with her name!  Terrible wording!
    httpiimgurcomTCCjW0wjpg
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    CMGragainCMGragain member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    WesternMA0516 said:
    Thanks for the help. The template on the online ordering is totally different so I wouldn't have realized many of these things. 
    Invitation companies (except for the venerable Crane's) are in business to make a profit.  They will print anything anybody want to have them print.  They don't care about etiquette - only $$$.
    httpiimgurcomTCCjW0wjpg
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