Ordering Wedding Invitations

We recommend that you order 15-25 more wedding invitations than you think you need. It can be expensive to place a smaller additional order after your initial order has been completed. You will need extra invitations for any mistakes and last minute additions to your guest list. It’s also nice to save a few as keepsakes!

Baby Shower Invitation Wording

You can be as creative as you like with your baby shower invitation wording. Here is a great example:

There's a baby on the way
as you all know –
Let's help Ginny and Scott
get their “Ducks in a Row”!
Shower Supper
Friday, May 6th
7:30 p.m.
555 Old Club Road
Laura & Jack
Riley & Ben
Connor & Chase
Ally & Will*
Tracee & Tommy
Regrets 555-5555*

Housewarming vs. Open House

A housewarming party is a party to celebrate someone’s new home. You can bring a gift or a card to congratulate the new homeowner. Generally the housewarming is at the new house so people can tour through and see the entire home.

An open house can be held for a housewarming party, a business can hold to show off their facility or new products, a school to show off their facilities, a person can have for a holiday party. It basically opens up the location for people to come and visit, take a look around and make themselves comfortable and enjoy the event they are attending.

You can write your housewarming party invitation or your open house invitation in many different styles.

Formal Invitation for an Open House:
Dr. and Mrs. Lewis Sams
cordially invite you for Cocktails and Caviar and an evening at home
OPEN HOUSE
Saturday, December 10, 2006 six o’clock
310 Wildwood Lane
The favor of a reply is requested 555-555-5555

Casual Invitation for an Open House:
The last box is unpacked!
Come join us for an afternoon of Refreshments and Merriment at our Open House
Saturday, May twenty-seventh
at one o’clock
2804 Fall Creek Evansville, Indiana 47711
James, Nora, Bryant, Will and Emily
R.s.v.p. (555) 555-5555 Bring the kids!

Or:
Housewarming Party
Join us for a Housewarming Party
Saturday, March 13th at 4:00 pm
The Gibson Family 893 Ridge Drive Newark
R.s.v.p. 555-5555

How do I indicate a cost per person for party

In the strictest sense of etiquette, it is not proper to ask guests to pay to attend a party. Etiquette experts agree that hosts should deploy cost-cutting measures (have an informal dessert party, whittle the guest list, etc.) rather than requesting guests foot their own bill.

While protocol does not advocate putting cost information on a party invitation, some people do in this day and age. If you do opt to put it on the invitation, it’s best to place it in the corner opposite the RSVP invitation, as shown below:

Please join us
in celebration of
JOHN’s 60th Birthday
DAY, Date at TIME
Hotel Fancy
ADDRESS
CITY, STATE

$20 per person RSVP: 333-333-3333

Remember to consider the feelings of the honoree in this decision. If the honoree is rather traditional and conservative, they would likely be embarrassed by such a request. If you must pass a cost on to your invited guests, the best way to spread the word is by word of mouth.

Wedding Announcements and Gifts

You are not expected to send a wedding gift upon receipt of a wedding announcement. If it is a member of your immediate family or if it is a good friend you should give them a gift to celebrate such a happy moment. Still, a wedding announcement is not like a wedding where a gift is really required.

Destination Wedding Invitations

You would write your destination wedding invitation in the same format as a "home-town" wedding invitation, including the location.

You should also send a save the date card to your guests WELL in advance with the date, location, and accomodation information. This way your guests will reserve the date for you and they can budget for the flight and accomodation costs.

Labels vs. Handwritten Envelopes

Labels on wedding invitations are terrible. You want your wedding invitation to stand out and if you are going to the trouble and cost of planning a formal wedding, why would you consider making your wedding invitation envelopes look mass produced? Weddings are one time everything should be done by hand. Even if you can only get a high school student with bad handwriting, it doesn’t matter, it just has to be handwritten.

Holiday Party Invitations

Stand out from the crowd and have some fun with your holiday party invitations.

Tree-trimming party:
Please join us as we Trim the Tree!
Friday, December 11th from 7 until 10 o’clock
555 North Elm Street
R.s.v.p. The Smiths 555-5555

Holiday Cookie Exchange:
Come to my Cookie Exchange Party Bring your favorite cookies, along with the recipe
Saturday, December 18th 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
55 Main Street Edgetown
R.s.v.p. (555) 555-5555
Anne Berry

Holiday Open House:
December 15th, reserve the date for an Open House from 5 ’til 8
164 Hillside is the place to be for gathering around the Christmas Tree
Casual attire and plenty of food will help to create a festive mood. Hope to see you there!
Kara and Jack Smith
Regrets only 555-5555

Holiday Cocktail Party:
Please join us for Cocktails and Holiday Cheer!
Saturday, December 18th 7:00 pm
One Stratfield Lane Westchester
Dawn and David Smith
Regrets only 555-5555

Holiday Progressive Dinner:
We hope you’ll join us for a Progressive Holiday Supper Saturday, December eleventh
Cocktails and Appetizers at six
Hosts: Sandra and Ryan Smith
Supper at seven thirty
Hosts: Jessica and Aaron Jones
Dessert and Afterwards at nine-thirty
Hostess Merodythe Conner
R.s.v.p. to Sandra 555-5555 by December fifth

Christmas Wassail:
Come to my Christmas Wassail and celebrate the joy of the season!
Friday, December 18th following Caroling on The Square
555 Rockford Road, Wilmington
R.s.v.p. Laura Smith 555-5555

Marriage announcement info

Wedding announcements are similar to wedding invitations in that they should contain certain information about the event. Information to include on a marriage announcement is:

Who hosted the wedding
Who was married
The date
Where

Hosted by bride’s parents:

Mr. and Mrs. John James Smith
are pleased to announce
the marriage of their daughter
Elizabeth Jane
to
Mr. David Jordan Tisdale
Saturday, the fifth of May
two thousand and four
Saint Mary of the Mills
Laurel, Maryland

Hosted by bride and groom:

Elizabeth Jane Smith and David Jordan Tisdale
are pleased to announce their marriage
Saturday, the fifth of May
two thousand and four
Saint Mary of the Mills
Laurel, Maryland

Wedding Invitation Gift Requests

The only proper place to include registry information is on a bridal shower invitation. It is considered improper to put registry information on or inside your wedding invitation. If you do not have a bridal shower before your wedding, you would have your friends and family spread by word of mouth where you are registered or the things you need to set up your home.

It is also considered improper to ask for money instead of a gift at any time, for any type of event. You can have your friends and family discretely spread this by word of mouth also but do not have this type of information printed on your invitation or risk insulting your guests.

If you have an established home and don’t need any other home items - think outside of the box when you are registering. Register at home improvement stores to rennovate a room in your home, or for new carpet, or for new large appliances that people can pool together and purchase or give you gift cards toward. Or register for things to do on your honeymoon that people can help you pay for. Many people will write a check if they don’t know what to buy you but others like to buy gifts and will need a little more direction, so you should register somewhere.