Having a wedding takes a lot of effort and preparation. Invitation is one aspect that should not be ignored. Wedding invitations are your first project with your crush that will be seen by many. Without an invitation, guests will not know when and where the wedding will be! For that reason, writing wedding invitations can be a challenge as you need to be able to enter all the information effectively without being overwhelming. You also need to choose a writing style and level of creativity that suits your character, family and guests.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Introducing the Host
Step 1. Understand the sections in the invitation letter
A formal wedding invitation letter is often written in several lines, each containing information about the wedding ceremony, reception, and the people involved. The sections of the invitation letter include information about:
- Host-only line, containing the names of the wedding party organizers
- The request line, contains an invitation for guests to come to the wedding
- Relationship line, contains relationship information between the party organizer and the bride and groom
- Name of the bride and groom
- Date
- Event execution time
- Wedding party location information
- Address line that clearly shows the address and location of the party
- The reception line contains a series of wedding events and the location of the event.
Step 2. Determine who the host is
Traditionally, the host of the wedding is the one who pays the expenses for the party. However, nowadays the title is usually given to the parents of the bride and groom. When you find a wedding invitation that includes words like “We look forward to welcoming you to Mrs. Siti and Mr. Ahmad's children's wedding,” those two names are the hosts who invited you. Hosts are usually:
- Bride's parents
- Groom's parents
- The bride and groom and their parents
- Just the bride and groom
Step 3. Use the names of the bride's parents as hosts
If the wedding is held at the bride's place, the names of her parents will be written first on the invitation.
Usually, you need to include a title in front of the host's name (Mr. Fajar and Ms. Tasya), or a title followed by the husband's full name (Mr. and Mr. Ahmad)
Step 4. Use the names of the parents of the bride and groom as hosts
In general, the first line of the invitation letter includes the names of the bride's parents (Mr. Fajar and Mrs. Tasya). The second line will start with the word “and”, followed by the names of the groom's parents (and Mr. Ahmad and Mrs. Siti).
In same-sex marriage, the above format remains the same, but both families must determine whose name is written first. However, you can also put the names of each parent on the same line
Step 5. Use the names of the bride and groom and their parents as hosts
If the wedding is being held by both the parents of the bride and groom, the invitation usually opens with a statement implying that the wedding was held together, for example:
- With family
- With the family of Mr. Fajar and Mr. Ahmad
Step 6. Use the names of the bride and groom as hosts
When the bride and groom organize their own wedding, their names are usually written at the beginning of the invitation.
- The names of the bride and groom are usually written on two separate lines. The name of the bride is generally written first.
- Even if both spouses are hosting, wedding invitations usually keep their names written in the third person.
Step 7. Include the child's name to invite guests to the second wedding
If one or both partners have been married before, it is perfectly normal to include the name of the child – in lieu of the name of the host – from the previous marriage.
Method 2 of 4: Invite Guests to Come by Invitation
Step 1. Write a request line
Once the host's name has been written down, you'll need to make a request to the guest to attend. It is usually written with a sentence like:
- “By the Grace of God Almighty, We Await Your presence at the Wedding….” this sentence is usually written by a religious couple.
- “We Expect Your Presence,” is usually written if the wedding does not involve certain religious customs or traditions.
- “Inviting You to Come to the Party…”
- “Looking forward to your Coming to the Wedding…”
Step 2. Describe the relationship between the host and the couple
In the next sentence, you can explain the relationship between the host and the two couples. There are several sentence options to choose from, depending on the relationship.
- If the hosts are the parents of the bride, you can write “…wedding of the beloved daughter.”
- If the parents of the bride and groom are hosting, you could write “….our children's wedding.”
- If the groom's parents are the hosts, the next sentence can be written “…at our son's wedding…”
- When the bride and groom are having their own party, you can write “…at our wedding.”
- If the invitation is in the name of each couple's children, you might write "…at a wedding that will bring the two families together."
Step 3. Introduce the bride and groom
In general, the name of the bride is written first; but in same-sex marriage, you are free to decide whose name is written first.
- Do not hesitate to include the full names of the bride and groom. However, usually the name of the bride is written without a surname because the information is already listed in the names of both parents.
- If the groom's parents are hosting, sometimes you need to write "married our son" between the bride's name and the groom's name. So, on the invitation it will be written "Mr. Fajar and Ms. Siti expect your presence at Nabilah's wedding party with their son, Rian Saputra."
Method 3 of 4: Providing Necessary Information
Step 1. Write down the date of the event
After including the name of the host and inviting guests to come, you must enter all relevant details regarding the time and place of the event. First, write down the date of the wedding, then write the time of the event on the next line.
- In traditional wedding invitations, the time and date of the event are always written in alphabetical order (write “Monday, March 2nd”, not “Monday, March 2nd”)
- Similarly, instead of writing 14.00 WIB on a formal invitation, write "Two o'clock in the afternoon local time".
Step 2. Write down the location of the event
The location of the wedding party is written after the date and time of the event, this section must include:
- Name of the building where the event is being held
- The full address of the building (unless you use a very easy-to-find place)
- District, city, and province where the event takes place
Step 3. Write down the reception information
This section will provide guests with information about the event after the wedding ceremony is over. If the marriage ceremony is followed by dinner and dancing together at a location, this is the section to explain the information. This is often simple information, such as:
- “Dinner and hospitality held after the marriage ceremony”
- “The reception took place after the marriage ceremony was over”
- "The party will be held after the contract," then write the location of the party if the place is different from the location of the ceremony.
Step 4. Record special requests
For example, if children are not allowed in, you could write “Adults-only reception” on the invitation card. Similarly, you can include information on the dress code for the reception, for example, "Black formal dress is worn at the reception."
To gently inform guests that children are not allowed in, you can provide a special column in the invitation that requires guests to write down the number of adults who will be attending
Method 4 of 4: Asking Guests to Confirm Attendance
Step 1. Submit an attendance confirmation card
If you don't want guests to confirm their attendance by phone or on your wedding website, include a physical card that can be sent back in response to the invitation.
Step 2. Reprint the envelope containing the response with the host's name and address
To get people to respond by mail, have envelopes ready to ship so they don't have to buy their own envelopes to send confirmation of attendance.
The return address must include the name and address of the host, not the addresses of the bride and groom
Step 3. Direct people to visit your wedding website
For couples who have their own website, guests can confirm arrival online. However, you should clearly state in the invitation that guests must visit the site for information.
