Wedding Day Traditions in 2020: Invitations
There is something so nice about receiving a beautiful, personalised invitation through the post. And in the digital world we now live in it’s quite a rarity.
Stationery is an important part of the day, giving you an opportunity to stamp (sometimes literally) your personality onto not only your invitations but the one the day items to. Menus, table plans, place cards and signage to name a few.
Working with couples on their wedding stationery is one of our favourite parts of the design process as pulls everything together.
Sending personalised invitations is still very popular and most couples choose to send both paper and a digital version. Guests can then RVSP online, either through a wedding website or by email.
How old is the tradition?
Before the invention of the printing press, weddings in England were typically announced by the town crier whilst walking through the streets. Anyone that heard the news would be welcome to attend the celebration. Now that is an unpredictable guest list!
What about the wording?
Invitations are typically written in formal, third person, that the hosts invites the recipient to attend the wedding, giving the wedding date, time, and place. They would traditionally be sent from the mother of the bride, on behalf of the bride’s family, who traditionally would have been paying for the wedding. That’s why the bride’s name is comes first. For same sex couples, it usual for names to appear in alphabetical order.
An example traditional wording:
Mr. and Mrs. Ben Fitch
request the pleasure of your company
at the wedding of their daughter
Sarah Claire
to
Samuel Paul Goddard
on 5th September 2021
at 2pm
St Michael’s Church
Lambourn
then afterwards at The Manor House
We would also recommend including: the reception information if different to the ceremony, dress code, RSVP details and deadline (usually four weeks before the wedding), wedding website (if you have one) and guest list details (again, if you have one). If it’s an evening only invitation make sure to make it clear they’re only invited to that element of the day!
For examples of non traditional wording have a look at hitched.co.uk
Can invitations be sustainable?
If you’re looking to keep things sustainable, think about your choice of paper, recycled, handmade, seeded… there are quite a few choices. We recently worked with Jo from Grace and Bramble who developed a new sustainable range, that allows your guests to plant their seeded stationery and grow their own wildflowers.
Remember if you’re looking to make your invitations recyclable, then it’s best to avoid any metallics.
When to send your invitations
In terms of timing, it’s the tradition to send your wedding invitations six weeks in advance. For many couples that’s a little bit late as friends and families diaries are often busy, especially during the summer months. We recommend sending a save the date once you’ve confirmed your venue and date, followed by an invitation six months before your wedding day.
If you’re looking for someone to design and produce your stationery, we would highly recommend Jo at Grace and Bramble, and Laura of Lulabee Weddings.