Wedding Invitation Etiquette

Before you read on, keep in mind that wedding etiquette is a lot more malleable than it used to be. In other words, the rules of yesteryear may not apply. The information that follows is an overview of traditional wedding invitation etiquette, which was a lot more formal than the etiquette of today.

If you want truly formal invitations, choose engraving over thermography and opt for pure white or cream-tinted paper. Said paper should be medium weight and unglazed but smooth in surface, and roughly seven inches in length by six inches in width.

Plain script is favored for the engraving of the wedding cards -- old English script, Roman capitals and block lettering are all effective. A good stationer will show you the types of lettering most suited to wedding invitations at the present time. Remember: It's their business to be able to advise you of the latest trends and formalities.

Traditional formal invitations are issued in the name of the bride's parents, or, if she is an orphan, in the names of a married brother and his wife, of her guardian or her nearest male relative. If the bride's family has a family crest, it may be embossed in white in the center at the top of the engraved sheet, but not on the flap of the envelope. A recent fashion is to have the bride's initials embossed in white where the crest would appear. Both are nice, but decorations such as gilt-edges, entwined letters or coats-of-arms in colors are in bad taste.

Now that you know the rules, you're equipped to break them! You want lime green cotton fiber invitations printed with soy ink? Go for it! Or maybe you like seal-n-send invitations that save paper and time? Fab! The only time you really need to worry about proper wedding invitation etiquette is when you've got your heart set on them. Otherwise, choose whatever invitations resonate with you and your intended.

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