Wedding reception invite wording?

Question

We are getting married in Mexico, mid December with 50 of our friends and family members coming along. We are planning a second reception at the end of January in our childhood hometown in Michigan (our families still live there). It is an evening get together with hoers de oeuvres, drinks, and dancing, with about 200 people invited. I am unsure of the invites should be worded. We are paying for the celebration, not our parents. Any suggestions? Everything I have been finding is too formal or way to casual. The venue the event is at is not super dressy, but not a jeans and tee place either. Any help in appreciated.

Answer 1

Something like this:

Mr. and Mrs. John Doe

were married on

December 15th, 2008

in XX, Mexico

Please join them for a cocktail reception

to celebrate their marriage

on DATE HERE

at TIME HERE

at LOCATION HERE

ADDRESS HERE

Answer 2

Wait a minute! First, one can issue a formal invitation to a casual event; one can issue a casual invitation to an affair that is very formal indeed. Second, an invitation isn't like a theater program where money buys space. It's nobody's business who is paying for the party so your invitations shouldn't be giving this information or even hinting at it. Personally I prefer formal invitations in the passive voice which does not indicate that anyone in particular is acting as host:

The pleasure of the company of

[handwrite in one or two names here]

is requested at a BBQ picnic

to celebrate the marriage of ... etc etc

[here appear the names of the couple; add parents names if you wish]

... At Swampy Valley County Park

10101 Mosquito Highway

Bloodville

For the event you describe I suggest a short handwritten note or letter like:

Dear Frank and Rocky,

After the honeymoon Brad and I will be having a small casual dance and would be so pleased to see you two there. It will be at [location] on [date] at [time]. Please feel free to bring Magenta, Columbia, and RiffRaff. Give me a ring at 954-867-5309 to let us know whether to expect you.

Your friend, Janet Majors (formerly Weiss)

PS Too bad about poor Eddie!

Answer 3

I would word it something like this:

Jim Jones and Anna Smith

were married on

December 15th, 2008

Please join them

to celebrate their marriage

on Saturday January 25th, 2009

at six in the evening

Castle Country Club

123 Castle Drive

New York, New York

Where is the event taking place? I would think that people could tell from the event location how formal or casual the dress if. If you are having it at a nice restaurant, country club or hotel I would definitely wear a nice dress or outfit...but if you were holding it at a park or in your backyard I would probably dress a little more casual.

However, if you are worried about this why don't you make a wedding website for people to check out?

You can put some information at the bottom of the invites that says something like

Please visit our wedding website for venue directions, attire and other information.  

Answer 4

Do it more as a Just Married Announcement

Back from Mexico Just Married!

Please join

Jane and John Smith

to celebrate their recent nuptials

Saturday, January 12th 2009

3 o'clock in the afternoon

Location name

address

city, State

As for dress, you can list it on a wedding web page in the attire section, just state that its a more casual but still dress up party.  

Answer 5

A formal invitation is worded in the third person and reads,

Mr and Mrs Tom Fortytwo

request the pleasure of the company of

Mr and Mrs John Guest  

for hors d'ouvres and dancing

on <date> at <time> o'clock

at <venue>

You have your printer leave a space so that you can handwrite in the names of the guests, unless you are using the convention of an inner envelope bearing the names of the invited guests, inserted inside the outer postal-address envelope. If you have two envelopes, you can have the invitations simply printed with "the pleasure of your company" and leave off the write-in line.

A casual invitation is

Dear Jane and John,

Tom and I would

love you to join us on <date> at <time> at <venue, for hors d'ouvres and dancing;

Yours sincerely

Jenmor Fortytwo

Answer 6

Try this:

BRIDE

and

GROOM

are happy to announce

their marriage

on DAY

YEAR

CITY, STATE

Please join them

for a celebration

on DAY

YEAR

TIME

LOCATION

CITY, STATE

and remember that the style of your invitation and the venue are what guests use to determine the mode of dress - choose something casual. A lot of stationers now have wedding invites specifically for post wedding receptions. You may even find that there is a party invitation that suits your purposes as well or better, just choose one with a corresponding response card.  

Answer 7

You would print a standard reception invitation. You don't make mention of the ceremony, especially since you may be inviting some who were not invited to the wedding. That could cause hurt feelings. This is not an announcement so steer clear of using the word announcement as was mentioned above.  Here is a page outlining some reception invitation wording. http://www.topweddingsites.com/wedding_i...

Answer 8

You just put your names, date and place you got married, and invite them to this belated celebration. Make sure you put "No gifts, please" since these people were not at the ceremony.

Marie (Johnson) and Philip Green were married December 15, 2008 in Ixtapa, Mexico.

Please join us at a reception to celebrate with us:

Cocktails 5 p.m.

Dinner 6 p.m.

Dance to follow

The Wonderful Venue

123 Apple Street

Anywhere, US

(No gifts, please)

Answer 9

BRIDE

and

GROOM

are happy to announce

their marriage

on DAY

YEAR

CITY, STATE

Please join them

for a celebration

on DAY

YEAR

TIME

LOCATION

CITY, STATE

or

He slipped the ring on her finger

a promise made for life . . .

Join us as we share their joy

now that they're man and wife!

A party to honor the newly married

COUPLE

will be held on DAY

at TIME

ADDRESS

HOSTS

Our past has made memories

we’ll hold onto forever,

We’ve now made the future

our newest endeavor

We

BRIDE

and

GROOM

were married DATE

CITY, STATE

Please join us at a wedding

reception

DATE

TIME

LOCATION

CITY, STATE

Answer 10

Paul & Kim invite you to a celebration of their marriage

January 25th 2009 7-9 pm

Hanover Falls Reception Center

dinner and dancing