Wedding Invitation Etiquette

Wedding Invite:
Your Parents names along with your partners parents name invite you to the wedding of your & partner. Then details below

Reception:

Please join us at blah blah (& details) for an intermit dinner.
References :

By bubiandme on Nov 3, 2009

There is no suitable wording for tackiness.
By inviting lots of people to the actual ceremony and only a few to the reception, I am assuming you are planning on getting as many gifts as possible, without having to spend a lot of money on feeding and entertaining all the gift givers.
If that is not your ulterior motive, I apologise.
If I am right, you have just written the book on tacky.
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By Liz on Nov 3, 2009

Inviting people to just the ceremony when some are also invited to the reception is poor etiquette.

I had a friend who could only afford to have family at the reception. I was never formally invited to the wedding, she apologized for not be able to afford more people. I went to just the ceremony after asking if it would be OK.

I believe ceremony only invites should be done informally through word of mouth.
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By no_frills on Nov 3, 2009

try http://www.theknot.com for ideas
References :
http://www.best-wedding-dress.com

By Best-Wedding-Dress on Nov 3, 2009

Technically a church wedding is, like any other church service, open to the public and no invitation is necessary. But that doesn’t answer your question.

If you want a lot of people at the ceremony, but a small private reception do this: send wedding invitations to everyone, but insert reception cards only in the invitations of those invited to the reception. Reception cards read

To be followed by a tea and dance (or BBQ & beer, dinner, dessert & champagne, or whatever)
At One O’clock
Finfrock’s Banquet Hall
456 N Southlake Ave
(if the city is different from the church, include city)

If it is a large recpetion following a small ceremony, you send out reception invitations and enclose a ceremony card only in those for people you wish to be present for the ceremony.
Ceremony cards read:

Wedding at Twelve Noon
St Fidgetta’s Church
932 South Northlake Ave
(again, include city if it is different)

Just to make sure this is clear, the invitations include the "Mr & Mrs Proud Parent — request the pleasure of your company — at a Hawiian luau — to celebrate the marriage of their … and so on, if it is a large reception/small ceremony.

For large ceremony, small reception it’s "Mr & Mrs Proud Parent — request the honor of your presence — at the marriage of their … and so on.

Use the "honor of your presence" to invite people to church services like weddings and baptisms. Only God can invite people to his house (smile). If the ceremony is not in a church, then use the "pleasure of your company" wording.

If neither of the enclosure card examples fit, there is nothing wrong with sending out seperate invitation to each event. Each invitation should include ALL information (Mr & Mrs PP — request the pleasure of etc, etc, etc) and be able to "stand on its own" so to speak.

Whew! That was kind of long, but I wanted to be useful! Congrats and best wishes.
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By kill_yr_television on Nov 3, 2009

http://verseit.com/VerseIt_VerseChoices.cfm

Check out site above.
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By Suz on Nov 3, 2009

I agree with Liz and no_frills, it is tacky to invite people to the wedding ceremony and not the wedding reception. It just states that you want to receive gifts for them showing up but don’t want to pay for them to help celebrate your day with them and pay for their dinner plate. Sorry just my opinion. If you have to do it for certain reasons I would just send it to those that you plan to invite and can afford.
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By Ms Mook on Nov 3, 2009

I think you already see what most people’s opinions are here – that you are misguided in doing this.
You are to only invite the same people to both the ceremony and reception.
References :

By Lydia on Nov 3, 2009

I am sorry but in Australia it is not seen at all as tacky to invite people to the ceremony and not the reception as gifts are received at the reception only. Therefore, those invited to the ceremony are there just to witness the event. The ceremony being the most important part.

I have never known a wedding where numbers are not tight and to suggest someone is inviting people to the ceremony only just to get more presents, especially when you don’t know them is rude.

It is still a sensitive issue, but I think you will know the people that will not take this personally that you want there that are on the fringe.
I agree that it is best to in formally invite these people. Send them an email or have a face to face chat. Explain your situation and how you would still really love to have them there. This will make it more obvious that a gift is not required, even say this if you wish.

By Vanessa on Nov 9, 2009