Party Invitations
A Complete Guide

When to Send Your Invitation

Your invitation is really the first hint of your celebration, and your invitation should match the occasion in style and theme. In addition to providing them with necessary details, your invitation will offer your guests a hint of what is to come. Send invitations out eight weeks before (especially to out-of-town guests) your event. If you are planning a non-profit event or a special event at a convention or tradeshow, you may want to consider sending a save-the-date card in advance since people tend to book up quickly! Save the Dates can be sent as much as 3 months in advance. Holiday weekends are especially busy for everyone--so, if you're having a party to celebrate a special event (such as a wedding or Bat Mitzvah), be sure to get those invitations out early. For more advice about invitation etiquette, ask the Invitation Diva.

Wording your Invitation

1. All phrasing is in the third person.
2. Punctuation is not used at the ends of lines (commas, periods, colons, etc.); however, commas are used within lines to separate the day from the date, the city from the state and a man's surname from "Jr./junior/II/III," etc.
3. No abbreviations are used. Either spell out a name or leave it out: "Mark Claude Manet" not "Mark C. Manet." Also, "Road," "Street," "Avenue," "Reverend," "Doctor," and all military titles should be spelled out. Exceptions are: "Mr." and "Mrs."
4. If both Mr. and Mrs. Smith are doctors, they can be referred to as "The Doctors Smith."
5. Days, dates, and times are always spelled out.
6. Only proper nouns are capitalized (names of people and places, cities, states, name of the day of the week, month name, etc.) Exceptions are the year line ("Two thousand") or where the noun is the beginning of a new sentence or thought ("T" in "The favour of a reply is requested" or "Reception to follow")
7. Be consistent with your usage of "honour/favour" or "honor/favor." Traditionally the formal, British spelling with the "u" is preferred in proper wedding etiquette, but whichever form you choose, use it in both words.
8. It is considered socially incorrect to write, "no children please" on the invitation or any part of the wedding ensemble. "Black tie" does not traditionally appear on the invitation. If the event takes place after six o'clock, your guests should assume that it is a formal event. If you are concerned, however, you may write "Black tie" as a right footnote on your reception card. Note: the "B" in "Black tie" is capitalized, but not the "t."
9. It is considered extremely socially incorrect to make any mention of gifts on invitations on the theory that we should expect nothing from our friends except their presence, therefore never list where you are registered, the name of a charity for donations or your desire for money rather than presents. The only slight exception to this strict rule is for shower invitations where it is permitted to list the theme of the gifts ("Linens", etc.) but never where one is registered or any mention whatsoever of money.

   From our friends at www.einvite.com.

Did You Remember?

• Name of parent(s), host(s) or sponsors
• Establish the purpose of the printing (Inviting to a wedding? Announcing a graduation?)
• Name of honoree (bride and groom, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, graduate)
• Day/Date (spelled out - e.g. Saturday, the twenty-third of March)
• Does the day definitely correspond with the date? (consult a calendar)
• Year (two thousand)
• Time (at six o'clock in the evening)
• Name of Place (First Congregational Church)
• Location of Place (city and state but no zip code - street address is optional)
• Ask several friends to read it for mistakes!

For great custom invitations check out Party411 Creations for You or contact the Custom Queen at (877) 514-8411.

For answers to any of your questions about invitation etiquette contact the Invitation Diva. 

Ask the Experts

• The Etiquette Queen

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