Tradition and etiquette basics for invitation are things that a party planner should learn when taking on the job of planning for a wedding. What is a traditional invitation and what is an informal one? These are questions that we will answer in this article.

There are various options for wedding invitations; you could have something like a book with your photos on the cover, or a simple card with exquisite calligraphy. Regardless of the design, the wording on the invitation must be perfect, and appropriate to the wedding theme or the couple’s preferences.

A traditional wedding is to be held in a church or another similarly formal setting.

• The key phrase on the invite must be “request the honor of your presence”
• Traditionally, the parents of the bride and groom issue the invitation, and the titles that they have must also be indicated (M.D., Ph.D, MSW etc). The implication of this is that the parents are the ones spending for the wedding. If the parents are separated but not divorced, the wording should be as though they are still together.
• You must place the words “black tie” or “strictly formal” at the bottom of your invite to alert the guests about the dress code.
• Guests expect a sit-down dinner after the ceremony

An informal party is something that is held in a place other than a church (e.g a garden, beach)

• You can opt to issue the invitation, and use the phrase “pleasure of your company”i.e. “Katie and John request the pleasure of your company”
• Indicate if the reception is a full dinner or a cocktail affair so that the guests can prepare (eat beforehand or make plans for a full dinner after your party)
• Indicate the dress code. In my opinion, saying “casual” isn’t enough, and most people interpret this phrase in different ways.

Re: Cash Gifts

There are conflicting opinions regarding cash gifts. Do you state in the invitation that you prefer monetary gifts? Some have done this and it’s perfectly fine for them, but as a rule, indicating that you want the guests to give you cash instead of the gift-wrapped presents thaty they prepared is tacky. Of course, guests know that they have to give something, but indicating your preference on the invite will make some people feel that their attendance isn’t enough for you.

Sometimes the biggest obstacles to efficient planning are the guests themselves. Namely, the guests of the guests. It is a planner’s nightmare to see that the estimated number of visitors double or triple in size on the actual party date.

On paper, planning for enough food and giveaways to provide for a set number of people is easy. However, some invitees volunteer to bring at least one or two other friends with them without informing the party planner or party giver. Without prior planning for a solution to this issue, you end up with a crowd and not having enough food for everyone.

Some Tactful Ways to Address the Problem of ‘Gate Crashing’

Gate crashers are people who attend parties without getting an invite. These are usually unexpected guests who know the celebrant somewhat but were not invited. It is tactless for these people to come in a party uninvited, but equally tactless for the party planner to point this out to this people, as they could be friends or relatives of the celebrant that he or he ‘forgot’ to send an invite to.

1. Write the invitation script in such a way that the RSVP line is highlighted. Make sure to emphasize on how many people to bring (i.e. can bring one guest or ‘you and a guest’). Include ‘tickets’ if the celebrant will approve this, such that the one being invited has a gate pass and an extra one for his guest.

2. Prepare for feeding more people than the actual number. For example, you rented out 200 chairs and 200 food plates initially, inform the chair dealer and the caterer to prepare 50 more, just in case.

3. Make all guests (and their guests) sign the guest book, and compare this list to the original guest list so that the celebrant can see the exact number of people he has to pay extra for.

WEDDING PROGRAM FAN (SHELL) – $ 283.90
From: Wedding ThingsThis is the piece of paper or some other material that people use to inform others that

• They have an event coming up
• The person is invited to that event, and
• The proper attire and the preparations that the person must do for the event

The Different Components

1. the occasion being celebrated

2. the name of the celebrant(s)

3. the dress code

• black/white tie – strictly formal affair where ladies wear gowns and evening dresses, and men wear tuxedos
• formal – men wear coats and women wear evening or cocktail dresses
• semi-formal – men can wear dark business suit and tie; and women can wear cocktail or afternoon dresses
• casual – often tagged as “come as you are”, dressy blouses and jeans are ok

4. the date and time of the event – should be written in bold letters

5. the venue – exact address with street number, the number of parking slots available are also usually indicated

6. RSVP – means “répondez s’il vous plaît” the French phrase for ‘please reply’; this clause is followed by a telephone number, which the invitee should call to confirm that he/she is coming. This is very important because the person throwing the party needs to know exactly how many people to prepare for.

7. Additional things – a short quote or a bible passage is usually printed after the main components as invitation accessories