How to write a formal Wedding Invitation

"Wedding Etiquette: Containing proper forms for Invitations, Announcements, Reception and At Home Cards. And Neccessary Stationary for other Social Functions connected with the Wedding"
Printed with the compliments of: Everett Waddey Company, Richmond VA.

I just happened upon this adorable little book which gives an abundant amount of information on Wedding Invitations & how to write them! The title of the book is "Wedding Etiquette" it was produced by a stationary company for purposes of selling their own stock & informing the public as to the "proper" way to write an invitation....an art form that I think is now long lost...

Allow me to quote from page 3, "Fashion sways a sceptre of absolute sovereignty over the human race, and though there are times when we may defy her decree, there are occasions when her laws must be obeyed, and especially is this true in all matters pertaining to social and wedding etiquette. At such times public attention is centered upon the principals in such events and each friend and stranger is a self-constituted critic. "Simplicity and Moderation" must be observed, for an attempt at elaborate display, especially where means do not justify it, will only be met with unkind criticism."

Here are the basics of Wedding Invitations & Announcements:

1. They should be issued in the name of the parents of the bride elect (or in the name of the surviving parent or guardian if they are deceased).

2. When preparing the invitation be careful not to employ abbreviations, yet make the phraseology as concise as possible.

3. The proper form for a Single Wedding at home invitation is as follows:

Mr. and Mrs. Alexander North Strange
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter
Alice Greever
to
Mr. Charles Frankfort Madison
on Wednesday afternoon, July the sixth
at five o'clock
Five Hundred and two Boulevard Avenue
Jacksonville, Florida

4. Proper form for a Double Wedding at home (do people even do this anymore?):

Mr. and Mrs. John Roanoke Randolph
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughters
Mary Ellen
to
Dr. Francis Mercer Tyler
and
Josephine Snow
to
Mr. Halyburton Burgess
on the evening of Thursday, June tenth
at eight o'clock
At Home
"Tuckahoe"
Goochland County, Virginia

5. Parents names can be substituted for legal guardian names or relative's names, and instead of "at the marriage of their daughter" it should say "at the marriage of his sister (cousin, etc)"

6. The line "requests the pleasure of your company" can be replaced by: "requests the pleasure of your presence" "requests the honor of your presence" "requests your presence" "invites you to be present" or "desires your presence".

7. Full names should be written, as initials do not always sufficiently identify.

8. The date line must indicate morning, afternoon, or evening. The year line, however, in an Invitation is considered superfluous, but must always be stated on the Announcement.

9. The Home Address lines can be substituted for the Church, Court, Hotel, or Banquet Hall address:

Saint Bartholomew's Church
in the City of Boston

10. Apparently, you are never to use "request the pleasure of your company" in an invitation to a Church Wedding (do not ask me why, it just says so).

**Rsvp's will be covered next....till then, good luck & have fun brushing up on your wedding etiquette!**

1920s Vintage Wedding Photo Featured in my store...is she a bride or a princess?