The formal “rules” and traditional etiquette when it comes to weddings can get overwhelming. Some of it is outdated and some is straight up contradictory. When it comes to wedding invitations and wording, you should really do what makes you feel most comfortable and makes sense for your event. However, there are a few mistakes that I feel should be avoided in any circumstance, traditional or not.
Abbreviations
This applies to everything on the invitation other than “Mr. and Mrs.” in the case of including parent’s names as hosts. Dates, including the day and year, should be spelled out completely. Times shouldn’t be abbreviated or include “AM/PM”. The venue name shouldn’t be shortened and the street address, city, and state should be in their full form.
Zip Code
For the love of all things pretty, please do not include the venue zip code on your wedding invitation. Zip codes are for mailing and should be listed on the envelopes only.
Information on Back
All wording should be contained to the front side of the invitation. Consider adding an insert card if you have extra information for your guests.
Registry
Should your registry be listed on your wedding invitations? Well, no.
It isn’t polite to include registry information on the wedding invitation or any of the accompanying insert cards. Even though it is expected for couples to create a wish list, putting that information with the invitations is considered a no-no.
The workaround? List your wedding website on the details insert, inviting guests to visit for more information. Have your registries linked there, along with other important specifics for your guests.
Alcohol
Whether open bar, cash bar, or no alcohol at all, this detail should be left off of the invitations. Guests will find this out at the reception and shouldn’t influence their decision to attend your wedding.
Another no-no: why you should leave off the “Reserved Seats” wording on your RSVP card.
If we work together to create your wedding invitations, I will gently guide you away from making any of these mistakes. However, the ultimate decision will be totally up to you!
Now that you know what not to include, check out my wording guide to get some inspiration and view wedding invitation examples done the right way!
10 Comments on Invitation Mistakes: What Not to Include on Wedding Invitations
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Great tips here! I think I may have committed the zip code gaffe ;)
I had no idea about a few of these! So glad that I came by to read! :)
Beautiful and helpful, thanks!
Great tips! Thank you for sharing.
Useful tips! Thanks for sharing.
Very good tips! I haven’t definitely gotten some invitations that made some of these faux pas.
Well said!!!
Agreed for the most part, however sites like Shutterfly, Minted etc. have pre-set wording and a lot of invitations now use a more “modern” way of noting the date and time to include “am” or “pm”. The date is written as “May 31st, 2021”. I don’t see anything wrong with it, especially for more concise invites….
Thank you for your advice. Since there are Lockdown Rules restricting us to a specific number of people attending the wedding/function, what is the polite way of wording this in the invitation?
Hi Sifiso! Sorry for the delayed response on this. I think it would depend – if you’ve already sent invitations before realizing your list has to be cut you could send a simple announcement just stating that due to unforeseen circumstances, you’re no longer having a “public” event and look forward to celebrating when things are safe! If you haven’t mailed the invitation yet, I think it is fine (and expected) to only send to the people who are invited to attend. You can always do a marriage announcement post-wedding as a fun way to celebrate and share a photo : )