Wedding Invitation Wording

workstoomuch

So, we are having a family only wedding and meal as my mother passed away very suddenly last Christmas and Im just not able for the big Irish church wedding shindig........

I have that wording sorted, but now its down to the wedding party invite that we are struggling with - we are getting married at 3pm and are planning to have our other guests join us at 7.30

We are having a cocktail reception, massive buffet, band, DJ and the works, we just wanted a private ceremony.

How do I word my invitation so that people arent 'offended' by getting an 'evening invite' (even tho they wont be missing much???!!!)

Penny Dreadful

workstoomuch wrote: »

So, we are having a family only wedding and meal as my mother passed away very suddenly last Christmas and Im just not able for the big Irish church wedding shindig........

I have that wording sorted, but now its down to the wedding party invite that we are struggling with - we are getting married at 3pm and are planning to have our other guests join us at 7.30

We are having a cocktail reception, massive buffet, band, DJ and the works, we just wanted a private ceremony.

How do I word my invitation so that people arent 'offended' by getting an 'evening invite' (even tho they wont be missing much???!!!)

Condolences on your mum first off.

With regard to the wording on the invite I'd just say something like:

"Workstoomuch & X are delighted to invite you and XYZ to celebrate their wedding with them at Time and Place ___".

People who want to celebrate with you will be delighted to be invited at all and given the circumstances if they had a gripe about not getting to the ceremony part then I'd just let them off with it.
I got married at the end of June and was delighted to discover that people were happy to be invited to any part of the day at all whether it was the entire thing or the evening part only.

elbee

I would suggest this:

'Following a private ceremony, X and Y are delighted to invite you to celebrate their wedding at Time and Place.'

Might make it a bit clearer that they aren't being excluded from anything?

Edited to add: Apologies for forgetting to offer you condolences on your loss. I hope you have a great wedding day.

workstoomuch

Thanks for the replies guys, I know our guests will definately understand the logic behind our decision to some extent, but we have got the usual - 'oh its just an evening then?'

Doing all this is a bit of a headspin as it is, without explaining until we are blue in the face!

We are trying to go to great lengths to make sure our friends and extended family feel involved, its just getting it worded properly!

All other suggestions would be greatfully accepted!

Monife

workstoomuch wrote: »

Thanks for the replies guys, I know our guests will definately understand the logic behind our decision to some extent, but we have got the usual - 'oh its just an evening then?'

Doing all this is a bit of a headspin as it is, without explaining until we are blue in the face!

We are trying to go to great lengths to make sure our friends and extended family feel involved, its just getting it worded properly!

All other suggestions would be greatfully accepted!

Terribly sorry for your loss.

I would definitely agree with the wording of either elbee or Penny Dreadful. We had a family only ceremony as well and we used the wording Penny Dreadful quoted and I don't think my friends were put out at all (and they would be very gossip-y and stuff said would always get back to the person in question but I heard no bad reports). I think a few of them would have liked to have seen me actually getting married but I couldn't invite a few without inviting the rest, but they understood and were completely happy with it.

At the end of the day, if they are true friends, they will understand completely. You have to do what is best for you and your partner and what makes both of you happy.

Dubliner28

How about

Bride and Groom
have pleasure in inviting - Guest
to share in the
celebration of their marriage in
Location
Address
on date and time