The most
important message of your wedding invitation is that you want to share the celebration of your upcoming marriage with people
who are special to you and your families. Your invitation will tell guests not
only when and where you will marry, but also the style and tone of your wedding. It
will indicate the religious or civil nature of your service, and the formality or informality of the occasion.
Traditional invitation style and wording evolved to give guests all of
the details in an instantly recognizable format. But times have changed, and
today’s couples are free to vary traditional forms or to design their invitations however they like. Yet from the most formal to the most casual all wedding invitations should honor tradition to the extent
of providing the information guests need to plan their schedules, send their replies, make travel arrangements if necessary,
and select their attire for the big day.
Wedding announcements are usually mailed a day or two after
the wedding celebration. Announcements are also a great way to let people know that families are happy about an elopement
or sudden marriage.
Traditional announcements are worded similarly to an invitation
and are usually made by the bride’s parents or by both sets of parents.
Emily Post, 17th edition
