Making Our Own Wedding Invitations

My daughter and I are making our own wedding invitations and RSVPs. Can you tell me how I write the inserts for both? Also, do we need to do an order of service and a menu card, if so what do we put on them and in what order? Thanks ever so much, Colette

Answer:

I'm always pleased to hear about readers making their own wedding invitations as it's really a great way to save money and personalise your wedding. Here are the answers to your questions:

What to write in the wedding invitations:
For the wedding invitations, you simply need to tell people who, what, where and when. There are some simple examples of wedding invitation wording, both modern and traditional in this article. There's also more comprehensive information on my other website Wedding-Invitation-Ideas.com.

Information for RSVPs:
With RSVPs you need to know the name of the person who has responded and if they can attend. This is also a great place to ask if they have any dietary requirements. These days most people leave a space for the answer to dietary requests as there are so many allergies and intolerances.

Content for the order of service:
The order of service is usually used at religious ceremonies so those in the congregation can follow what's going on and includes details of the readings and any hymns. The bride and groom will work with the celebrant to decide the type of service they want and select the readings and hymns. The celebrant will then be able to supply an example of an order of service for the type of service they want. (Since different denominations have different ceremonies, it's very difficult for me to provide this for you).

The order of service can also contain details about who's getting married, the date, the wedding party and it may also have information about what's happening after the ceremony (i.e. a timings plan for the reception).

For a civil service, this would be an 'order of the day' and would only contain details of the couple, wedding party and the reception. If you're doing an 'order of the day', you can easily combine it with your menu. I would put the details of the reception first and then the menu on another page.

The menu card
The menu would usually simply state what was being served that day. It's used to inform the guests what food is available, any choices (if any) and the number or courses (or dishes if it's buffet). It usually also has the couple's name, the date and venue on it. You don't have to do a menu for each guest; you could simply do one or two menus per table. Alternatively, you could simply do one menu and place it next to your seating plan.

I hope that helps.