Wedding invitations – wording, dress code and the style of the wedding dress

What an invitation should contain, so you don't have to send fifty messages later.

What should our wedding invitation say so the guests do not need to ask, without giving anything away about the wedding dress?

A wedding invitation should include your names, the date, the time and place of the ceremony, the venue for the party, the dress code, a reply deadline with a date, who the invitation is for, whether children are included, and how people get home. The dress code can easily be written without revealing anything about the wedding dress. Also say who guests should reply to, with a name and number. That information saves you fifty messages in the weeks before the day. We answer guests' own questions about dress codes in our FAQ for wedding guests.

Is it acceptable to send digital wedding invitations, and how do we keep the wedding dress secret in the photos?

Yes, digital wedding invitations are perfectly fine and are becoming more and more common. They are free, they can be updated, and replies are collected automatically. If you use a photo from the engagement, keep the wedding dress out of it, so it is still a surprise on the day. For the oldest guests a printed invitation is still nicer, and it is more likely to end up on the fridge. A good middle ground is printed invitations for family, digital ones for everyone else, and a wedding website with all the practical details. More advice on the timeline is in our planning FAQ.

How much do printed wedding invitations cost, and how can we save on them so there is money for the wedding dress?

The price of printed wedding invitations depends on the quantity, the paper, and whether there is colour printing or embossing. Remember envelopes and postage too, because those two items surprise most people. If you want to keep the cost down, print one invitation per household rather than per person, choose a standard format over a special one, and put the practical details on a wedding website instead of an extra card. What you save here can go towards the wedding dress or the flowers. You will find more money-saving tips in our FAQ on price and budget.

Should we make a wedding website for our guests, and what should it show of the wedding gown?

Yes, a wedding website is the easiest way to answer everything guests would otherwise ring about: addresses, times, dress code, accommodation, transport, gift list, and who to reply to. One page is enough, and there are free tools. Put the link in the invitation, and update the page when something changes instead of writing to everyone. Keep photos of the wedding gown off the site if it is meant to be a surprise. It costs you an evening. You can read more about accommodation and getting there in our transport FAQ.

How do we make the wedding invitation when the guests speak different languages, and how do we explain that white is reserved for the wedding dress?

When the guests speak different languages, it is best to make two versions of the wedding invitation and send the right one to each guest, rather than putting two languages on the same card, where the text becomes small and cluttered. If it has to be one card, put each language on its own side. Translate the dress code carefully, and feel free to state in both languages that white is reserved for the wedding dress. Put both languages on your wedding website, and tell the toastmaster which guests need English on the day. There is more for international couples in our FAQ on international questions.