Please help with invitation wording

[therighttime]

Hi
I just received the proof back from the printer and I''m not sure I like the wording... Please let me know what you think. I am having a CASUAL BBQ reception with country music/bluegrass band. The invitation is to the reception only (we are having a private ceremony before.) The invitation is red gingham border with black letters.

This is the way the proof wording is now:

The Right Time
and
Mr. Right Time
will be married
in a private ceremony
on July 27, 2007.

You are joyfully invited to
a casual reception
following the ceremony
at half past six o''clock

Location
City, State


I need input on...
1. "half past six o''clock" bugs me. Isn''t that formal wording? Shouldn''t it say six thirty in the evening?
2. if you got this invitation would you know what to wear? FI is worried people will show up in church clothes, but I think since it says CASUAL reception that people will know what to wear.
3. do we need to put FRIDAY, July 27, 2007? most weddings in my area are on saturday.. i wondered if it would help to clarify that on the invite?

Thanks for your help!

 

[cara]

I think this wording is quite awkward. It is half the wording of wedding announcement, somewhat formally in third person while rubbing it in that it was a private ceremony, and followed by a more casual wording to the reception.

Since you are just inviting people to the reception, you don't need the announcement half. If you invite people to a reception in honor of a marriage, without mentioning an anniversary, people will generally assume you the marriage will be some time recently preceding the reception. Anything in the hours to weeks range is fine and need not be elaborated.

You also seem to be struggling with some formal phrases and some informal phrases to emphasize casual.

Something like this maybe??:

In celebration of their marriage
Girl Right Time and Boy Right Time
joyfully invite you
to a barbeque and bluegrass reception

Friday, July twenty-seventh
half after six o'clock

Location
City, State


This is still somewhat formal third person phrasing, but casual is conveyed with the bbq and bluegrass. If you want CASUAL wording too, you might need to ditch the third person and invent your own words. You should definitely have the Friday to get people's head around the day is NOT SATURDAY!!! I would keep it as half after six (or half past six) if you have the third person wording to be consistent in formality.

 

[therighttime]

Thanks cara, for your input. The wording came directly off the invitation company''s website (and also is on verseit.com.) I am still not sure about what it is that I don''t like about it.

I thought it was necessary to put the private ceremony verbage in there because I didn''t want people wondering WHEN we were getting married. For instance, if they receive the invite next week inviting them to a reception then I''m afraid people willl wonder if we already got married and I will have lots of questions/calls. I wanted it to be clear we are not married yet... didn''t want the invite to appear to be a wedding announcement after the fact and cause confusion.

Still not sure what to do about some of the wording.....but I agree that I am definitely adding FRIDAY.

thanks again

 

[Pandora II]

I would put:

The Right Time
and
Mr. Right Time
request the pleasure of your company
at a
Reception
following their
marriage
in a private ceremony
on Friday, July 27 2007

6.30pm or whatever wording you like best
Location
City, State

Then add

Dress: Casual

in the bottom righthand corner. This is normal even on v formal invites in the UK. "Dress:" can be left out if one is putting Dinner Jackets (more correct than Black Tie) or Lounge Suits, but Casual probably needs slightly more explaination.

 

[therighttime]

THANKS! I do like reversing the order this way. Now it seems like WE are inviting the guests rather than some unknown person.

thanks again!

 

[KimberlyH]

I think I would use (from www.mygatsby.com):

We, BRIDE''S FIRST NAME and GROOM''S FIRST NAME,
will be married in a
private wedding ceremony
on DAY, the FORMAL DATE of MONTH
YEAR
You are joyfully invited to an informal
wedding celebration
after the wedding
on RECEPTION DATE
at RECEPTION TIME o''clock
RECEPTION LOCATION
RECEPTION ADDRESS
RECEPTION CITY, RECEPTION STATE