For my first real blog post I decided to broach the sticky subject of wedding invitation etiquette, eek! I have much to say on this subject so will split it up over three blog posts over the next week or so. Here is part 1, I hope you find it informative!
No Children?
I am asked by customers on a regular basis how to tactfully inform their guests that they would prefer their wedding day to be child free on their wedding invitations. This can be quite tricky as it could potentially offend some wedding guests if not worded in a polite and respectful manner. Another popular dilemma is how to invite some children but not others.
One very obvious solution would be to make sure you omit the child’s/children’s name/s from the invitation and envelope. The guest should then assume that the child is not invited. Unfortunately this is not specific enough for some people, which is where the etiquette comes in. I usually suggest a line or two of text at the very bottom of the invitation (or on a seperate insert), in a smaller sized text. TIP: Try to avoid saying “No children”, it can come across as being a bit abrupt and rude. Here is a selection of my favourite and most popular phrases:
1. “With respect, we would like our special day to be an adult only occasion“.
2. “We would like to respectfully ask that our wedding day be for adults only“
You may wish to add on a specific reason in order to explain your decision in finer detail…
3. “In order to keep numbers to a minimum, i’m afraid we are unable to accommodate any children at our wedding“
4. “Due to the small size of our wedding venue, we are unable to invite any children. We also thought you might enjoy a night off.”
To finish, I have saved the most difficult until last. How to invite some children, but not others…
5. “To cut down on costs, i’m afraid we can only accommodate children of immediate family members. We hope you will enjoy having a night off!”
6. “In order to keep numbers to a minimum, we can only invite a small number of children. We also thought you might like a night off!”
I hope you have found this useful and would welcome any comments regarding this post. Look out for part 2 of our Wedding Etiquette series coming later this week.
Rebecca x
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I am so glad that i have found your blog! Some great tips. I look forward to reading more. *bookmarks immediately*