Wedding Invitations

Ever wonder what to do with all those cards you received from your wedding and can’t bare to throw them away? What about all those extra wedding photos that came from who knows where? Are you unorganized and have them scattered in a million different places. Or perhaps they’re all in a shoe box somewhere.

Shoe boxes can be very convenient and inexpensive storage containers. The problem with plain ol’ shoe boxes (even when labeled), you still have to shuffle through them to find what you’re looking for. There’s nothing that makes them stand out. Well, here’s an idea for you that will not only help those boxes stand out when you need them, but also put those wedding cards and extra wedding photos to good use.
 
Be sure to use a steady shoe box and pick out the pictures or cards you are willing to decorate the box with. Cut off the front side of the cards and simply glue them onto the shoebox. It will basically look like a collage of photos or cards or both. When you’re done and the glue has dried, then apply clear contact paper. The clear contact paper also serves as a water resistant surface and prevents the cards and pictures from getting torn off the box.  Now you have a storage box that stands out and you’ll know exactly what’s in it. People do this for their wedding cards, wedding photos, wedding decorations and other wedding keepsakes.
 
I hope this idea in the wedding etiquette blog will prove to be useful for you. Have a great day!

You’ve done it! You’re married! All your hard work and
preparation has been worth it all. I hope that your day was glorious!

• Now just enjoy your
  honeymoon!
• Contact a Flower Preservation
  Vendor to preserve your Bouquet.
• Contact a Gown Preservation
  Vendor to hand clean, press and preserve your bridal gown.
• Finish writing your thank you
  notes.
• Take care of any legal
  concerns you didn’t get to before the wedding such as name and address
  changes.

• If no one has already done something like this for you as a wedding gift, take
  one of your left over wedding invitations and preserve it in some way either by
  framing it in some way or have it applied to a plaque or waxed onto a large
  display candle.

• Start your new life as husband and wife. There will definitely be some
  adjustments to be made. New issues will develop - many good, some not so
  good.  One thing to keep in mind is the importance of focusing on the
  positive and good things about your spouse and being willing to forgive. As
  good as your intentions are, there will be times that you will disappoint one
  another, and it is very important to be able to forgive and move on. Have fun!

My mother is a widow who has not remarried. She prefers the use of
her first name. Can her name read, “Mrs. Karen Marie Sampson on my wedding invitations?”

A widow who has not remarried to be proper should use her deceased
husband’s name, preceded by “Mrs.” (A divorced woman should use “Mrs.”
followed by her first, maiden, and married names.) If your mother would
really rather use her first name she should omit her title in which
case all other titles should be omitted to be consistent. This will
make the invitation more informal. (The titles are one of the element
that make the invitation formal.)

Some more common questions we receive about wedding invitation wording is regarding the spelling of the words honour (or honor) and favour (or favor). What is correct and proper?

While most brides prefer honour, either is correct. It is a matter
of preference. The most important thing to remember is consistency. If
you use honour, then use favour if that word is used on your reply
card. Similarly, if you use honor, then use favor.

Another question has to do with the proper way to handle the designation "junior" in wedding invitations. Can it be abbreviated or should it be spelled out?

Properly, “junior” is spelled out with a lower case “j” but “Jr.”
is acceptable as an abbreviation even though it is less formal.
Sometimes it is necessary with a long name.

How should my parents names read on my wedding invitation? My father is a minister.

The invitation line should read. “The Reverend and Mrs. Stephen
Andrew Sampson.” If he also holds a doctorate degree, it could read
“The Reverend Doctor Stephen Andrew Sampson.” Neither should be
abbreviated. If the line is too long, it can be split to read, “The
Reverend Doctor/and Mrs. Stephen Andrew Sampson.”

How should my parents names read? My mother is a minister but my father is not.

Again, traditionally is is most proper if she uses her social title
as “Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Andrew Sampson.” However if she chooses to use
her theological title in your wedding invitations, the first line would read, The Reverend Mary
Jane Sampson.” Your father’s name would be given on the second line
which would read, “and Mr. Stephen Andrew Sampson.”

How do we word our wedding invitations where my mother is a medical doctor but my father is not?

Traditionally she would not use her title and the invitation would
read as any other invitation, however “times they are a changin’” and
many women feel slighted if they are unable to use their titles as men
have for generations. If your mother wants to use her professional
title it is socially acceptable for her to do so. Her name, preceded by
her title, appears on the first line. Your father’s name and title,
preceded by “and” appears on the second line. It is important to
include the word “and” as it signifies that they are married. Otherwise
it would appear that they were divorced.

How do we word our wedding invitations if both of my parents are doctors?

The most proper way would be for them to read, “Doctor and Mrs.
Stephen Andrew Sampson” but may read two other ways, “Doctors Sampson”
or “Doctor Mary Jane Sampson and Doctor Stephen Andrew Sampson” instead.

The groom always uses his full name, preceded by his title.
Abbreviations are rarely used in invitations except for Mr. All other
titles such as “Doctor,” “The Reverend” should always be written out
although Doctor can be abbreviated if the name is exceptionally long.
If it is mentioned again anywhere in the wedding invitation, just be consistent
in the spelling. On the subject of titles, designations such as Ph.D.,
M.D. are not used. Save those for business cards.

It is improper to use initials in wedding invitations. If your
fiancé refuses to use his middle name it would be best to just put his
first and last name and leave out the middle initial. That is the
proper way. As mentioned, however, in my introduction, feelings and
relationships are more important than etiquette, so you may have to
weigh this out if it is an issue.