Right now planning a wedding seems impossible and wording invitations even worse. How will you know what to say? What if you invite people and then have to tell them they can no longer come due to restrictions? What if you change your mind about how you are going to get married? Is it rude to invite someone and later change your mind?
We are going to answer these and many other questions looming over couples heads as they try to maneuver through this unprecedented time.
The truth is we have no idea how long this will go on for, we don’t know if things will change in a month, or even four months from now. So how in the world are you supposed to plan a wedding that might not even happen much less invite guests to it. While I do not have all of the answers here is some advice to help guide you in your planning journey.
#One – Wording invitations if you are cancelling
So you sent out your invites and have now decided to cancel the whole thing. Whether it is permanent or just for now the best thing to do for your guests when writing it is make sure you say the words “Cancelled” in the first few sentences. That way those who just skim will be able to get what they need out of it right away. After you’ve figured out the wording of your invitations, you can send out an email or physical paper. Let them know by telling them sooner rather than later, it is always better than dragging indecision around. With informing them you have cancelled also be sure to include any other relevant information to avoid boat loads of questions. Things like how to cancel reservations at hotels they may have booked, whether or not they should return gifts, and if you plan to still get married in the future. The more you put into them the less you will have to answer later.
Example Wording:
Dear family and friends,
After careful consideration we have decided to cancel our wedding planned for this (season or date planned) in (place you are getting married).
There is so much we don’t know around this pandemic and the health and safety of our loved ones is our priority right now.
Although we have been excited to get together and celebrate with all of you, we realize this is not possible to do so safely at this current time. Of course we are disappointed, but we are blessed to have such amazing support around us in such an uncertain time.
We have reach out to our (hotel or other important detail), and they have agreed to give our guests a refund. If you have already booked your stay at (say hotel name) please call (hotel number) by (date) in order to receive your refund.
We appreciate your understanding at this time as we navigate this.
Love,
(couples names)
#Two – Wording Invitations if you are Postponing
Wording Invitations when you are postponing your wedding can be tricky but here are our tips. If you have changed the date make sure you check with all of your vendors; see who can move over to the new date and who you will need to replace. If your venue cannot accommodate the new date you will need to find a new place before you can let your guests know the plan change, so figure that out early. After you have the vendors (or at least the big ones) figured out let your guests know as soon as possible that way you can avoid the struggle of cancelling hotel rooms and flights.
Example wording:
Dear Family and Friends
Don’t throw the confetti yet, due to the current circumstances with COVID we have changed our wedding date to (new date) (include new location if necessary). We hope you are still able to join us for our big day!
Let us know if you have any questions or if we can help with rescheduling in anyway.
Love
(the couples names)
#Three- Online Ceremony – Wording Invitations
If you have made the decision to do an online wedding ceremony then finding the right words can almost be harder. It is super important that you emphasize how much you want people to be “present”. You don’t want to go through all the effort of setting up an online ceremony to have no one “show up” for it.
Dear Family and Friends
Due to COVID, we are unable to have our wedding in person, however we have decided to host a virtual video of our ceremony instead. We hope you will join us via (streaming service) for this special occasion!
Below you will find all of the information to join in on our ceremony. And while it isn’t necessary, we would love it if our guests popped a bottle of champagne instead of sending a gift, in honour of our marriage!
We look forward to “seeing” you there!
Love
(the couples names)
(Insert all information about how guests can view your ceremony, including date and time, with the time zone it will be in)
#Four- Announcement cards if you Eloped
If you have decided to skip all the fuss and elope you may want to consider sending out announcement cards letting your loved ones know. If you had something planned and changed your mind consider having a party at a later date but for now let people know what is happening.
Dear Family and Friends
We hope this card finds you well during this uncertain time.
We wanted to let you know we have changed our plans due to COVID. We decided to elope!
While we had hoped to celebrate with our friends and family, we couldn’t wait to say “I do”! But we have also decided to celebrate our first anniversary with everyone next year! So stay tuned and we will send more information closer to the date.
We are so grateful for all the love and support we have and we hope you understand and know it was not an easy decision.
Love
(the couples names)
#Five- Keeping Your Original Plan – Wording Invitations
When deciding to move forward with original plans be sure to keep in mind people’s concern and emphasize that you feel comfortable with the safety measures and rules in place to keep the original plan. Keep in mind there may be people who feel uncomfortable with you doing so, be prepared to have good reasons to go forward with your plans.
Dear Family and Friends,
We hope you are healthy and happy during this time and we are grateful for all of the support and love we have received.
Although Covid is still a concern that has caused much uncertainty, after careful consideration we feel comfortable going forward with our original plan.
We know things are constantly changing due to these circumstances and we will continue to monitor the situation but for now with the current safety measures in place set up by (the government you live under or other service that is deciding what measures are in place) we believe we will be able to have our wedding in (date or season).
(if you have people traveling from abroad you should say something like “To all those abroad we know that it is currently not possible for you to travel right now and we wish you health. We hope you will still be able to join us on (streaming service)”).
Love
(the couples names)
A few Extra Tips on Wording Invitations
When it comes to invitations, there is no longer a right way to do things. Covid has seen to that and puns, jokes, humour and other sorts of invitations have come our because of it. However there are a few things to keep in mind when making your invitations:
- Keep in mind who is paying for the wedding. If either if your parents are involved in paying for the wedding it is polite to have them as hosts of your wedding. Whether it is one or both a simple nod to them can make them feel more involved.
- If you are hosting alone don’t be afraid to venture from what is considered proper. Invitations are your guests first impression of what your wedding will be like. You can use patterns and designs to show it or the words you use, even the shape of the card can help to convey your theme.
- If you are doing RSVP cards ensure you write a number on the back of each one to make sure you know who exactly is sending a reply. Sometimes they forget and other times it can be hard to make out what was written.
For the prefect site to send out your wedding invitations click here!
With Love
Jazmine Orme
