Love and poetry have always gone hand in hand.

Are you considering including a poem of some sort in your ceremony, on your invitation or program? From contemporary to classic, here are a few not-so-sappy and hard to understand love poems- sure to get those romantic juices flowing.

Which one is your favorite?

Love’s Philosophy
P.B. Shelley

The Fountains mingle with the Rivers
And the Rivers with the Oceans,
The winds of Heaven mix forever
With a sweet emotion;
Nothing in the world is single;
All things by a law divine
In one spirit meet and mingle.
Why not I with thine?
See the mountains kiss high Heaven
And the waves clasp one another;
No sister-flower would be forgiven
If it disdained its brother,
And the sunlight clasps the earth
And the moonbeams kiss the sea:
What is all this sweet work worth
If thou kiss not me?

Love
Emily Dickinson

Love is anterior of life,
Posterior to death,
Initial of creation and
The exponent of breath.

From Shakespeare’s Hamlet

Doubt thou the stars are fire;
Doubt that the sun doth move;
Doubt truth to be a liar;
But never doubt I love.

Come. And be my baby.
Maya Angelou

The highway is full of big cars
Going nowhere fast
And folks is smoking anything that’ll burn
Some people wrap their loves around a cocktail glass
And you sit wondering
where you’re going to turn.
I got it.
Come. And be my baby.

Some prophets say the world is gonna end tomorrow
But others say we’ve got a week or two
The paper is full of every kind of blooming horror
And you sit wondering
What you’re gonna do.
I got it.
Come. And be my baby.

To Be One With Each Other
George Eliot

What greater thing is there for two human souls
than to feel that they are joined together to strengthen
each other in all labor, to minister to each other in all sorrow,
to share with each other in all gladness,
to be one with each other in the
silent unspoken memories.

and for those that want to express their humorous side … {during a reading perhaps?}
From the movie- The Princess Bride

Mawwage. Mawwage is what bwings us togeder today.
Mawwage, that bwessed awwangement, that dweam within a dweam.
And wove, twue wove, wiww fowwow you fowevah…
So tweasuwe youw wove…

Which is your favorite style of poetry?

Check out our Half-fold wedding invitation type … it’s a fabulous option as there is lots of room for sharing your love poem or even your love story.

Which is your favorite poem?

You’ve decided you are not inviting children to your wedding ceremony or reception. Now, you need to let your guests know … is there an easy way to tell them?

Yes, there is. It might be one of those sticky situations in your wedding planning, but with the right wording, your wishes should be respected and your worries be put to rest.

How to communicate that children are not invited to your wedding
{without actually saying -  CHILDREN ARE NOT INVITED}

- While it really isn’t ok to say NO CHILDREN on the wedding invitation, it is ok to say something like “Adults Only” or  “Adults Only Reception” on the wedding invitation

- Another great option is to allow your mom and wedding party to spread the word for you.

- Don’t forget to use  double envelopes to clearly communicate who is invited and who isn’t.

Looking for polite ways to respond to questions about your reception choice? Try these:

‘We hope no offence is taken but due to budget restrictions, we are unable to invite your children.’

‘We thank you for understanding that we have chosen to invite only the family children to our wedding.’

The great thing about modern weddings- is that you’re encouraged, now more than ever, to put your thumbprints on each area of your wedding. Not in a high pressure, outdo your cousin’s wedding sort of way … and not in an expensive, hottest colors, must-have the latest trends {although- the sheer lace platform shoes featured yesterday- I would totally go for} sort of way either.  It’s about putting your personal stamp-on the wedding of your dreams.

But I digress. My point is to have fun, get creative and specifically, with your reception card wording. So, today’s post is a refreshed version of this post. Starting with RSVP 101 …

Anatomy of an RSVP Card
What every good response card should include:

Modern Peacock rsvp postcard invf-12260

1. Guest{s} A traditional approach is the M_______ or a less traditional approach Name{s}___________
2. Accepts line
3. Declines line
4. RSVP date (usually 2-3 weeks before your wedding date)
5. *Asking guest to initial meal selection- especially helpful for a sit down event. Your caterer gets the right count, your guest gets the right food and everyone is happy!

Creative Wording … make the most of your creativity if your wedding is on or around a holiday, the specific beauty of a certain season or a unique locale or destination.

Accepts/Declines wording options

spring- be there with blooms on/ unfortunately, our schedule sprung a leak
summer- the heat is on and we’ll be there/ must decline, may everything come up roses
fall- looking forward to gathering with you /sorry, our basket is full that day
winter- wouldn’t miss the hot chocolate/ regretfully cannot join in the jolly
Christmas-accepts with joy/ sorry, to miss this yule-time event
western- yeehaw, we’re there/ shoot, can’t make it!
beach- yes, counting the waves/ sorry, allergic to sand
mountain destination- can’t wait to blaze trails with you/ sadly, all booked up.
Vegas-  it’s definitely in the cards/ sorry, out of luck that day

Pump up the excitement and get your guests interacting with a unique question
Have fun and consider using the extra space to ask your guests for wedding wisdom, their favorite dance song, special quote, or something to remember them by. For instance, the featured RSVP card says … Silly or sweet, share a tip on love and marriage. From hilarious to serious, the responses you’ll get, will make you smile! Awww, wouldn’t it be fun and sentimental to pull the RSVPs out on your one-year anniversary?

Tips
*Number your guest list and correspond that number to the back of each RSVP card.
*Save on the environment and save on postage costs by sending RSVP Postcards without the envelope.

Check out all the RSVP Card designs.

What wording ideas you have?

Before committing calligraphy pen to paper …

Let me introduce you to a new way of thinking when it comes to addressing your wedding envelopes: an art form and a communication tool. Your invitees come in all statuses … married, single, with children, living together, titled professionals incl military personnel, etc. It’s kind of mind boggling to think that every invitation has to be specifically and accordingly addressed. Yikes! How you word the envelope{s} communicates who is invited~ specifically. And then of course, there’s the part about etiquette.

Find below basic etiquette for addressing wedding invitations … but ultimately, it’s your wedding, your way!

How many envelopes will you be using?
One {single} or two {double set includes inner and outer envelopes}?

About Inner Envelopes Most often used with formal weddings. The inner envelope contains the invitation and is left unsealed, and written informally with the names of those specifically invited from that particular address. The way you address the inner envelope depends a lot on your relationship and how close you are to that guest.

About Outer Envelopes The outer envelope formally addresses your guest.

*If you are using a single envelope only, use the etiquette that pertains to the outer envelope.

Addressing Etiquette Traditional etiquette dictates that you do not use abbreviations for titles, street names, states- exceptions being: Mr. Mrs. Ms. Jr. Sr. II, III. The number one, apartment numbers can be written in numerals.

Married Couples
{outer}Mr. and Mrs. Michael Brady
{inner} Mr. and Mrs. Brady or Mike and Carol
if children are invited:
{outer} Mr. and Mrs. Michael Brady and family
{inner} Mike Carol {with kids listed on line below} Greg, Marcia, Peter, Jan, Bobby, Cindy
if children are not invited: {By not including “and family” you are implying that it’s an “adults only” event}

Married: He has a title and she does not
{outer and inner} Doctor and Mrs. Cliff Huxtable

Married: She has a title {use wife’s title with full name and husband’s first and last names}
The Honorable Judy Jackson and Mr. Robert Jackson {inner} Judge Jackson and Mr. Jackson
Doctor Clair Huxtable and Mr. Cliff Huxtable {inner} Doctor Clair Huxtable and Cliff Huxtable

Married: They both have titles
Doctors Cliff and Clair Huxtable
Professor Cliff Huxtable and Doctor Clair Huxtable

Examples of other titles:
Father and Mrs. Daniel Brown
Professor Pam Halpert and Mr. James Halpert
Reverend and Mrs. Marjorie Simpson
Major and Mrs. Ralph Kramden

Unmarried Couple Living Together: they each get their own line
{outer} Miss Fiona Glennane {inner} Fiona or Fiona Glennane
{outer} Mr. Michael Weston {inner} Michael or Michael Weston

Singles
{outer} Mr. Richard Castle {inner} Rick
{outer} Ms. Katherine Beckett {inner} Kate

Single + Guest
{outer} Mr. Richard Castle {inner} Rick Castle and Guest {try to find the name} i.e. Rick and Kate

More Tips:

• If using 2 envelopes: insert inner envelope with the print facing the back of outer envelope. When your guest opens their outer envelope, they will see print first.
• Decide at which age children should receive their own invitation: most common ages: 13 and 18.
• Request the post office hand-cancel your invitations to avoid damage from postal machines
• Take an assembled invitation to the post office so you are aware of postage cost.
• Don’t forget the additional postage required for RSVP cards
• Spellings: whatever you choose – be consistent i.e. honor/honour (don’t forget the RSVP cards)
• Use stamps that complement the look of your invitations
• Hire a calligrapher or enlist the help of friends/family with nice handwriting to help hand-address the invites
• Have return address printed on the back side.

An art form. A communication tool.

Do you find this info helpful?

featured Pocket wedding Invitation: Lovely Lavender

sources consulted: The New Book of Wedding Etiquette and Emily Post’s Wedding Etiquette