A Proofing Checklist for Wedding Invitations

Wedding Invitation Wording: A Proofing Checklist

Use this checklist while personalizing your wedding invitation, response card, reception card and any additional enclosures you need like accommodation cards and direction cards.

Grammar and Punctuation
Have a friend check the grammar even if you're confident in your grammar skills. You just never know what might slip through. Just a note: formal wedding invitation wording does not use punctuation to separate lines. Line breaks are used instead.

General Spelling and Spelling of Names
Does your future father-in-law spell his name Alan or Allen?

Correct Wedding Date
This includes the month, day and year.

Correct Time of Ceremony and Reception
Tip: If your ceremony starts at "three o'clock in the afternoon," have you considered bumping it up 15 minutes to build in cushion for late arrivals?

Proper Spacing
Look for proper spacing between words. Accidental double spaces can really stand out.

Proper Line Breaks
Make sure each line breaks at a proper stopping point. For instance, you wouldn't want to split up the time of day, the date or the year.

Consistency
Make sure your invitation has the same tone throughout. For instance, if you’re hosting a traditional wedding use formal wedding invitation wording and make sure all words are spelled out. Follow this rule throughout your entire invitation ensemble for a consistent tone.

Honour vs. Honor and Favour vs. Favor
Honour and favour are the correct spellings when the couple is getting married in a place of worship. Honor and favor may be used if the couple is not getting married in a place of worship.

Correct Addresses
Make sure your ceremony and reception addresses are correct, then go that extra mile for your guests and check the addresses in Google Maps and MapQuest. You want to make sure the routes are accurate. If not, you will want to add wedding direction cards to your invitation ensemble.

City and State
Make sure they're included. You would be surprised how often couples forget the city and state.

In Case of Rain Wording
Is your wedding ceremony and/or reception outside? Make sure to include "In case of rain" wording on the invitation, reception card or as a separate enclosure card.

Formatting
Make sure all spacing is equal and that there are no areas where the text gets too close to any design elements.

Readability
Are the fonts easy to read? Is any of the wording too small or too large?

Consistent Fonts and Colors
You will want to use the same fonts and colors you've chosen for your invitation wording on the reception card and response card.

Photo Quality
If you’ve selected a photo invitation, make sure your photo fits the frame and the quality is good.

Accurate Accommodations Information
If you're including accommodations cards with your invitation ensemble, make sure you include the name, address and phone number for each hotel. If you have rooms blocked with discounted rates, you can include a "reserve by" date to encourage guests to reserve before hotels release the rooms back to the public.

R.S.V.P. Date
Make sure your r.s.v.p. date is 2-4 weeks before the wedding date. You will need time to call anyone who hasn't responded and caterers often want a guest count two weeks before the event.

Meal Choices
If you're serving a plated meal, make sure to include meal choices on the response card.

A Few Proofreading Tips:

• Order a digital proof.
• Read it backwards.
• Read it out loud.
• Have at least two other people read it.

We hope this advice helps you create your flawless wedding invitation. If you have any additional questions about wedding stationery etiquette, our experts are here to help.