Wood
Use printed, stamped or handwritten wording on a thin wooden sheet for a rustic, natural look. This is a particularly good choice for environmentally-conscious couples as the wood sheets actually use less wood than paper does. You may add to the rustic look by using wire, nails and hinges, or you can create a romantic look by including natural grasses, flowers and a small touch of fabric. Wood is very versatile; so, for a more extravagant option, you can incorporate it into a little box containing a small gift, directions or the gift registry details.

Fabric
You can print or embroider your formal invitation onto fabric and then use the fabric to create a number of fun items, such as:

• A small pillow or decorative cushion
• A miniature piece of clothing (if one of you is a chef, this could be an apron, for example. Try to make it personal and relevant)
• A shape, such as a star, heart or flower
• A small bag containing the map or gift registry details

Plastic / Perspex
For a very modern approach, print the invitation onto coloured or transparent plastic. Use the material to create something fun and humorous (a burnt credit card, for example), practical (like a picture frame that guests can use after the event) or gimmicky (perhaps a ruler or fridge magnet).

Ceramics
Paint or hand-carve your invitation into clay and create something useful or beautiful for your friends and family. This can work out relatively cheaper than bought paper invitations if you are creating the clay invites yourself. In addition, they can be used by recipients long after the event, proving to be a reminder of your fabulous day. Some ideas for ceramic creations include coffee cups, platters and plates.

Mirrors
Use a mirror paint (available at many craft shops) to write the invitation onto mirror glass. This theme can then follow through on the menus, place names and so on. This extensive use of mirrors is modern, clean, stylish and effective in increasing the “glam” value of your big day as each mirror reflects candle light to create a sparkling venue.

Video
For the ultimate in environmentally friendly and cheap invitations, create a homemade video in which you (as a couple) invite your friends and family members to your wedding. Burn this invitation onto CD’s and upload it onto You Tube (www.youtube.com) for the most effective coverage. This is romantic and personal. You may include a slideshow of ‘couple’ photographs as well as backing tracks of your favourite love songs, if you wish.

Photo Credit: Luxurious Wedding

In order to ensure that nobody is accidently left off your gratitude list, make a detailed list of all of the gifts received during your engagement as well as at the wedding. You may delegate this task to your Maid of Honour or another close friend. Keep a record of each guest that made it to your wedding too. Before approaching the task of writing your “thank you” notes, list each guest and their corresponding gift, so that you are prepared and all gifts are accounted for.

Keep your gratitude note simple and heartfelt so that you do not get bored. Its purpose is to confirm that you received their gift and to let them know how very grateful you are for it. The note should have the name of the person or the names of both the people in a couple so that it is personal (as opposed to being addressed “to whom it may concern”, for example). Go on to mention the specific gift from that person or couple and how you plan to use it. For example, you could say “Dear Dave and Susan, thank you so much for the digital frame. Steven and I can’t wait to upload our family photographs onto it”. Then, thank them again and sign off from you and your spouse.

If you received two or more gifts from a person or couple, it would be appropriate to include all of the gifts separately and in detail. The only exception is when receiving cash, in which case it is inappropriate to mention the amount of money received. Rather, it is better just to mention that their generous gift will be put to good use.

If a particular guest went to a lot of effort to be at your wedding or played a significant role in your big day, mention your appreciation in your note as well.

Your “thank you” note should be handwritten on tasteful notepaper, using black or blue ink.  If you choose to print them (which is a more impersonal option), remember that your surname will likely change (if you are the bride) by the time you want to send them. Either print them with your married surname on or just have the first names of you and your spouse. “Thank you” notes should be sent out within three months of the wedding.

Examples of typical gratitude cards are:

TO FAMILY:
Dear Aunt Mavis,

Thank you for the beautiful porcelain teacups. They are gorgeous and Mike and I feel so honoured that you gave them to us; we know they are a family heirloom. Thank you too for joining us at the wedding, despite the delayed flights. We look forward to the next family reunion so that we can tell you all about our honeymoon.

With love,
Shelly and Mike

TO ACQUAINTANCES:
Dear Mr and Mrs Potgieter,

Thank you for the useful four-slice toaster; it will make waking up every morning that much easier. It was great to meet you at our wedding. We appreciate the long trip you made to get there.

With Love,
Mike and Shelly Watson

Photo Courtesy of Eddie Yee

Information that can be included on the programme:

• The full names of the bride and groom (usually the bride’s maiden name)
• The wedding date in full
• The wedding venue (including the city)
• The order (and possibly times) in which each part of the ceremony and / or reception will occur
• The name of the piece to which you will be walking down the aisle and / or into the reception venue
• The name, role and relationship to the bride and groom of everyone in the wedding party
• The name of the officiant
• A personal message to both the bride’s parents and the groom’s parents
• Optional – a generic message to all the guests
• An explanation of the religious or cultural traditions with which not all guests will be familiar

Some couples have added a romantic poem or quote that is meaningful to them, or a photograph of and message to a love one that passed away before the occasion.

It is a personal choice whether to have a programme for the ceremony and one for the reception, just to have one for each, or to have a both events on one programme. Although they should have a similar look and feel to the rest of the wedding, you can definitely play around with the ‘programme’ theme by styling it in the form of a theatrical performance or making it appear as a personal modelling portfolio (for example). This will likely be kept by guests and should, therefore, be more than a photocopied A4.

Should you decide to do a programme (or a section within your programme) for the reception, include the name and the artist of the song to which you have your first dance and explain why it is so special to you. Likewise, it may be appropriate to mention the MC, DJ and cake-maker.

You may find it easier to omit specific times to avoid the possibility of guests becoming anxious over the time-keeping. Rather, simply place the events in order (which will require special planning) so that guests feel informed.

The programme can be handed out by ushers before the ceremony, left on guest seats or placed in a large tray or basket for guests to fetch retrieve at the leisure.

The aim of a wedding programme is to make your day easy and orderly. It can also add a touch of glamour or enhance your overall theme.

Photo Courtesy of The Knot

The first step in deciding on the wording for your wedding’s Order of Service pamphlet is to choose what wording style will best suit it (i.e. formal, informal, conversational or poetic). This should be in line with the overall theme, look and feel of your wedding. Then, make a list of all of the people that have made a significant contribution to your wedding and who will need to be introduced to the guests.

The following sample wording will prove to be helpful in deciding on the wording for your Afrikaans Order of Service:

Die huweliksbevestiging van:
Janinie Pillman en Egon Maritz

Saterdag, 22 September 2007
16h00
Chapel in the Forest, Hunters Country House
Plettenberg Baai

Dominee:
Ds. Willie Smith

Gevolg:

Ouers:
Ami Francois & Marietjie Pillman
Cathy Oddette Maritz

Strooimeisie:
Ansie Tracey

Blommemeisies:
Michelle Howell
Chantelle Howell
Yolandie Janse van Rensburg
Mia Schoeman

Strooijonker:
Martin Scheepers

Musiek:
Martin Oberholtzer

Seremonie:

Verwelkoming deur Dominee
Boodskap
Beloftes aan mekaar
Ring seremonie
Teken van die registerboek
Konfetti

Dankie dat u ons mooiste dag met ons gedeel het

Wording provided by Weddings by Marius

As with any invitations, the bridal couple will need to choose a wording style (i.e. formal, informal, conversational, poetic) and will need to consider who has to be included in the wording (e.g. step parents, deceased parents, just the bridal couple, an adoptive guardian etc…).

The following examples will prove to be helpful suggestions in deciding on Afrikaans wedding invitation wording:

Indien die ouers van die bruid die onthaal gee:

Mnr. & Mev. Johann Swart
(voorname is ook aanvaarbaar as die kaartjie meer formeel is)
nooi u vriendelik uit na die huweliksbevestiging
van hul dogter
Amy
met
Riaan
seun van Mnr. & Mev. Kris Goosen
op Saterdag, 4 Desember 2010
om 15:00
in die NG Kerk Moedergemeente, Brackenfell

Indien die bruid se grootouers die onthaal gee:

Mnr. & Mev. Marius Swanepoel
nooi u vriendelik (of hartlik) uit na die
huweliksbevestiging van hul kleindogter
Liana…

Indien die bruidspaar self vir die onthaal betaal:

Jolandi Botha en Deon du Plessis nooi u
vriendelik (of hartlik) uit na hul huweliksbevestiging…

Albei ouerpare betaal vir die onthaal:

Mnr. & Mev. Bertus de Jager en
Mnr. & Mev. Pieter Gerber
nooi u vriendelik uit na die huweliksbevestiging van
Lisa de Jager
met
Juan Gerber

Geskeide ouers: (Bruid se ma is nie weer getroud nie en pa gee die troue)

Mnr. Isak Snyman en Mev. Marietjie Snyman
nooi u vriendelik uit na die huweliksbevestiging
van hul dogter…

Geskeide ouers: (Albei gee die onthaal en bruid se ma is weer getroud)

Mev. Karlien Burger
en
Mnr. Kobus Uys
nooi u vriendelik uit na die huweliksbevestiging
van hul dogter…

Geskeide / Weduwee (Bruid se ma gee die onthaal)

Mev. Susan Prinsloo nooi u vriendelik uit na die
huweliksbevestiging van haar dogter…

Geskeide / weduwee-ma en weer getroud

Mnr. & Mev. Dirk Schoeman nooi u vriendelik uit na die
huwerliksbevestiging van haar dogter…

As die troue deur ander mense gegee word

Mnr. & Mev. Leon Cilliers nooi u vriendelik uit na die
huwerliksbevestiging van hul peetdogter…

Uitnodiging na ‘n troue sonder ‘n onthaal:

Mnr. & Mev. Quintin Krouse
nooi u vriendlelik uit na die huwelikseremonie van hul dogter
Charlene Krouse
met
Ruben Janse van Vuuren

Na die hoofdeel van die uitnodiging volg die volgende inligting:

Onthaal – Kleinevalleij, Wellington (padkaart ingesluit)

]]> http://www.celebration.co.za/related/wedding-articles/invitations/afrikaans-wording-for-wedding-invitations/feed/ 0 http://www.celebration.co.za/related/wedding-articles/invitations/who-not-to-invite-to-your-wedding/ http://www.celebration.co.za/related/wedding-articles/invitations/who-not-to-invite-to-your-wedding/#comments Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:49:12 +0000 The Celebration Team http://www.celebration.co.za/related/?p=183 It's a dilemma or situation that arises for almost any bridal couple getting married - who do you invite and above all, who do you NOT invite. Read this article for some tips on deciding who's in and who's out...]]> Just who to invite and who to leave off the list is probably the one area that deserves the greatest discretion when planning a wedding. The invitation list is tantamount to landmine territory if not treated with the diplomacy it deserves.

For example, you’ve agreed between you that any more than 80 guests is beyond the budget. But on a re-look, the list has grown to 125! If Aunt Ethel comes, then you have to invite the Van Schalkwyks and the Thompson-Smythes, and where then do you seat poor Uncle Stu?

But there are ways to survive the guest list debacle:

• List everyone you want to invite to the wedding, and then only look at those you feel you ‘should’ invite – it’s easier to leave them off if you meet your quota early!

• Keep an equal tally of guests for each of you – in that way neither of you nor your families will feel cheated.

• Try not to be swayed by well-meaning parents who insist certain people should be at the wedding.

• Bear in mind not everyone will come to the wedding – relatives in Australia, New Zealand and Canada probably aren’t going to jet set across the world just for your wedding.

• Have an alternative list of guests you can invite, should someone regretfully decline.

• Avoid the kissing cousin trap: “if I invite this 2nd cousin once removed, then I’ll have to invite all cousins”, and you don’t have to invite people simply because they invited you to their wedding.

• Make it very clear, if it is your intention, that children are not invited. Feeding six mouths as opposed to two suddenly takes on new meaning.

• Be careful not to invite single friends and guest, if your friend isn’t seeing anyone seriously.

• Limit your list of friends to close friends – you don’t have to invite work colleagues, the guy you greet at the photostat machine or distant relatives. If you hesitate, or haven’t had a meaningful conversation with someone for more than a year, then don’t include them.

• Don’t invite ex-partners – either one of yours or those of your parents or friends – this is a no-brainer really.

Above all remember that this is your special day and that, beyond immediate family, you don’t HAVE to spend it with anyone! You should be surrounded by people you enjoy and love who will add genuine warmth and affection to your wedding day.

And make sure you do all of the above whilst managing to make your parents and families feel respected and included in the process – no-one said it would be easy!

With the increased tendency that the bride & groom cover the costs of the wedding themselves, the mentioning of the parents names in the wording is of a personal preference.

Use your names that you are known by, even a nickname can be used if more than 80% of your guests know you by that name. For more formal wording full names and titles (eg. Mr, Mrs …) can be used.

Any verse eg. “If I know love it’s because of you” can be included at the beginning or end of you wording, to give it a modern and personal tone.

A few wording samples:

Here are some trends that I believe we will see in 2009 making your unique wedding invitation one to remember for years to come.

Vintage Candy:

As I’m sure most of you are familiar with the vintage prints that the end of 2007 and 2008 introduced. Damask, baroque patterns were all the rage and believe will still carry on, with bolder colour combinations, adding modern elements and alternative letter styles that will bring in a new concept on the old design. Wedding invitations will now see these antique style patterns take on a whole new meaning.

Colour Me Shades:

Every bride is unique in their own way and most probably already have a colour in mind whether the trend or not. My suggestion is “Go for it!” it’s your personal choice at the end of the day. 2009 wedding invitations will use an array of different colour palettes. The trend I’m noticing is brides sticking to a single colour scheme but experimenting and mixing its different shades. This choice not only broadens your options but takes the difficulty out of trying to make everything match. It’s also chic, stylish, fun and different.

Monogram Us:

The classic interlinked initials seen on the majority of wedding cards will now be replaced with ornate framed monograms customised according to your requirements. The monogram in itself is design and can be carried through all your wedding stationery for your special day. Basically like the old coat of arms these modern day gems can incorporate personal elements and most importantly make your wedding stationery one of a kind.

Citrus Splash:

Two colours that have been popular towards the end of 2008 and already getting a lot of interest for 2009 are orange and yellow. Orange, which is no newcomer and has been around for some time, but is having a facelift with new tones, that are really exciting and being blended with colours unheard of in the past. Think neon orange, tangerine fizz, tangy orange and then consider the complete colour palette. It goes well with choc brown, baby blues and mint green or pure white and gives your wedding invite that extra pop. Now yellow on the other hand was a colour rarely seen and to be honest difficult to play with, but with the new patterned prints and unique wedding invitation shapes that are available it’s making its mark. Think canary yellow, lemongrass, buttercup, lemon zest and I’m sure you can most probably taste the possibilities. These two colours are not only fresh but reflect the seasons that lay ahead.

It’s In The Shape:

Wedding invitations come in all shapes and sizes and the one that 2008 labeled as most popular and will once again carry over into next year is the pocket fold invitation. A unique invitation which says style and elegance and incorporates your additional info cards like directions, rsvp, accommodation details or an added before or after celebration and then neatly folds up into a standard size invite keeping everything in place. 2009 will also see a more economic trend playing its roll, its got to in this day and age but at the same time one doesn’t want to skimp on the quality. Dual sided cards are the way to go and the front panel being the canvas to reflect your desired colour and design with the reverse panel being the actual invite.

Envelope Me:

Last but not least, the envelope. Gone are the bland white envelopes we have seen for so many years and we now say hello to a matching affair. Not only do envelopes come in variety of colours and sizes to compliment your wedding invitations but 2009 will see them given a much needed face lift with matching outer and inner prints. Another popular trend is having the envelopes personally addressed in the invitation font and a crest or monogram on the back leaf.