You must know how to write time on wedding invitation correctly, so consider these three steps before sending the invites out. Wedding invitations can be tricky to prepare because there are guidelines and etiquette to follow that will help your guests understand your information.
And speaking of wedding invitations, what to write, and how to write them, be aware of the right way of constructing the wedding invitation suite. Read how to stuff wedding invitations to ensure that the inserts are stacked and complete.
Complete Guide On How To Write Time On Wedding Invitation
Step 1. Clarify your wording
When writing wedding invitation time, avoid abbreviations. Instead, the date and time should be spelled out in full detail in the proper formality on the wedding invites.
However, non-traditional, modern, and laid-back weddings can have less formal wedding invitations, and you can abbreviate the wedding time and date. Keep in mind that these formats can indicate the formality of your wedding, and guests might assume that your ceremony is informal if the wedding invitation information is abbreviated.
Step 2. No abbreviations on the time
So how do you spell out the time on the wedding invitation if you’re having a formal wedding? You will write out the time, starting with the word “at”, and remember to use lowercase characters.
Then, spell out the number and indicate whether the ceremony will happen in the morning, afternoon, or evening. For example, write “at three o’clock in the afternoon” instead of “3 p.m.” in the wedding invitations.
But because the wedding invitation suite also has other cards and inserts for different wedding events, you can abbreviate the time for them. For example, consider using “10 a.m.” to indicate the time for the welcome brunch or if you’ve also scheduled pick-up for the guests’ transportation.
Step 3. Include the necessary details on the wedding invitations
After properly writing the time on the wedding invites, you will recheck the information if it’s complete, and the guests will understand your requests. For example, you may not be having the wedding ceremony and reception simultaneously.
Therefore, you must clarify the time on the reception card included in the invitation suite. Use the same format for uniformity on your wedding invitation for the wedding ceremony.
On the contrary, some weddings have the ceremony and reception at the same place and immediately after each other. Because it’s assumed, you don’t need to write the time for the reception, but instead, your wording will be “reception immediately following” or omit everything altogether.
Is O’clock Formal?
Understanding what to write to the wedding invitation time means knowing the difference between informal and formal time formats. That being said, formal invites for a formal wedding will use o’clock instead of using a.m. or p.m.
For example, you will write “at six o’clock in the evening” instead of “6 p.m.” Note that you also spell the number out and clarify that the formal event is happening in the evening.
So if your wedding is informal or casual, you can replace the worded number and o’clock with the numerical form and a.m. or p.m. This “informal” format is also acceptable for the wedding inserts part of the wedding invitation suite.
Usually, multiple cards are needed for different wedding events. They are apparent with destination weddings, so consider reading what to include in a destination wedding invitation.
Do You Put The Actual Ceremony Time On Wedding Invite?
You will have a particular time on the wedding invite, but you’ll provide 10 to 15 minutes of extra time before starting the ceremony. For example, the ceremony time on the wedding invitation is four o’clock, but it will begin at 4:15.
You don’t need to include the leeway of 10 to 15 minutes on the wedding invitation as this might push the ceremony further from the scheduled time. However, you will be giving allowance for the guests to arrive, especially those who ran late because of finding the venue or seating.
What Time Should I Put On My Wedding Invitation?
You’ll be putting a wrong time on your wedding invites to strategically ensure that the event happens on time. As much as we want to assume that everyone can manage their times well, you should still anticipate latecomers of various reasons to your wedding.
That being said, put a time that is about 30 minutes earlier than your actual intended start of the wedding. So, for example, if you talked to the venue that the wedding is at 4 p.m., then indicate on your invitation that the event starts at 3:30 p.m.
And as a basic courtesy, we recommend wedding guests check the etiquette of how early should you arrive at a wedding.
What Does The Time On A Wedding Invitation Mean?
Take a look at the wedding invitation time and ensure that you can arrive before that. Remember that you need to allocate extra travel time and find your seat in the venue.
Conclusion
And that’s it! To recap how to write time on wedding invitation, you will spell out the number, use o’clock, and indicate if it’s in the morning, afternoon, or evening.
On the other hand, informal invites or those used in the information cards can use numbers and a.m. or p.m. to indicate the times for the various events. We hope this was helpful; browse our blog for more wedding invitation etiquette guides.