A reception can be an unique way to enjoy the company of close friends and relatives as well as enjoy a high class meal. Many people think of weddings as soon as they hear the word “reception.” The fact is that there are countless types of receptions perfect for business events, family get-togethers and other situations. One thing those throwing the reception like to get right is the invitation. It's important that the invitation be both aesthetically pleasing and worded correctly.
Instructions
1. Begin with the names of those throwing the reception. For a wedding reception, you should begin with “Mr. and Mrs.” and then the first and last name of the father of the bride (“Mr. and Mrs. John Smith”). This form should also be used when listing the parents of the groom. An invitation to a less casual event should begin with just the first and last names of those throwing the party (“John Smith and Joan Hunter”).
2. Ask that those receiving the invitations come to the event. This should be done directly following the name. How you go about this can be determined by your personality or the nature of the event. “Mr. and Mrs. John Smith request your presence” is a popular way to invite guests to a wedding. You can also simply say the word “invite” (John Smith and Joan Hunter invite you to...) if the event is less casual or if you don't want the invitation to sound too “stiff.”
3. Explain the nature of the event after the invite has been expressed. It's appropriate to place the word “the” before the event if it is a wedding reception (“the wedding reception of our daughter”). Otherwise, “a” is common for events such as a birthday party or business event (“a birthday party for our son,” “a dinner in celebration of the retirement of John Smith”).
4. Follow by writing the date and time in the appropriate order. When writing an email, you would probably simply say that an event is taking place on “August 3.” For an invitation, however, it's appropriate to start with the day of the event (“Friday”) followed by the date (“the 17th”), then the year (“of August 2007”) and finally the time. Time can actually be written out (“two o'clock in the afternoon”) or in standard form (“2:00 pm”) depending on personal preference.
5. End the invitation with the place and any other information which you may want to include. If the reception is at a location which everybody knows, you can simply say the name of the place without including an address (“at our house”). Otherwise, you should include the name of the place and then the address directly underneath. You may also wish to place directions somewhere in the invitation. If you do choose to add any other information such as how long the reception will go on, skip a line on the invitation before doing so.
Tags: John Smith, those throwing, wedding reception, begin with, birthday party, first last, Joan Hunter