invitation wording | Offbeat Bride

This is Offbeat Bride's archive of invitation wording posts.

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Whee! Our wedding was fun! Sorry we didn't invite you! Photo by Katie Donaghue

I got married in May of this year. There were many people I could not invite to our wedding for various reasons, mostly to do with size and budget.

I would like to send them a card with a couple of pics to let them know we got married, but I am not sure how to word the cards. I would like to let them know we are thinking of them even, if we couldn't invite everyone we know to the wedding. -Katherine

Here's your challenge: how to share your good news without making people feel like A) they were excluded from the good times, or B) you expect anything from them. In other words, you want to share the news without bragging or making it seem like you're fishing for gifts.

Urg. It's a delicate balance, to be sure. Here are a few ideas for how to tip toe through this communication minefield...

Tribe member UltraJonda sent out her Save the Dates, but no one is going to the wedsite. Why not? Knowing the reason why just might save you from the very same fate…

What do you do if you DON'T want to "cordially invite" people to your wedding? What if you want to just ask people to come party with you? You know what? You totally CAN!

So you're trying to keep your wedding small. How do you tell your friends that they don't get to bring a guest?

"My fiance and I are considering eloping, with then a small-scale party at our place when we get back. Is it still kosher to say on those invites that we're registered?"

"I am planning on having an informal family-only wedding at my dad's church. I'm considering doing a potluck wedding but was wondering if that was tacky to ask our guest to dish something up for everyone to share in?"

We are planning a small ceremony during the day with a limited number of guests. Later that evening, we will have a party/reception for everyone to come and celebrate whether they were at the ceremony or not. What is a polite way to word the invitations to the reception-only people so that they know that the ceremony was kept small so that no feelings are hurt?

How can I make it clear from my invitations that while I love kids, I don't love them at my wedding? -Gemma As usual, my recommendation comes down to being proactive instead of...