Boy do I! It'll be a sweet 16 years ago this June, and seems like it was last week! At the rehersal, the pastor had a fit because I had four different readers. I got this lecture about only two, because he wanted everything "perfect, perfect" as he snapped his fingers. I explained that my readers were also readers/ministers at their own Church and it would be fine. I won. As we went down the isle, you could hear his fingers snapping, making certain that everyone was at a proper pace. My brother would not come to the wedding, and my friends who drove all the way from Phoenix,her husband walked me down the aisle. I was so excited and kept hearing those finger snappings, that I started down the aisle on the wrong song. I forgot to wait for Cannon in D. I walked down to "Today while the blossoms"...I guess I was in a hurry to get to my future hubby, as he stood there crying his little brown eyes out. I understand his brothers told him he didn't have to do this if he was going to cry about it! During the "perfect" ceremony, all four readers didn't miss a cue. Then, the pastor lost his place in the book. He kept turning pages looking for where he was supposed to be. You could hear fingers snapping from my maid of honor. We almost broke up with laughter! He made another boo-boo in the ceremony, and again, Jenny started snapping her fingers! We took off from the church in a red & white vintage 60's Chevy convertible from a friend of ours. What a gas! Plenty of tin cans and hubby's old army boots. The reception was held at a lovely Polish restaurant. Just over 100 people. My friends were all upset because when they got there with hudred of balloons, the hall had not been cleaned from the night before! It all worked out. The food was served family style and didn't stop coming. Roast chicken, beef,ham, whipped potatoe, green beans with almonds,sausage & kraut, and I forget what else. People are STILL talking about the food today. They never had such a good meal at a wedding. So yes, I remember my wedding ceremony...I'd do it over again, but the pastor has since died : ) Wonder if St. Peter snapped his fingers when he arrived? Cheers, Mickey

Well, you really can't issue an invitation in the name you will have if you don't have it yet. Also, "informal reception" is a little confusing. I think you mean to refer to clothes, or perhaps to no meal, but it sounds sort of like there is a formal one some other time. It certainly does not do the job of indicating that there is no meal. Some of the most formal wedding receptions have no meal, and some of the most casual ones do. What about something like this: Brock L and Alicia T will be married in a family ceremony on May 18th, 2007 Please join us for a reception Saturday, May 19th, 2007 3:00 pm Unitarian Universalist Church 123 Road, City, State If you like, at the bottom in tiny type or on a separate card: After May 18th, 2007 Brock and Alicia T-L at home address --> Make sure that the date of the reception is more prominent than the date of the wedding, so no one will be confused when they glance at it on the refrigerator later. Don't invite anyone by word of mouth or email. If you want to invite them, send them invitations. An invitation is not pressure either to attend or to send a gift. I would be confused if you just sort of let me know casually that it was okay if I came: "Does she really want me there, or is she just feeling like she should have invited me, or what?" I don't know how big your department is or how close you are with everyone, but you are not obligated to invite them all. People understand that you can't invite the whole world, and if they aren't close with you on a personal basis, they probably wouldn't want to come anyway (even the most fun wedding in the world is no fun if you don't know the people there -- take it from a clergy wife!) If the faculty members are really your friends, no reason not to invite them, but don't feel bad if they decline. It sounds like you are very excited, which is good, and want to include everyone you like. But eventually you have to put on the brakes! Have fun! By the way, what are you studying?

Hi, we did our wedding programs with WORD and I used ink jet paper. On the front side of the paper I put a picture and their names, date, time, location on the right side, on the left, I had a thank you from the bride and groom to various people for special items and a thank you for all attending, then the words to a favorite song. On the inside I listed the order of service and people in the wedding, I divided it onto two sides using 2 columns since I folded the paper in half. Here is the inside of mine: Prelude .............."Theme from Romeo and Juliet" Pianist: Keven Barnett Entrance of Minister Seating of the Grandparents: Mrs. Ernest Hesser Mr. and Mrs. Charles Chinery Entrance of the groom, Stefan Hundsdorfer escorted by his mother and father: Frau Ulrika Madzar and Dr. Karl Heinz Hundsdorfer Seating of the mother of the bride: Mrs. John Hesser Processional ............ "Barcarolle, Les Contes dÂHoffman" Bridesmaids: Crystal Greminger Amanda Hagan Alice Hundsdorfer Matron of Honor: Brianna Patterson Maid of Honor: Kelly Griffiths Ringbearer: Levi Patterson Flower girls: Zoe Patterson, Haley Soldin Groomsmen: Ryan Patterson Scott Patterson Ethan Gardiner Karl Hesser Best Man: Lukas Resch Entrance of the bride, Ava Marie Hesser, Escorted by her father, Mr. John Hesser Invocation: 1 Corinthians 13 Wedding Message .........Rev. Daniel Johanson Exchange of vows Exchange of rings Unity candle ceremony "The Wedding Song" Soloist: Regina Barnett Announcement of Marriage Presentation of the Bride and Groom Recessional ..................."Ode to Joy" Reception following in JosephineÂs Room, Top floor Please sign matting in picture frame for Ava and Stefan to keep as a memento of your participation in their special day.

You are correct that you need to be careful here to be both polite and CLEAR. Do I assume correctly that everyone is invited to both the ceremony in Jamaica and the reception at home? If so, then I think you can put both on the same invitation. I know you feel you don't need replies for the ceremony, but let your RSVP card (or online system, or whatever you're using) have both on it, or people may be confused about what they are and are not invited to. Don't worry about the invitation putting emphasis on the reception. You may be trying to avoid being pushy about expecting people to fly to Jamaica, but the effect is often the opposite; you don't want to imply that you are hoping they won't attend the ceremony. But make sure that the dates are very clearly connected to the events. And you said it is to be a formal invitation? You didn't say who is doing the inviting (you and your fiance? Your parents?). Here is fairly formal suggested wording for an invitation (1) issued by the two of you (2) for a nonreligious ceremony (see below if not). I'm assuming you are having a meal for your guests after the ceremony. I can't get the lines centered, but you get the idea: Sarah Clifton and John Smith request the pleasure of your company as they are married Ceremony June 3, 2017 5:00 pm Dinner to follow Hotel Pina Colada Montego Bay, Jamaica Cocktail attire Reception June 10, 2017 6:00 pm Monroe Hotel 123 East Main Street Hometown Casual attire Then the response card (or whatever) could say Number attending June 3 ceremony in Jamaica ______ June 10 reception in Hometown ______ If your parents are the hosts, substitute for the first two lines Mildred [Jones] and Zebulon Clifton request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter Sarah [insert "Clifton" here if your parents aren't both "Clifton'} to [or "and" for a Jewish wedding, and I think some others] John Smith [optional in some cultures] son of Ann [Simmons] and Jerome Smith [or whatever his last name is if not the same as the groom's] If it is a religious wedding, substitute "honour of your presence" for "pleasure of your company."