Q. I’m confused about how to punctuate our wedding invitations properly.
A. A comma will be used in the date line and before the words “junior,” and the usual punctuation will be included with the titles “Mr.” and “Mrs.” Otherwise, no punctuation should appear on the invitation.

Q. How should an invitation to a noon wedding read?
A. you may simply say “at twelve o’clock,” or “at twelve o’clock in the afternoon” if you feel it needs clarification.

Q. None of the typical wording examples seem to apply to our particular situation. Is it acceptable to create our own wording?
A. Of course you are not bound by these choices. Used by generations of brides, wording examples are just etiquette’s way of dealing with a variety of family situations in the most tasteful way possible. If you do decide to write the wording for your own invitation, simply use your best judgment, keeping the format simple and tasteful.

Q. My fiancé is a “junior” but we are not sure how to handle this on our invitation. Is the word always abbreviated?
A. The word “junior” is most commonly written out on wedding invitations, but it may be abbreviated if your names are lengthy and you are short on space. If you abbreviate, begin with an uppercase “J,” but if you write out the word “junior,” it should begin with a lowercase letter. In either case, it should be preceded by a comma as in the following examples:
Brian Daniel Miller, junior
Brian Daniel Miller, Jr.

Q. My groom has been married before, but this is my first marriage. Is it proper for my parents to issue the invitation?
A. An invitation to a second wedding usually reflects the bride’s previous marital status, not the groom’s. If she is marrying for the first time but it is his second marriage, the invitation may still be issued by the bride’s parents. If the bride has been married before or if both are entering their second marriage, they may issue the invitation themselves.
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Our Guide to Every line of Your Invitation continues below with Part 3:

Date Line, Year Line: Do not use abbreviations or numerals on the date line; each word should be written out. Add “morning” or “evening” after the day only if the time of the wedding might otherwise be interpreted either way. If you plan to marry at nine o’clock, for example, that could refer to morning or evening and would need clarification. You will occasionally see the word “on” used before the date, but It is preferable to omit it. Adding a line for the year is a matter of personal choice; it is not necessary, but it is also not improper. You may want to include it since your invitation will be a keep-sake for generations to come. The year should always be included on wedding announcements since they are mailed after the wedding has taken place.

Time Line: If you plan to marry on the hour, the time line simply reads “at five o’clock,” but if your wedding is scheduled for 5:30, it should read “at half after five o’clock.”

Location: Always include the full name of the wedding site, with no abbreviations. If you plan to marry at home, simply include the full address. you may use the phrase “at the residence of” if you plan to marry at the home of friends.

Location Address: Since you rarely need to include the exact street address of your ceremony site unless two sites share the same name, the city and state serve as the address. If your reception will be held at the same site, you may add the line “and afterwards at the reception “ following city and state.

Footnotes: A brief footnote may be added at the bottom of your invitation to indicate proper attire or another special circumstance, and may be positioned in the left corner, right corner, or bottom center. Keep in mind that it should be no more than a word or two; too much copy and the words will be small and difficult to read. A footnote that is too long can also detract from the look of your invitation by throwing the copy off balance. A footnote may be added to a traditional invitation, if the ceremony and reception will take place at the same location and if you do not choose to include a separate reception card.
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