The wording of formal wedding invitations can feel a little confusing, and you should follow some rules. Formal invitations frequently begin with the names of the people who are hosting the wedding, which is often the parents of the bride. If you're hosting your own wedding, use your own name. The wording of the actual invitation can vary, though you should remember that the British spelling "honour" is generally only used for a church wedding. If you want your invitations to sound formal, spell out the times and dates. For example, write "one o'clock" rather than "1 p.m." Include any other information, such as details of the reception, dress code or if it's an adult-only affair. RSVP cards or information about your wedding registry should be on separate cards. Formal wedding invitations addressing procedures are fairly standard. For the outside of the envelope, the names of couples are written across one line — "Mrs. Jane Smith and Mr. Tim Smith". It's standard to begin with the name of the person you're closest to. For a family, you can just write "The Smith Family" on the envelope and include each invitee's name on the invitation.

Typically, wedding invitations are sent out 8-12 weeks in advance of the wedding. This ensures that people haven't already filled their schedules, but you have time to organize the details of the wedding before letting people know about them. If you want to be sure your friends and family can attend, consider sending out save-the-date cards, so everyone can pencil your wedding onto their calendar. You can do this as soon as the date is set. Send invitations to other wedding-related events, such as bridal shower invitations, separately from your wedding invitations.

You can buy formal wedding invitations in many places, but purchasing your wedding invitations from CVS is a good idea for many reasons. Many of CVS' wedding invitations offer a choice of colors and designs as well as the ability to easily customize your invitations to suit your unique needs. They also come with envelopes that can be printed with a return address, so your guests know where to send RSVPs. Wherever you buy your invitations, spend some time browsing to find something that truly appeals to you and your vision.