A standard form for the wording of the invitation is as follows:
Mr. and Mrs. Henry L. Hudson
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Harriet
to
Mr. James Meade Trowbridge
on Tuesday afternoon, June the first
at half-past three o’clock
The Church of the Incarnation
Baltimore
The invitations are issued in the names of the bride’s parents, or, lacking them, in the name of her nearest relative, unless this should be an unmarried sister. When the invitations are issued by a brother, his name only may be used, even though he is married. But where the relation is a married woman, the name of the husband also appears on the invitations. Such invitations issued by some one other than the parents follow the form given above exactly, save that the full name of the bride must be given instead of her Christian name alone, and, of course, the proper relationship must be indicated by a word substituted for daughter.
It is usual, when the bride is a step-daughter, to specify the relationship in the invitation. Thus, in the form given above, if Harriet were the daughter of Mrs. Hudson by a previous marriage, the phrase would run, at the marriage of Mrs. Hudson’s daughter, Harriet Blake Rothwell. If she were the daughter of Mr. Hudson, the phrase would be, at the marriage of Mr. Hudson’s daughter, Harriet.
The invitations to either a wedding-breakfast or reception is inclosed with the invitation to the ceremony, but the engraved card is of the ordinary size.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry L. Hudson
request the pleasure of
..........................
company
on Tuesday, June first
at half-past twelve o’clock
Thirty-six Fremont Avenue
But often the name is omitted, and the invitation may read simply:
Reception
From four o’clock
Thirty-six Fremont Avenue