Channeling the Ghost of Emily Post

Ever wonder what to write or say with the dreaded blank response card when you receive a wedding invitation? Or worse yet, when the invitation is printed with, “The favor of a reply is requested” and doesn’t include a response card.
Not to fear, Miss Amy is here.
Scenario 1: Response card provided.

• Grab a nice black pen, ladies (and gents, though I highly doubt there are many gents reading this)
• Write the following on the response card, with each phrase on its own line, centered in the page, in your best cursive writing (trust me, even I find cursive difficult. Who writes in cursive anymore?).

MISS AMY BROWN AND MR. CHARLIE DOE

ACCEPT WITH PLEASURE

THE KIND INVITATION

OF

MR. AND MRS. ETHAN FORD

AT THE MARRIAGE AND RECEPTION OF

THEIR DAUGHTER

GINGER HEATHER

ON SATURDAY, THE TWENTY-FOURTH OF APRIL

TWO THOUSAND AND ELEVEN

• Make any necessary adjustments for the following (if you’re not invited with a guest, omit the guest’s name); if the parents are divorced, but both listed on the invitation, write each of their names on a separate line, i.e. Mr. Ethan Ford and Ms. Iris Jones; if only one parent is listed on the invitation, change the “their” to his/her. Be sure to change any plurals where needed – i.e. one person, Miss Amy Brown “accepts” instead of “accept”.

Scenario 2: No response card provided.

• Grab that same nice black pen.
• Find your nicest stationery (should be white or cream)
• Write the same text written above (still in cursive!)
• If you can’t attend the nuptials, simply change, “accepts with pleasure” to “declines with regret”

Then, just lick, seal, and mail!

This post was originally posted on my first wedding blog which I started in April 2005, "Amy's Guide to All Things Bride". I'll be sharing a few posts from that blog over the next few months!