While most brides want to know the correct way to word their invitations, proper etiquette is meant as a guide, not as a cause for family disputes.
“Etiquette should only go so far as to not hurt anybody’s feelings,” said Kathy Parker of Freddie’s in Little Rock.
And with more and more weddings being thrown by someone other than the bride’s parents — even by the couple themselves — the rules are fading from black and white to gray.
“There are rules, but people do anything they want,” said Jenn Maher with The Crown Shop in Little Rock.
Parker agreed, saying, “People read etiquette books until they find what they want to hear.”
Two time-honored etiquette books, each with extensive examples of situations that might influence the wording of an invitation, include “Emily Post’s Wedding Etiquette” by Peggy Post and “Crane’s Wedding Blue Book.” The hard-back versions cost about $27.50 and $20, respectively.
