Our daughter will be married at a private city club and complimentary parking is available at a private lot adjacent to the club. Should I include this information on the reception card? If so, should I indicate that the parking lot is located “adjacent to the club” or at the intersection of blank and blank?

On the reception card, is it appropriate to say “Pre-reception (or cocktail hour), dinner and dancing will follow the ceremony.”

Thank you for your assistance.

Rebecca Black, Etiquette By Rebecca

Dear MOB,

All of that information could be mentioned on an enclosure. None of it should be mentioned on the reception invitation. Parking information and directions are often mentioned on enclosures, and the ‘pre-reception’ information sounds a bit like an itinerary.

Actually, as long as the guests do not need to travel for the ‘pre-reception’ you don’t need to mention it. Many hosts will have a cocktail hour before the dinner.

Also, hopefully this isn’t the case, but please do not invite some to your ‘pre-reception’ or the dinner and dancing and not others. All wedding guests should be invited to the entire reception. 😉

Best wishes,

sally4

Thank you, Rebecca, for your response. I’m going to do a “parking arrangements” enclosure card that will stand alone.

Also, my “pre-reception” wording was incorrect. It really is the cocktail party hour following the ceremony and before the dinner and dancing. Of course, all the guests are invited to everything. Nobody is being excluded.

The reception, dinner, etc. will be held at the same private club. Therefore, I think I can include this information at the bottom of the wedding invitation. How can it be most graciously worded so the invitation looks balanced? Should it be included in the wording of the invitation? Or should it be placed on the lower left side? Should it say “Reception and Dinner immediately following?

Or, even though it’s being held at the same venue, is it easier for guests to understand if a separate reception card is included?

Thank you so much for responding to these details!