Wedding Reception Cards

A common question among couples planning their wedding and ordering their wedding stationery is how to let guests know the location of the reception. The good news is that answering this question is fairly simple.

If the reception and ceremony are being held at the same location, you don't have to do anything, except perhaps including the words “Reception to follow” at the bottom of your wedding invitations.

However, if your reception is being held at a separate location, which is probably the more common option for most couples, you'll need to include a reception card with your invitations. Reception cards are smaller than your actual invitations. They are usually rectangular in shape and, if your invitations are being done by a professional printer, they should match the style of your invitations.

The reception card includes specific, important information about the reception, including the time and the location. Many couples also choose to include details about the reception, such as whether or not cocktails will be served or how formal the reception is going to be. The wording of the reception cards can be as formal or as informal as your wedding – just remember to stay consistent. If you're having a black tie reception, you shouldn't write informal reception cards.

Reception Cards Wording

Below are a few examples of how to word reception cards. Notice that in all of these examples, the order of the information is the same.

Wording Example 1

We invite you to share with us
our happiness at the Reception.
Buffet served at 5 pm
Wedding Hotel
630 Chestnut Avenue

Wording Example 2

Reception following ceremony
at the residence of
Mr. and Mrs. Janice E. Dodd
5007 Lakewood Street
Indianapolis, Indiana

Wording Example 3

Black tie Reception and Dinner
8 o'clock in the evening
Everwood Country Club
412 Pleasant Valley Hill
San Diego, California

Wording Example 4

Dinner and dancing
immediately following Ceremony
Mountain View Resort & Lounge
2626 Mountain View Road
Denver, Colorado

As you can see from the examples, you are free to include some basic information about the style of your reception. For example, you can alert guests that a meal will be served so they do not make other dining plans. If your reception is going to be a black or a white tie affair, then you can mention this on the invitation also.

Another common question about reception cards is whether or not you'll need a separate RSVP card. The answer is no. If a guest agrees to attend the wedding, you should assume he or she is also going to attend the reception. In fact, if your guests need to choose an entree for their sit down reception meals, you should include this on the RSVP for your wedding invitation.

You could also use reception cards to invite guests to a special party to celebrate a small or destination wedding. For example, if the couple chose to elope or to get married in a location where a large guest list would have been impractical, the couple could choose to mail wedding announcements along with reception cards to their friends and family. In this case, however, you would need to include a separate RSVP card.

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