Think my Debrett's Etiquette and Modern Manners must be in the loft! Can anyone help?

[Carla]

Wedding invitation, addressed to The Us Family, reads:

Blah and Blah

have much pleasure in inviting you to a service of blessing at blah college Chapel, at 5pm on blah and to a reception in college, following the service.

What should the formal (or not so formal) reply be? I'm a bit stumpted 'cos the envelope was addressed to us as a family, and normally you say something like 'Mr and Mrs have great pleasure ....' or something like that. TIA

[binkie]

I'd list out all your names, ie, "Carla, Gregory, Ermintrude and Xavier Us thank x and y for their kind invitation to a service of blessing at blah on date, and are delighted to accept"

Given all the threads on no-kids weddings, good on them for asking Ermintrude and Xavier, by the way.

[handlemecarefully]

Why worry /care?

Just send them a nice little note saying in your own words that you accept their invitation....

[Carla]

LOL, binkie!

[Carla]

I did think you were supposed to reply in that 'wedding invitationy' poncy way.

[snafu]

No, just send them back a note saying 'Thank you, we'd love to come'.

Wording like 'Mr & Mrs so-and-so request the pleasure' is pretty standard when you order the invitation cards, isn't it? All our invites said that but all the replies said 'Cheers - see you there!' or suchlike

[Stilltrue]

The invitation wasn't in the third person, so neither should your reply be.

[handlemecarefully]

I'm with Snafu on this one. Unless they are up their own arses they probably won't mind one iota.

[WideWebWitch]

So your Debretts is in the loft but luckily they have an online FAQ for this kind of thing! But I agree with Snafu.

[Lonelymum]

Whose wedding is it? Prince William's? I would just reply as binkie suggested or buy one of those printed acceptance cards which usually just leave romm fo you to sign your names in which case I might put The X Family to avoid writing out all 6 of our names!

[cupcakes]

I would reply 'Mr and Mrs blah and family are delighted to receive the wedding invitation and are very pleased to accept' or similar

I think it is nice that you want to use the proper wording - if they have gone to the trouble and expense of sending out a nice invitation it is good manners to reply equally.

[Bugsy2]

Carla, its up to you really. If you think they'd appreciate the formal reply, then it is courteous to go for that. If you think they would just appreciate a response, something in your own words is fine.
Or......... you could go for the formal response and underneath write a little note saying hope all's well, looking forward to seeing you on the big day.

[cupcakes]

Sorry - had another thought: have you been invited by the couple or by the bride's parents? - if it's the parents I would definitely write a formal letter unless you know them really well.

[Tanzie]

Binkie is correct.

Tanzie Debrett (The Hon.)

[Tortington]

i would rip a bit of paper fromt he botom of the 'daily mirror' and write "ta muchio chuck, cya there - save some boozo pour moi sil vous plait!"

[teeavee]