Thinking of Having an “Adults Only” Event?: 6 Key Points to Consider From The Printed Event

Navigating the delicate subject of telling your guests that you are having an “adults-only” wedding can be tricky. Couples should approach the task with compassion, but also with clarity. This can feel uncomfortable, but remember, this is your day! You are allowed to invite who you want to join you on your special day! Here are some key points and suggestions to keep in mind as you plan to share this important detail.

1. Clarity is Kindness 

Work with your stationery designer to help you clearly convey your invitees and plans on your invitations to avoid any potential confusion and conflict. It's important to specify who is invited and ensure there is no ambiguity in this important detail. This way, your invited guests can make arrangements to attend to the needs of their family in order to be able to be present at your special day.  

2. Utilize Every Part of the Invitation Suite

People are busy! To avoid this information from being overlooked, we suggest using precise wording on your invitation card, addressing the envelopes accordingly and clarifying seats reserved on the response card. This way, your plans for the evening are restated in several locations across your invitation suite.

3. Sending just an invitation card? 

There isn’t a rule stating you must include several cards in your invitation suite! If you are sending just the invitation card itself, this is the perfect place to respectfully state your wishes for an adults only evening. Looking for some suggestions? Consider using one of the five example phrases below: 

• “This will be an adults only event”
• “Please join us for an adults only reception at 6pm”
• “Due to limited venue space, this will be an adults only event” 
• “Thank you for understanding this is an adults only event”
• “While we adore children, our venue does not have room for your little ones. Please consider our wedding as a date night for just you and your plus one. We can't wait to celebrate with you!"

4. What about addressing the envelopes? 

An obvious place to specify who is invited is on the envelope. To achieve this - list the names of only the invited adults while leaving out the children’s names, or the word “Family”. For example, the envelope should be addressed to "Mr. and Mrs. Berghorst" instead of "The Berghorst Family". 

5. Consider ordering different versions of the response card 

Another idea is to create multiple versions of the response card, with each version stating a specific number of seats you are reserving in their honor. During assembly of your invitations, you will choose the card that fits the number of people invited from that family. For example, if an invitation is being sent to a household that has two adults (who ARE invited to the wedding) and two children (who are NOT invited to the wedding), the selected response card would state: "WE HAVE 2 SEATS RESERVED IN YOUR HONOR.”

6. Add a details card  

This is a commonly added card to most invitation suites for sharing additional information about your ceremony, reception, accommodations, registry and more. This could be an appropriate spot to also include a personal message explaining the reasons behind the adult-only policy. (Again, “Clarity is Kindness!”).

The Printed Event offers beautiful, cohesive stationery pieces and accessories for your big day. Choose from dozens of gorgeously-crafted templates that you can personalize with your own details, or work with our design team to create something completely unique and original. They also design and print signage, napkins and custom laser engraved gifts for your guests and wedding party. Visit www.theprintedevent.com for more information on how they can create the perfect wedding stationery and printed goods for your celebration!  

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