In two previous posts, I briefly touched on invitation wording. But I can’t have a discussion about wording, without throwing in a few snippets about the importance of grammar and punctuation. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a grammar guru, like my friends Shonda, Kate and Edie. When we worked together, they helped polish both my grammar and punctuation skills. I have fond memories of our sometimes loud discussions with other cube mates about the use of the Oxford comma. All of that brings me to today’s specific topic.

I recently read an article that discussed the importance of a comma. In it, the lack of a comma recently cost a company millions of dollars. In the lawsuit the employees filed, they claimed they were entitled to overtime.

The article stated ” The state’s laws declared that overtime wasn’t due for workers involved in “the canning, processing, preserving, freezing, drying, marketing, storing, packing for shipment or distribution of: 1) agricultural produce; 2) meat and fish products; and 3) perishable foods”. The drivers managed to successfully argue that because there was no comma after “shipment” and before “or distribution”, they were owed overtime pay. If a comma had been there, the law would have explicitly ruled out those who distribute perishable foods.” Click here to read the full article. https://bit.ly/2DtedQd.

Clearly, the lack of a comma was costly to the company. Nothing so drastic will happen if you leave out a comma in the wording of your invitation suite, but you certainly want to have a discussion with your stationer to ensure there’s no ambiguity in your chosen verbiage.

Let me leave you with this little exercise. Take a look at the sentence right after this one, and comment below to tell me where you’d put the comma.

Woman without her man is nothing.

Continue to be safe out there!

Warmly,