Wedding invitation wording can be as formal or informal as you’d like. There’s no right way to select wording for your paper goods. Whether you follow a more traditional outline, or get playful with it, your invitation should give your guests a peek into the vibe for your wedding day. Check out some of our examples below.
Once you place your invitation order, we’ll send you a questionnaire to fill out the exact wording you’d like incorporated into your suite.
Wedding Invitation Wording
A wedding invitation is typically made up of 6 sections and we walk through them one-by-one below, then give examples based on who’s hosting.
Host Line
First and foremost, it’s customary to highlight who is hosting the wedding. Whether it’s one set of parents, or the two of you, the first line typically gives these people a shout out. In this day and age, you can add this line in or leave it out. There are no rules!
Check out the accordion below for wording examples on different hosting scenarios.
Invitation to Attend the Wedding
We’ve covered the hosts, now what are the hosts asking the recipient to do? Attend the wedding of course! This is an important line, for obvious reasons. Let your guests know what the call to action is.
Names of the Couple
This one seems like a no-brainer, and it is! However, you can opt to include just first names, first and last, or even add middle names into the mix. Historically the use of full names is considered more traditional while just first names is considered much more casual.
Date and Time
Be sure to let guests know what date and time the ceremony begins.
Ceremony Location
Similarly, it’s important to add the address of the ceremony so guests can easily find where you’re tying the knot. This is especially hand for the guest running late who just grabbed the invitation off the fridge and is pulling up Google Maps as they run out the door.
Reception Information
Whether your reception begins immediately after the ceremony in the same location, or you’ve got a bit of down time in between, it’s always nice to give your guests a heads up for what to expect on the main invitation.
[Partner’s Name] and [Partner’s Name]
invite you to the celebration of their marriage
[Date]
[Time]
[Location]
Cocktails, dinner, and dancing to follow.
Parents of the Bride
[Mother of the bride’s full name] and [Father of the bride’s full name]
request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter
[Bride’s name] to [Partner’s name]
[Date]
[Time]
[Location]
Reception to follow at [Name of Reception Venue].
[Address of Reception Venue]
Parents of the Groom Hosting
[Mother of the groom’s full name] and [Father of the groom’s full name]
request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their son
[Groom’s name] to [Partner’s name]
[Date]
[Time]
[Location]
Followed by dinner and dancing.
Parents of a Nonbinary Partner
[Mother of the partner’s full name] and [Father of the partner’s full name]
request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their child
[Child’s full name] to [Partner’s full name]
[Date]
[Time]
[Location]
An evening of celebrating to follow.
Formal Option
[Parents’ names] and [Parents’ names]
request the honor of your presence as their children marry
[Partner’s name] and [Partner’s name]
[Date]
[Time]
[Location]
Merriment to follow.
Informal Option
Along with their families,
[Partner’s name] and [Partner’s name]
request the honor of your presence as they join in matrimony.
[Date]
[Time]
[Location]
Food, jams, and happily ever after to follow.
[Partner’s name] & [Partner’s name]
invite you an evening of dinner and dancing at their wedding reception.
[Date]
[Time]
[Location]
[Partner’s full name] and [Partner’s full name]
invite you to sunny Nassau to share in their wedding celebration
[Date]
[Time]
[Location]
Join us for a celebratory weekend in the sand and sun.
What to Include on a Details Card
Your main invitation should be pretty short and simple. If you have more information to share with guests, put it on an additional details card.
There’s no hard and fast rule on what to include on details cards. Typically, you’d include any other important information about additional locations guest would need to be, guest accommodations, and other info directly related to your big day.
Reception Information
If your reception is at a separate location from your ceremony, this is a great place to provide that information.
Transportation Information
If you’re providing a shuttle to get your guests to and from your celebration, tell them exactly when and where they need to get picked up/dropped off.
Directions
If your venue isn’t particularly easy to find, add some directions for guests. With maps being easily accessible on phones, this isn’t as necessary as it once was.
Inviting Children
If you’re inviting children to your big day, then make this as clear as possible on your invitation by including their names or “The Smith Family” when you address the envelope.
If you’ve chosen not to invite kids to your wedding, do not put their names on the envelope, and include some wording like: “As we’re having an intimate service, it’s only possible to accommodate the children of immediate family.’ to politely let your guests know they need to arrange for childcare.
Dietary Restrictions
Ask guests to note any dietary restrictions when they RSVP.
Dress Code
If you want guests to dress a certain way, be sure to let them know if your event is black tie, semi-formal, cocktail attire, etc.
Wedding Website
Add the url of your wedding website so guests can easily find more details about your wedding. Wedding websites are a great place to put detailed accommodations information, things to do nearby if many guests are traveling, as well as photos of you and your betrothed, registry information, and any other details you’d like for guests to know.
Registry Information
We suggest NOT adding information about your registry on your invitation suite. People know to get you a gift. Instead, include a link to your wedding website where you can add all the registry, gift, or donation info you’d like.