A Guide to Wedding Invitation Wording—With Examples!

By Madeleine Luckel

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You’ve booked the venue, settled on the guest list, and if you’ve already picked out a beautiful invitations suite, this is the point when you’re likely wondering: What exactly are wedding invitations supposed to say anyway? It seems pretty simple when you receive one yourself, but figuring out wedding invitation wording on your own is another matter all together. In order to avoid any potential mishaps when it comes to the most important invite of your life, we’ve broken down exactly what you need to include, where it should go, and how to phrase what you want to say whether you want formal or informal wedding invitation wording. So get ready, grab a pen, and start writing. (Just kidding, leave that to your calligrapher, please.)

Who’s Hosting

If the bride’s parents are hosting:
Wedding invitations typically begin by stating the host of the event. Traditionally, the parents of the bride used to be considered the de facto hosts, and so their names would be listed at the top of the invitation.

Example:

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Smith
invite you to celebrate the marriage of their daughter
Diana Smith
to
Peter Carrol
on Saturday, the fifteenth of March

If both sets of parents are hosting:
However these days, it’s not uncommon for both parents to contribute to the wedding in some way. Many couples also decide to take a more inclusive approach, regardless of who exactly is footing what parts of the bill, and list out the names of all of their parents. In that case, each set of parents should appear on their own line.

Example:

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Smith
and Mr. and Mrs. Alan Carrol
invite you to celebrate the wedding of their children
Diana Smith and Peter Carrol
on Saturday, the fifteenth of March

If a couple just wants to keep things simple and diplomatic:
For those who prefer short and sweet invitations, there’s also the more modern option of consolidating the hosting duties all into one line.

Example:

Together with their parents,
Diana Smith and Peter Carrol
invite you to celebrate their wedding . . .

If there are any divorced or remarried parents and you wish to include everyone:
Simply list out their names on a separate line as well. Things may get a little lengthy, but this way everyone will be happy to have been included.

Example:

Mr. Joseph and Jane Treehouse
and Mr. Brian and Louisa Taylor
and Mr. George and Tina McCarthy
invite you to celebrate the wedding of their children
Emily Treehouse and Elliot McCarthy . . .

If someone’s parent or parents have passed away:
Then the best option is to start off with the bride and groom’s name first and list their parents names after (since a deceased family member can’t technically be considered a host at a wedding.)

Example:

Jennifer Jones, daughter of Dan Jones and the late Beatrice Jones
and
Charles Yates, son of Ernest and Mary Yates
invite you to celebrate their wedding . . .

If the bride and groom are hosting:
Then it’s ok to skip the parents entirely and go straight to the bride and groom.

Example:

Jennifer Jones and Charles Yates
invite you to celebrate their wedding . . .

Who’s Getting Married?

The names of the bride and groom are arguably the most important piece of information on any wedding invitation. Often the names of the bride and groom will appear in a much larger and different font. As for who goes first, traditionally, the bride’s name comes before the name of the groom. In very formal invitations, the brides first and middle name are listed, while the groom’s full name is written out.

Example:

. . . Invite you to celebrate the wedding of their children
Lydia Clara and Mr. Thomas Marcus Jacobson.

However, it’s now very popular to include the same information—first name, middle name, and last name—when it comes to the names of the bride and groom. If it’s a same sex wedding, couples can list out names by alphabetical order.

The Invitation Request

As you’ve probably gleaned by now, you need to pop a question of your own in your wedding invitation. (After all, if you don’t ask your guest whether he or she will come to your wedding, it’s not really an invitation, now is it?) Some examples:

We invite you to celebrate the marriage of
We request the pleasure of your company
We invite you to celebrate our wedding
We request the honor of your presence at the marriage of (used for ceremonies that will take place in a church)
Invite you to share in our joy at the marriage of

The Wedding Date

The wedding date should have its own line and be listed before the location. For more formal weddings, it’s advised to omit all abbreviations, and spell everything out. So instead of “7:00 p.m.” it should read “seven o’clock in the evening.”

The Ceremony and Reception Location

The location should also have its own line and immediately follow the date and time. The name of the venue should appear, as well as the town or city and state. However, the exact address is technically optional, as long as it exists on Google Maps. For example: “The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Kiawah Island, South Carolina,” is enough.

Information on the reception also needs to be included, either on the wedding invitation itself, or on a separate card inclosed in the envelope. If the reception is taking place immediately after at the same venue, it’s fine to write: “Reception to follow.” However, if it is taking place elsewhere, and after a period of time has elapsed, be sure to include the details on when and where to go.

The Dress Code

Whether it’s black tie or cocktail attire, every invitation should provide explicit information about what guests are expected to wear. Etiquette usually suggest this information be added on the lower right hand corner of an invite. If you choose to omit adding dress code information, guests will take a hint by how formal or informal your invitation looks and the wedding time. Of course, it’s always more polite to supply this information, rather than to keep them guessing.

How to RSVP

Traditionally, a separate RSVP response card and matching stamped envelope are included. The card should have a space where the invitee can write his or her name, and boxes to check when it comes to the specific RSVP reply. More recently though, it’s become popular for invitations to direct guests to RSVP at a couple’s wedding website, which is nice because it’s also eco-friendly.

Below, a few invitation wording examples from weddings featured on Over The Moon.