Wedding Invitation Wording Ideas – Examples and Etiquette for casual and formal weddings

We hear a lot of dos and don’ts when it comes to wedding stationery. There are endless rules about how to address people, and what you can and can’t say.

And you start to have questions about doing it the right way. In this guide, you’ll find a complete guide to wording your wedding invitation, with examples and ideas to inspire you.

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Before we begin, I want you to know that wording has been honed over the years to ensure that not one word in your invitation could offend any one of your guests, but instead makes them feel honored and special to be invited to your big day.

Wedding invitation wording ideas – the invitation language should always be gracious and clear.

What to include on your wedding invitation card:

All wedding invitations should include the following information:

• The host line
• The request line that tells guests what they’re being invited to
• The couple’s names
• Date and time
• Location
• Reception Information
• Dress code (a complete guide in this link – click to read)
• Remember to include a separate RSVP card (wording and examples in this link – click to read)

Example of a casual wedding invitation wording

THE HOST LINE

It’s the first line of your wedding invitation card and it’s where you list the names of those hosting the event. Find examples below to learn how to word it properly.

THE REQUEST LINE

The request line informs your guests about what they’re being invited to. This line sets the tone of your celebration. For example, if it’s formal language use “Request the honor of your presence”. Alternatively, a more casual request line could be, “Join us as the love story continues…”, “Martha and john invite you to share in the day of our celebration as we become husband and wife”, “You’re invited to celebrate the wedding of”, “Joyfully invite you to join their celebration of love, friendship, and commitment”, or “In a celebration of love and commitment.

• “The honor of your presence” is traditionally used to denote a religious ceremony.
• “The pleasure of your company” is often used to denote a non-religious ceremony locale.

THE ACTION LINE

Here you’ll find out how to phrase your wedding invitations depending on the formality of the event and the host.

Wedding Invitation wording when the bride’s parents are hosting the wedding:

The underline is to make finding the difference between both examples easier.

Wedding Invitation wording when the groom’s parents are hosting the wedding:

Mr and Mrs Marc Johnson

Request the honor of your presence

at the marriage of their son

Henry Michael

and

Martha Louise

daughter of Mr and Mrs Bradley Brown (etc)

Wedding Invitation wording when the couple is hosting their own wedding:

Martha Louise and Henry Michael

Request the pleasure of your company

at their marriage (etc)

Wedding Invitation wording when both sets of parents are hosting (bride’s parents are listed first):

Mr and Mrs Marc Johnson

and

Mr and Mrs Bradley Brown

Request the pleasure of your company

at the marriage of their children

Martha Louise

and

Henry Michael (etc)

Wedding Invitation wording when the couple is hosting but wants to include their parents:

Together with their families

Martha Louise and Henry Michael

Request the pleasure of your company

at their marriage (etc)

Wedding Invitation wording when parents are divorced (without their spouses or aren’t remarried):

Mrs Lauren Johnson

and

Mr Marc Johnson

Request the pleasure of your company

at the marriage of their daughter (etc)

Wedding Invitation wording when parents are divorced and remarried or hosting their spouses:

Mrs Lauren Johnson and Mr Marc Johnson

Ashleigh Snow

Request the pleasure of your company

at the marriage of their daughter (etc)

Alternative wording

As with every other aspect of your wedding, the invitation is a chance to express yourself, your personality, and your wedding vibe.

You may ask to add a script font that reflects your personality or keep the wedding color theme in your wedding invitation, and you may need to customize your wedding invitation set to match your wedding style.

If you’re looking for alternative wording for your wedding invitations, subscribe to our blog, because it’s a theme that I’ll cover soon.

The proper punctuation for formal wedding invitations:

Along with the correct wording, proper punctuation must be followed for formal wedding invitations.

• Spell numbers for the date, year, and time. But not in addresses. See the examples below.
• Abbreviations are a no-go so spell everything out. So instead of a.m. or p.m., a formal invitation should say “in the evening” or “in the afternoon”. Rather than using “Dr.”, you should spell our “Doctor”, The exceptions: Mr., Mrs., and Ms.
• The first word and all proper nouns get capitalized, as well as any line that stands alone and would be the first word of a sentence (like “Reception to follow” or “Cocktail attire”).
• Leave out commas and periods at the end of each line. They’re only used after a title or in the middle of a line.
• The third person is used for formal invitations, so it would say “Mr. and Mrs. John Snow invite you to celebrate …, ” but some couples are choosing to break with tradition and use the first person, as the example: “We invite you to celebrate…”.

COUPLE’S NAMES

There are no right or wrong answers, and you should do what makes you feel more comfortable and reflects your personality. Here are a few things to remember:

• Usually, the bride’s name goes first, followed by the groom’s name.
• If the parents of the bride invite guests to the wedding, the bride’s last name is committed since her last name appears at the top. The bride’s name can be just the first and middle name and the groom’s name is listed in full or his first and middle name, followed by “son of Mr & Mrs (etc).
• For same-sex couples, the names can be listed in alphabetical order by last name, on in the order you choose.
• You can choose to list only the first names, depending on the desired level of formality for your invitation.

DATE AND TIME

• For formal wedding invitations, the date and time should be spelled out. For example, if he wedding is on Saturday, November 27, 2027, at 5 PM, the wording should read, “Saturday, November twenty-seventh (or the twenty-seventh of November), two thousand twenty-seven, at 5 o’clock in the evening.
• For casual weddings or less formal, you can list: “Saturday, November 27, 2027, at 5 PM”
• The day of the week and the month should be capitalized. However, in the common days, the capitalized font style is often used, so, if all wording is capitalized it’s correct for casual wedding invitation wording.
• For formal wedding invitation wording, do spell out the numerals in time. For weddings on the half-hour, write “half after five o’clock”, not “half past five” or “five thirty in the afternoon”.
• There is no need to list “in the afternoon” or “evening. These terms are used for clarity. However, I use it in some wedding invitation cards to improve the overall look of the invite design.
• 5 PM is considered evening and not afternoon. Afternoon is considered from noon until 4 o’clock.

LOCATION

• List the ceremony name and location after the date and time. Abbreviations are only listed in casual wedding invitation wording. For formal weddings the city and state are spelled out.
• Zip codes are not necessary to include. Include it only on guests’ addresses, on the main/outer envelope.

RECEPTION LINE

• When the reception is at the same location as the ceremony, you can list only “Reception to follow” or “Dinner and drinks to follow”.
• When the reception is at a different location, you should list the venue on the following line, or you may include an additional card to include the reception details, with the full address of the venue, time and other details you may like to include. In this case, list only “Reception to follow” and include the information in the new insert card (reception card).
• Make it clear to your guests when it comes to what happens after the ceremony.
• If you’re not serving a full meal, your guests should know what to expect after the ceremony. Here are some examples of how to word it: “Cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and dancing to follow”, “
• If you’re serving dinner, here are some examples: “Food, Wine, and Merriment To Follow”, “Reception to follow”, Dinner and Drinks to follow” or you can be as creative as you want, just bear in mind to be consistent in the tone of your wedding invitation wording and make your guests understand if they will have dinner or not.

Special note: Figuring out the perfect combination of words and proper titles for your wedding invitations can be tricky. An easy way to get the right way to word your wedding invitations is by having a wedding stationer that guides you and supports you during your wedding planning journey.

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I’m here to help you with clarity and guidance to get the perfect wedding invitation. Contact me, or book your free Clarity call if you have questions about our process or how to work with us.

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