Crafting A Heartfelt Wedding Invitation Message

A wedding invitation is one of the most important decisions to make when planning a wedding. It is the first element of the wedding that guests will see and sets the tone for the special day. The invitation should capture the overall vibe of the wedding and express the couple's style.

The wording of a wedding invitation typically includes the host line, the request to attend, the couple's names, the date and time, the location, and reception details. The invitation may also include dress code information.

- We invite you to share the joy with us as the wedding of [groom's name] & [bride's name] takes place on [date] at [place]. We expect you and your family to be there!

- We request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of our children [daughter's name] and [son's name] on [date] at [time] in [place]. Reception to follow.

- We are thrilled to invite you to our wedding day! You have been there for us through thick and thin, and we can't imagine getting married without you by our side.

- We are delighted to share the news of our upcoming wedding ceremony. As we celebrate this joyous occasion, we would be honoured to have you join us on this special day.

The Host Line: The host line is the opening line on a wedding invitation, naming the hosts of the event

The host line is the first line of a wedding invitation and names the host or hosts of the event. Traditionally, the bride's parents are the hosts, but nowadays, there are many different possibilities, such as the groom's parents hosting, the couple hosting, or a combination of both sets of parents. Here are some examples of how the host line can be worded in different scenarios:

Bride's Parents Hosting

• Mr. and Mrs. John Smith request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter, Jane Marie, to Mr. Jeffrey James Johnson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Johnson.
• Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Timothy Williams (very formal; the middle name is included)
• Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Williams (formal)
• Mr. and Mrs. Christopher and Sarah Williams (formal; includes both first names)
• Christopher and Sarah Williams (less formal)

Groom's Parents Hosting

Mr. and Mrs. Jack Johnson request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of Jane Marie Smith to Jeffrey James Johnson.

Bride and Groom's Families Both Hosting

• Mr. and Mrs. John Smith and Mr. and Mrs. Jack Johnson request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their children, Jane Marie and Jeffrey James.
• Kenzie M. Smith and Jennifer L. Smith, Mark Franklin and Mary Elizabeth Reyes request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their children, Olivia Rose and John Michael.

Bride and Groom Hosting with Both Families

• Jane Marie Smith and Jeffrey James Johnson, together with their parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Smith and Mr. and Mrs. Jack Johnson, invite you to celebrate their marriage.
• Together with their families/our families.

Bride and Groom Hosting

• Miss Jane Marie Smith and Mr. Jeffrey James Johnson invite you to share in the celebration of their wedding.
• The honour of your presence is requested at the marriage of Jack Alexander Smith to Mason Jacob Kim.

Honouring a Deceased Parent

Jane Marie, daughter of Tess Smith and the late John Smith, requests the honour of your presence as she joins in marriage Mr. Jeffery James Johnson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Johnson.

Attendance Request: The request to attend lets guests know they are being invited to the wedding

The "Attendance Request" line in a wedding invitation is crucial as it lets guests know exactly what they're being invited to. Here are some examples of how to word the "Attendance Request" section of your wedding invitations, depending on the tone and style you're aiming for:

Formal Wedding Invitation Wording

In formal wedding invitations, it is customary to spell out the full date and time. The request to attend typically follows a similar formal tone:

• "Request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of [Couple's Names]"
• "Request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their children [Couple's Names]"
• "Invite you to share in our joy and request your presence at the wedding of [Couple's Names]"
• "Joyfully request the pleasure of your company as we exchange vows"
• "Cordially invite you to celebrate the marriage of [Couple's Names]"

Informal/Casual Wedding Invitation Wording

For a more casual or informal wedding, the request to attend can be more conversational and use numerical figures for the date and time:

• "Invite you to share in their joy at the marriage of their son [Groom's Name] to [Bride's Name]"
• "Would love your company at the wedding of [Couple's Names]"
• "Invite you to their wedding on [Date]"
• "Kindly join us at the wedding of [Couple's Names]"
• "Join us for the wedding of [Couple's Names]"

Fun Wedding Invitation Wording

If you want your invitation wording to reflect a fun and playful tone, you can use phrases like:

• "Raise a glass at the marriage of their son [Groom's Name] to [Bride's Name]"
• "Hope you'll join them on the dance floor to celebrate the marriage of their children [Couple's Names]"
• "Come party with us! [Couple's Names] are tying the knot"
• "Eat, drink and be merry at their wedding"

Creative Wedding Invitation Wording

Feel free to get creative and think outside the box with your wedding invitation wording. As long as you include the essential information, you can add a quirky twist to the request to attend:

• "It's a wedding! [Names of Hosts] invite you to celebrate their son [Groom's Name] as he weds [Bride's Name]"
• "Good food, good drinks, good friends. [Couple's Names] request you celebrate with them as they get hitched"
• "We will have our ceremony at a grand place, but it would surely not be so grand if you were not here with us."

Modern Wedding Invitation Wording

Modern wedding invitations often put the couple's names front and centre and use straightforward language:

• " [Couple's Names] would love to eat wedding cake with you"
• " [Names of Hosts] invite you to celebrate their son [Groom's Name] at his wedding to [Bride's Name]"
• " [Couple's Names] and their joyful parents hope you will attend their wedding"

Remember, these are just a few examples, and you can customise the wording to suit your personal style and the tone of your wedding.

Couple's Names: The names of the couple are usually displayed in larger text and sometimes in a fancy typeface

The names of the couple are the main event of the wedding invitation and are usually the largest text on the invite. The bride's name typically comes first, followed by the groom's, although same-sex couples may choose to list their names alphabetically or in the order that makes the most sense with their chosen design.

For a couple where one partner is male and the other female, the bride's full name (including middle name) is usually used, while the groom's first and last names are used. If the bride's parents are not listed as hosts, it is common to include a reference to them beneath their daughter's name, e.g.:

> Sarah Amanda Moore and George Henry Smith

> Son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Smith

For same-sex couples or a less formal option, the couple's names can be listed in whichever order feels most comfortable. This may be alphabetical order, or the order that fits best with the invitation design. For a more formal option, stick with full names and titles, or go more informal with just first names, e.g. "James and Simon."

> Callaghan and Nancy Reynolds

> Together with Abraham and Colleen Myers

> Joyfully request the pleasure of your company

> At the marriage of their children

> Mr. and Mrs. Johnathon Walker

> Request the honor of your presence

> At the wedding of their daughter

> Saturday, December thirteenth

> Two thousand nineteen

> Two o'clock in the afternoon

> St Patrick’s Cathedral

> Together with their families

> James Stewart & William Fitzpatrick

> Request your presence at the celebration of their marriage

> At half-past five in the evening

> August twenty-first, two thousand twenty-one

> Montage Beverly Hills

> Together with their families

> Vivienne Rose Williamson

> Joyfully request your presence

> At the celebration of their marriage

> Saturday, the twenty-first of August

> Two thousand nineteen

> Four o'clock in the afternoon

> Peju Province Winery

> Rutherford, California

> Hannah and Darryl Elstrom

> Invite you to the wedding of

> Saturday, October twentieth

> Six o'clock in the evening

Date and Time: Dates and times are usually written out in full for formal invites, and numerals are used for modern invites

When it comes to the date and time on your wedding invitations, the format you choose will depend on the formality of your wedding. More formal, traditional invitations tend to use written-out dates and times, while casual invites can be more relaxed and informal. Here are some examples and guidelines to help you craft the perfect wedding invitation message for your big day.

Formal Wedding Invitation Wording

For a formal wedding invitation, it is customary to spell out the date and time in full. For example, if your wedding is taking place on Saturday, October 26, 2024, you would write:

> Saturday, the twenty-sixth of October two thousand twenty-four

• Capitalize the day of the week (unless your invitation font is all uppercase or lowercase) and separate it from the date with a comma.
• For dates from the 21st to the 31st, use a hyphen between the tens and ones place.
• Write out the month in full and capitalize it.
• The year is usually on a separate line and there is no comma between the month and year.
• There is no hyphen between "two thousand" but use a hyphen between the tens and ones in the year.

When writing out the time for a formal invitation, you would also spell it out completely. For example, for a wedding starting at 3:30 p.m., you would write:

> at half after three o'clock

• For times on the hour, simply write "four o'clock", "five o'clock", etc.
• Formal invitations traditionally use "half after" instead of "half past" for times on the half-hour.
• The time should be written in lowercase letters.
• You don't need to specify "in the morning", "in the afternoon", or "in the evening" unless there could be confusion (for times like 8, 9, or 10 o'clock).
• Any time after 5 p.m. is considered evening, and between noon and 4:30 p.m. is the afternoon.
• If your wedding is at 12 p.m., simply write "noon".

Casual Wedding Invitation Wording

Casual wedding invitations give you more flexibility in how you format the date and time. For an informal wedding, you can write the date more concisely, such as:

> Saturday, October 26, 2024

You can also use numerals for the date if you prefer, like this:

> Saturday, 10/26/2024

Just remember to be consistent with the date formatting throughout your invitation suite, including any response cards.

For the time on a casual wedding invitation, you can use numerals and write something like "4pm" or "5:30pm". Just make sure that the date and time match in formality—don't write out the date fully and then use numerals for the time.

Additional Considerations

• If your reception is at the same venue and follows immediately after the ceremony, you can simply write "reception to follow" at the bottom of the invitation.
• If the reception is at a different venue or is several hours after the ceremony, include a separate reception card with the full address and other relevant information.
• Traditionally, the end times for the ceremony and reception are not included on the invitation. However, if you feel it's important for guests to know, you can include this information on your wedding website.
• To avoid late arrivals, some couples opt to print an earlier start time on their invitations (e.g., stating 5:00 p.m. when the ceremony actually begins at 5:15 p.m.). Just be mindful not to pad the time by more than 15 minutes to avoid keeping your punctual guests waiting.

Location: The venue's name, full street address, and city should be included

When it comes to wedding invitations, the location and venue details are essential. Here are some instructive paragraphs focused on this aspect:

The location section of your wedding invitation should include the name and full street address of the venue. It is also good to mention the city, state, and zip code to ensure your guests can find it easily. For international destinations, include the country as well. Here is an example:

> The Arctic Club Hotel, 700 Third Avenue, Seattle, Washington.

If your wedding venue is well-known and easily located, you may choose to only include the name and city, for instance:

> The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, Beaver Creek, Colorado.

However, if your wedding is taking place at a private residence or a location that may be hard to find, it is best to provide the full address to avoid any confusion.

If your ceremony and reception are at the same venue, a simple "Reception to follow" or "And afterward, at the reception" will suffice. If they are at different locations, provide the full address and other relevant details for the reception venue as well.

In the case of a destination wedding or a venue that is out of the way, you may want to include accommodation suggestions or a link to your wedding website, where guests can find more information.

If your wedding venue is hard to find or doesn't show up properly on GPS, consider including a map or directions card with your invitations. A hand-drawn map can add a whimsical touch to your stationery suite.

Remember to keep your invitation design clean and uncluttered. If you have a lot of information to convey, consider including separate enclosure cards with details about transportation, accommodation, dress code, and other pertinent information. That way, your guests will have clear and concise instructions to refer to, ensuring their attendance at your special day!

Frequently asked questions