Maximizing Space: Crafting Concise Wedding Invitations

Wedding invitations are an important piece of the wedding planning puzzle. They are often the first thing your guests will see, touch and feel, and they convey critical information. Wedding invitations typically don't have a lot of space, so it's important to make the most of every line. This includes the host line, the attendance request, the couple's names, the date and time, the location, and the reception details. If there is limited space on the invitation, some of this information can be included on a separate card or on the wedding website. It's also important to consider the tone and style of the wording to match the wedding's level of formality.

Host line: Include the names of the event hosts (traditionally the people paying for the wedding)

Host Line: Including the Names of the Event Hosts

The host line is the opening line on a wedding invitation and typically includes the names of the people hosting (and usually paying for) the wedding. The host line is located at the very top of the invitation, with the names of the event hosts appearing here. The hosts are usually the people paying for the wedding, and the wording will vary depending on who is hosting. This could be one or both sets of parents, the couple and their parents, or just the couple.

If the bride's parents are hosting, their names are listed first, followed by the invitational lines. Traditionally, the bride's parents hosted and paid for the wedding, but nowadays, it is common for the groom's family or other loved ones to host. It is also becoming more common for the couple to host their own wedding.

If the couple is hosting, the host line can be omitted to save space, or replaced with a welcoming introduction. For example:

> "Amal Alamuddin and George Timothy Clooney request the pleasure of your company at the celebration of their marriage Saturday, 27 September 2014 at noon Aman Canal Grande Hotel in Venice, Italy. Festivities to follow."

If one set of parents is hosting, their names are included, but not that of the person getting married if they have a different last name. If the person getting married has the same last name as their parents, or if their partner's parents are also involved in hosting, then their last name should be included. For example:

> "Mr. and Mrs. Ernie Lively invite you to share in the joy of the marriage uniting their daughter Blake Ellender to Ryan Rodney Saturday, the ninth of September two thousand twelve at noon Boone Hall Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Dinner and merriment to follow."

If both sets of parents are hosting, list the bride's parents' names first if it is a heterosexual couple. If it is a same-sex couple, list the parents' names alphabetically. For example:

> "Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Adams and Mr. and Mrs. David Beckham request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their children Victoria Caroline to David Robert Joseph Saturday, the fourth of July nineteen ninety-nine at half past seven in the evening Luttrellstown Castle Clonsilla, Ireland. Reception to follow."

If divorced parents are being included, list the mother's name first, followed by the father's name on a separate line. If a parent is deceased, they can be included in the host line, but the wording must be adjusted slightly as they cannot serve as a host. For example:

> "Mr. Angiolo Guiseppe and Ms. Elettra Rossellini invite you to share in the joy of the marriage uniting their son Roberto Rossellini to Ingrid Bergman Saturday, the twenty-fourth of May nineteen fifty at noon Hotel Boca Chica, Acapulco, Mexico. Dinner and merriment to follow."

Attendance request: Ask guests to attend

The request to attend your wedding lets guests know exactly what they're being invited to. Here are some ways to word this:

• "The pleasure of your company is requested"
• "The honour of your presence is requested" (British spelling indicates a formal, traditional ceremony)
• "Would love for you to join us"
• "Invite you to celebrate with us"
• "Come eat cake with us"
• "Come party with us"
• "Eat, drink and be merry"
• "Good food, good drinks, good friends"
• "With much love"
• "Request the pleasure of your company"

If you are having a reception-only wedding, the wording should make clear that guests are invited to a reception celebrating your marriage, for example:

• " [Names of couple] request the pleasure of your company for a reception in celebration of their new marriage"
• "The newlyweds [Names of couple] invite you to a reception in honour of their recent marriage"

The Couple's Names

The names of the couple are usually displayed in larger text and sometimes in a fancy typeface. For heterosexual couples, the bride's name typically comes first. For same-sex couples, there is no traditional rule, so go with what sounds better or is in alphabetical order.

Date and Time

Traditional wedding invitations require the date and time to be written out in full, while modern invites often use numerical figures. If you do use numbers, choose a legible font to avoid confusion.

Couple's names: Displayed in larger text and/or a fancy typeface

The couple's names are the main event and should be displayed in larger text and/or a fancy typeface.

Formal Wedding Invitation Wording

The couple's names are usually written in full, with proper names and titles capitalised. The bride's name traditionally comes before the groom's name, but this can be changed if the couple prefers, especially if one has a unique or longer name. For example:

> Mr. and Mrs. Ernie Lively invite you to share in the joy of the marriage uniting their daughter, Blake Ellender, to Ryan Rodney...

If the couple is hosting the wedding themselves, the invitation can be written as:

> The honour of your presence is requested at the marriage of Amal Alamuddin and George Timothy Clooney...

Casual Wedding Invitation Wording

For a more casual wedding, the couple's names can be written with the first name first, and the titles 'Mr.' and 'Mrs.' can be dropped. For example:

> Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Simon Peter Blunt invite you to the marriage of Emily Olivia Leah and John Burke...

If the couple is hosting, the invitation can be phrased as:

> Miss Beyonce Knowles and Shawn "Jay Z" Carter are getting married...

Creative Wedding Invitation Wording

Feel free to get creative with the wording, especially if the wedding has a theme. The couple's names can be written with a fun twist, such as:

> It's a wedding! John and Eliza Smith invite you to celebrate their son, Jack Alexander, as he weds Mason Jacob Kim...

Modern Wedding Invitation Wording

Modern invitations often put the couple's names front and centre at the top, with sleek and straightforward verbiage. For example:

> Jack Alexander Smith & Mason Jacob Kim would love to eat wedding cake with you...

Simple Wedding Invitation Wording

Short and sweet invitations convey the message simply and directly. The couple's names can be written with their first names first, followed by their last names, in a simple font. For example:

> Jack Smith & Mason Kim are getting married...

Date and time: Spell out the date and time or use numerals

When it comes to the date and time on your wedding invitations, there are a few different ways to format this information, depending on the formality of your wedding.

For formal invitations, it is customary to spell out the date and time in full. For example, if your wedding is on the 15th of September 2024 at 4:30 p.m., the wording could be: "Saturday, the fifteenth of September, two thousand twenty-four, at half after four in the afternoon".

The day of the week and the month should be capitalised, and there should be a comma between the day and the date. The year is usually on a separate line, with no comma between the month and the year. The time of day should be written as "four o'clock" or "half after four o'clock".

For a less formal wedding, you can use a combination of numerals and words. For example, "Saturday, 15th of September, 2024, 4:30 p.m." or "Saturday, September 15, 2024, 4:30 p.m.".

If your wedding is taking place at noon, simply write "noon" instead of "12:00 p.m.". For times between 12:01 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., you can indicate the time of day as "in the afternoon". For times after 5:00 p.m., use "in the evening".

Remember to be consistent with the formatting of the date and time on any other enclosures in your invitation suite, such as the RSVP card.

Location: Include the name and address of the venue

The location line of your wedding invitation should include the name of your wedding venue and its full street address, including the city, state, and zip code. If your wedding is taking place abroad, be sure to include the country as well.

For formal invitations, it is customary to write out the full address, while numerical figures are often used on modern invites. If you're using numerals, be sure to choose a legible font to avoid any confusion.

> The Ritz-Carlton, 1234 Main Street, Anytown, CA 90210

> Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 1000 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, NY

> The Reagan Library, Simi Valley, California

If you're concerned about space, you can use the following format, omitting the street address:

> The Ritz-Carlton, Anytown, CA

> Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, NY

> The Reagan Library, Simi Valley, CA

If your wedding ceremony and reception are in different locations, you can include the reception address on a separate details card tucked into the invitation. This card can also include other pertinent information, such as the time and dress code.

Frequently asked questions