Wording The Time On Your Wedding Invitation: A Guide

Wedding invitations can be tricky to prepare because there are guidelines and etiquette to follow that will help your guests understand your information. When it comes to the time, you'll want to write it out in full, with no abbreviations or numerals. For example, if your wedding begins at 3:30 p.m., you would write at half after three o'clock or three thirty instead of 3:30 p.m. or half past three.

Spell out the time in full

When writing the time on a wedding invitation, there are several different ways to format it. However, if you want to spell out the time in full, here are some guidelines to follow:

Traditional Wedding Invitations

For formal wedding invitations, it is customary to write out the time in full, using no numerals. For example, if your wedding begins at 3:30 p.m., you would write "half after three o'clock". If your wedding is at 4:00 p.m., you would write "four o'clock". It is also worth noting that formal wedding invitations traditionally use the phrase "half after" (not "half past") for times on the half-hour.

Time of Day

You should also indicate the time of day, such as "in the morning", "in the afternoon", or "in the evening". Morning is considered to be from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 a.m., afternoon is from 12:00 p.m. to 5:59 p.m., and evening is from 6:00 p.m. onwards. However, some sources suggest that evening can start at 5:00 p.m. If your wedding is at noon, simply write "noon".

Capitalization and Abbreviations

When spelling out the time in full, avoid capitalizing any part of the time. Also, avoid using abbreviations like "a.m." or "p.m.". Instead, opt for phrases like "in the morning" or "in the evening".

Consistency

Remember to be consistent with the level of formality between the date and time on your invitation. If you write out the date in full, avoid using numerals for the time. For example, if your wedding is on Saturday, June 21st, 2025, at 5:30 p.m., you could write "Saturday, the twenty-first of June, at half after five o'clock".

Working with a Stationer

Finally, consider working with a stationer to help you determine the best wording and format for your wedding invitations. They can assist you in ensuring that your invitations are both clear and aesthetically pleasing.

Include 'o'clock'

When including 'o'clock' in your wedding invitation, there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, it is important to note that the time should always be written in lowercase letters, including the 'o' in 'o'clock'. For example, if your wedding begins at 3:30 p.m., you would write "half after three o'clock" or simply "three o'clock".

It is also worth mentioning that formal wedding invitations traditionally use the phrase "half after" instead of "half past" for times on the half-hour. Additionally, you should only include 'o'clock' when the time is on the hour. So, for instance, if your wedding is at 4:30 p.m., you would write "half after four" without the 'o'clock'.

When including 'o'clock', you also need to specify the time of day. It is "in the morning" for times before 12 noon, "in the afternoon" for times between 12 noon and 5 p.m., and "in the evening" for times after 5 p.m. For instance, "seven o'clock in the evening". However, some people consider 6 p.m. as the start of the evening, so you could use your preference here.

Remember that the level of formality of your wedding invitation should match that of your wedding. If you're having a more casual wedding, you can be more flexible with the wording and may choose to write the time as "4pm" or "5:30pm" instead of spelling it out.

Clarify whether it's morning, afternoon or evening

When writing the time on a wedding invitation, it is important to be clear about whether the event will take place in the morning, afternoon, or evening. This is especially important if your wedding is scheduled for 8, 9, or 10 o'clock, as there could be confusion over whether it is in the morning or evening.

For a formal wedding invitation, you should write out the time in full, with no numerals. For example, if your wedding is at 9 o'clock in the morning, you would write: "at nine o'clock in the morning". If your wedding is at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, you would write: "at two o'clock in the afternoon".

You can also specify 'in the morning', 'in the afternoon', or 'in the evening' for any time of day. For example, if your wedding is at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, you could write: "at five o'clock in the afternoon".

It is worth noting that there are different conventions for when the afternoon and evening begin. Some sources say that the afternoon is from noon to 4:30 pm, while others say it is from noon to 5:00 pm. The evening, according to most sources, begins at 6:00 pm, but some say it can start at 5:00 pm.

If you are having a more casual or modern wedding, you can be more flexible with the wording. You can use numerals and write the time as "5:00 pm" or "5:30 pm", for example. However, remember to be consistent with the level of formality in the way you write the date and time.

Write out the date in full

When writing out the date and time on a wedding invitation, it is important to consider the formality of the event. For traditional, formal weddings, there are certain etiquette rules to follow.

Firstly, always write out the date in full. For example, if your wedding is on Saturday, October 26th, 2024, you would write:

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

• The day of the week should be capitalized (unless your wedding invitation's font is all uppercase or lowercase), and there should be a comma after the day: "Saturday," .
• Write out the date in full, using words instead of numerals. For dates between the 21st and 31st of a month, use a hyphen between the tens and ones place: "the twenty-sixth".
• Capitalize the month and write it out in full: "of October".
• Write out the year in full, with no "and": "two thousand and twenty-four". The year is usually written on a separate line, and there is no comma between the month and the year.

You can choose to omit the year and the day of the week if you prefer, but including them provides helpful context for your guests.

For a more casual wedding, you can be more relaxed with your wording. For example, if your wedding is on Sunday, May 17th, 2025, you could write:

> Sunday, May 17th, 2025

Here, you are still writing out the date in full, but using numerals for the day and year, and omitting the "of" before the month. This style is best suited to a more informal event.

Remember, the key is to provide clear information to your guests, while also giving them a hint about the formality of your wedding.

Include the necessary details

After writing out the time using the formal invitation guidelines, you will need to recheck the information for completeness. For example, you may be holding your wedding ceremony and reception at different times or in different locations. Therefore, you must clarify the time on the reception card included in the invitation suite. Use the same format for uniformity on your wedding invitation for the wedding ceremony.

On the other hand, if your wedding ceremony and reception are at the same location and immediately following each other, there is no need to indicate a specific time for the reception on your wedding invitations. You can simply write "reception immediately following" or omit it altogether.

If your reception takes place a few hours after your ceremony, however, it is important to indicate this time on your reception card. You will write out the time, just like you did on the invitation. For example:

> Cocktails, dinner, and dancing beginning at six o'clock in the evening

If your wedding is informal or casual, you can replace the worded number and "o'clock" with the numerical form and "a.m." or "p.m." This "informal" format is also acceptable for the wedding inserts part of the wedding invitation suite.

You will also want to provide your guests with a particular time on the wedding invite, but you’ll provide 10 to 15 minutes of extra time before starting the ceremony. For example, the ceremony time on the wedding invitation is four o'clock, but it will begin at 4:15. You don’t need to include this leeway on the wedding invitation as this might push the ceremony further from the scheduled time. However, you will be giving allowance for the guests to arrive, especially those who ran late.

That being said, put a time that is about 30 minutes earlier than your actual intended start of the wedding. So, for example, if you talked to the venue and the wedding is at 4 p.m., then indicate on your invitation that the event starts at 3:30 p.m.

Frequently asked questions