Wedding Invitation Etiquette: Traditional Wording Guide

When it comes to wedding invitations, there are many ways to word them depending on the level of formality, who is hosting, and the venue. The first line usually lists the host(s) of the event, traditionally the bride's parents, but it has become common to include the groom's parents, both sets of parents, or the couple themselves. The next line is the request for attendance, which can be phrased in several ways, such as request the honour of your presence for a religious ceremony or request the pleasure of your company for a secular one. The couple's names usually follow, with the bride's name first—though this is not a hard-and-fast rule—and are written in larger text. The date and time are then stated, with formal invitations spelling these out in full and modern invites using numerals. The location is also included, along with the full street address, city, state, and zip code if necessary. If the ceremony and reception are at the same venue, a simple reception to follow will suffice; otherwise, a separate card with the reception details can be included.

The host line

One Set of Married Parents Hosting

Include the parents' full names, with middle names included for a very formal wedding. If they have different last names, use "and" to join them.

• 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)

One Set of Divorced Parents Hosting

List the mother's name first, followed by the father's name on a separate line. Do not use "and" to connect them.

Both Sets of Parents Hosting

For different-sex couples, list the bride's parents' names first, followed by the groom's parents' names. For same-sex couples, list the names in alphabetical order or in the order that looks best with the invitation design.

• Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Wong and Mr. and Mrs. Adam Hollis (formal)
• Aaron and Alisha Wong together with Adam and Beatrice Hollis (less formal)

Couple Is Hosting With Their Families

When the couple and both their families are contributing to the wedding, you can use a phrase such as:

• Together with their families
• Together with our families
• Together with their parents

Couple Is Hosting

If the couple is hosting the wedding themselves, you can skip the host line or start with a warm and welcoming introduction:

• Together with full hearts
• With hearts full of love and joy

Honoring a Deceased Parent

A common way to honour a deceased parent is to include them alongside the couple's names. For example:

• "Lauren Martinez, daughter of Marta Martinez, and Robert Martinez"
• "Lauren Martinez, daughter of Robert Martinez and the late Marta Martinez"

Including Stepparents

To include stepparents, list the mother and stepfather's names first, followed by the father and stepmother's names. If the parents are divorced and one parent is remarried, keep each parent on a separate line.

Hosted by Same-Sex Parents

To include the names of two parents with different last names, use "Mr.", "Mrs." or "Mx." and list their names in alphabetical order by last name.

Mr. Michael and Mr. Sean Flannigan

To include the names of two parents with the same last name, use "Mr.", "Mrs." or "Mx." and list their names in alphabetical order by first name.

Ms. Jane and Ms. Courtney Lowe

The attendance request

Formal Wording

• "Request the honour of your presence"
• "Request the pleasure of your company"
• "Invite you to celebrate with them"
• "Would love for you to join them"

Casual Wording

• "Come party with us"
• "Eat, drink and be merry"
• "Join us for dinner and drinks"

Hosted by One Set of Parents

• "Mr. and Mrs. Ernie Lively invite you to share in the joy of the marriage uniting their daughter Blake Ellender to Ryan Rodney"
• "Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Simon Peter Blunt invite you to the marriage of Emily Olivia Leah and John Burke"

Hosted by Both Sets of Parents

• "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 and David Robert Joseph"
• "With great pleasure, Kimberly and Jonathan Biel and Lynn Bomar Harless and Randall Timberlake invite you to celebrate the marriage of their children Jessica and Justin"

Hosted by the Couple

• "Amal Alamuddin and George Timothy Clooney request the pleasure of your company at the celebration of their marriage"
• "Miss Beyonce Knowles and Shawn 'Jay Z' Carter are getting married"

Hosted by Divorced Parents

• "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"
• "Ms. Pamela Jacobsen and Mr. and Mrs. Fred Jacobsen invite you to share in their wedding festivities at the marriage of their daughter Jordan to Paige"

Hosted by Parent, Including Deceased Parent

• "Mrs. and Mr. Michael Francis Middleton request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Catherine Elizabeth Middleton to Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, son of Charles, Prince of Wales and the late Diana, Princess of Wales"
• "Together with their families, Malaak Compton, daughter of Gerald and Louisa Compton, and Christopher Rock, son of the late Julius Rock and Rosalie Rock, invite you to share in their wedding festivities"

Hosted by Same-Sex Parents

• "Mr. Michael and Mr. Sean Flannigan request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter Julie Marie to Stephen Anthony"
• "Ms. Jane and Ms. Courtney Lowe invite you to attend the marriage of their daughter Madison to Colton"

The couple's names

For formal invitations, it is customary to use the couple's full legal names and avoid abbreviations, except for courtesy titles such as "Doctor". It is also acceptable to omit middle and/or last names. If the bride's parents' names are listed at the top, the bride's name can be her first and middle name only, without the last name.

• Jack Alexander Smith and Mason Jacob Kim
• Jack Smith and Mason Kim
• Jack Alexander Smith & Mason Jacob Kim
• Mr. Jack Alexander Smith and Mr. Mason Jacob Kim
• Jack Smith & Mason Kim
• Olivia Rose Smith and John Michael Reyes
• The honour of your presence is requested at the marriage of Jack Alexander Smith to Mason Jacob Kim

The date and time

The day of the week and the month should be capitalised, and the year should be in lowercase. There is no "and" when spelling out the year. The time of day should be written out as "four o'clock" or "half after four o'clock". Noon to four o'clock is considered afternoon, and evening begins at five o'clock.

For casual weddings, it is acceptable to use numerals for the date and time. For example, "4:00 p.m." can be written as:

• Four o'clock (traditional)
• Four o'clock in the afternoon (also acceptable)
• 4:00 p.m. (informal)
• 4:00 p.m. in the afternoon (informal)

Similarly, "4:30 p.m." can be written as:

• Half after four o'clock (traditional)
• Half past four o'clock (also acceptable)
• Four-thirty in the afternoon (also acceptable)
• 4:30 p.m. (informal)

The location

If the wedding ceremony and reception are in the same location, you can simply write "Reception to follow" or "Dinner and dancing to follow." If the reception is at a different venue, include its full address on a separate line or on a separate insert card.

If the wedding is taking place at the host's home, it is customary to include the street address. Otherwise, for formal invitations, the street address of the venue is usually omitted unless its exclusion may lead to confusion.

• "at half after four o'clock, The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis, Missouri"
• "on the tenth day of July, Cranbrook House and Gardens, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan"
• "at twelve o'clock in the afternoon, Hotel Boca Chica, Acapulco, Mexico"
• "at four o'clock in the afternoon, The West Palm, 825 Oceanside Ave, St. Petersburg"
• "at half past six in the evening, Allan House, 1104 San Antonio Street, New York City, NY"

Frequently asked questions