Wedding invitation wording: 25 examples for every situation

Good wedding invitation wording says who is hosting, who is getting married, when and where, and how to reply, in that order, in a tone that matches the day. Clear comes before clever. This guide gives you examples to copy and adjust for the most common situations. Replace the bracketed parts with your own details.

The parts of an invitation

Almost every wedding invitation, formal or relaxed, says the same things in the same order:

1. Who is hosting. The people paying for or welcoming guests to the wedding.
2. The request. "Request the pleasure of your company", "invite you to", or a plain "Join us".
3. The couple's names.
4. The date and time.
5. The place.
6. What happens next: the reception, dinner, or a line about it.
7. How to reply, and by when.
8. Anything guests must know: dress, adults only, a website address.

Everything below is a variation on those eight lines. If you would rather fill in your details and get finished wording, use the free invitation wording generator. Families with a more complicated host line can read our guide to divorced parents and blended families.

Formal wording

If both families are hosting:

Mr. and Mrs. [Name] and Mr. and Mrs. [Name]
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their children
[Partner One] and [Partner Two]
on Saturday, the twelfth of June
two thousand twenty-seven
at half past four in the afternoon
[Venue], [City]
Reception to follow
Kindly reply by the fifteenth of May

If the couple is hosting:

[Partner One] and [Partner Two]
request the pleasure of your company
at their wedding celebration
Saturday, 12 June 2027 at 4:30 in the afternoon
[Venue], [City]
Dinner and dancing to follow

If one family is hosting:

Mr. and Mrs. [Name]
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter
[Partner One]
to [Partner Two]
son of Mr. and Mrs. [Name]

If parents are divorced, give each parent their own line and avoid "and":

Ms. [Name] and Mr. [Name]
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter

A note on "honour" and "pleasure": traditional etiquette uses "request the honour of your presence" for a ceremony in a place of worship and "request the pleasure of your company" for other venues. Many couples use either one. Choose the one that sounds like you.

Warm and modern wording

Together with their families
[Partner One] and [Partner Two]
invite you to celebrate their wedding
Saturday, June 12, 2027, at 4:30 in the afternoon
[Venue], [City]
Dinner and dancing to follow

We are getting married, and we would love you to be there.
[Partner One] and [Partner Two]
12 June 2027 · [Venue], [City]
Details and replies at [website address]

After [number] years of adventures, we are making it official.
Join us as we marry.

Light-hearted wording

We are getting married. Come for the vows, stay for the dancing.

Two people, one date, and a very good party. Please join [Partner One] and [Partner Two] on 12 June.

Keep humour to a line. The details underneath should still be plain.

Reception-only wording

If the ceremony is small or private and the party is open to more people, say so clearly:

[Partner One] and [Partner Two]
were married on [date]
and invite you to celebrate with them
at a reception
Saturday, 12 June 2027 · 6 o'clock in the evening
[Venue], [City]

Join us for an evening of dinner, music and dancing to celebrate the marriage of [Partner One] and [Partner Two].

Destination wedding wording

Destination invitations should do two extra jobs: give people time, and point them to travel details.

We are getting married in [place], and we would love you to come.
[Partner One] and [Partner Two]
[Date range]
Travel and stay information is on our website: [address]
Please reply by [date, usually 5 to 8 weeks before] so that we can plan.

Small wedding or elopement celebration

We were married on [date] in a small ceremony.
Please join us to celebrate on [date] at [venue].
[Partner One] and [Partner Two]

Hosting, plus-ones and children

Say who is invited on the envelope or the reply card, not in a sentence that might sound rude.

If you want an adults-only celebration, a gentle line on the website or reply page works:

We love your little ones, and we have chosen an adults-only celebration. We hope you can enjoy a night out.

If guests have a plus-one:

We have reserved [two] seats in your name.

To ask for no gifts:

Your presence is the greatest gift. If you wish to give something, a contribution to [cause or fund] would mean a great deal.

The reply line

Use the same wording everywhere, with a real date and a place to reply:

Kindly reply by 15 May at [website address].

Please let us know if you can join us by 15 May.

Wording for different traditions

Traditions differ by faith, region and family, so use these as a starting point and check with an officiant or an elder in your family.

For a Christian ceremony:

Together with their families
[Partner One] and [Partner Two]
request the honour of your presence
at their wedding ceremony
[Church], [City]

For a Muslim wedding (nikah):

With the blessings of Allah and their families
[Partner One] and [Partner Two]
request the pleasure of your company
at their nikah ceremony

For a Hindu wedding:

With the blessings of our elders
we joyfully invite you to celebrate the wedding of
[Partner One] and [Partner Two]
Haldi, Mehendi, Sangeet and the wedding ceremony

Multi-day celebrations are easier to explain on a page than on a card. A wedding website can list each event with its time, place and dress, and let guests reply to each one. Our Indian collection designs are made for exactly that.

Tips for digital invitations

• Put the date, the place and the reply deadline in the first screen. Guests read on phones.
• Use one link. A single address on the invitation, the save-the-date and the website means no one ends up with an old version.
• Check the wording out loud. If you stumble reading it, a guest will too.
• Keep the tone consistent. A formal first line followed by a joke can confuse people.

When you are ready, the invitation timeline tool shows when to send it, and our guide to when to send wedding invitations explains why.

Questions

Should it say "honor" or "honour"?

Traditional etiquette uses "honour" for a ceremony in a place of worship and "pleasure of your company" for other venues. Spelling follows where you live: "honor" in the US, "honour" in the UK, Canada, Australia and India.

Whose names go first?

The hosts' names go first, because the invitation comes from them. If the couple is hosting, list the couple. Within a couple, order is your choice; many couples use alphabetical order or the order they say it aloud.

How do I say adults only?

Address the invitation to the invited people by name, and add a kind line on your website or reply page. Avoid "no kids" on the invitation itself.

How do I ask for no gifts?

Put it on your website or reply page rather than on the invitation. A short, warm line is enough.

Do I need to include the reply date?

Yes. A date makes it easy to reply, and it gives you a reason to follow up if someone has not.