How to: Wedding Invitation Wording
Your invitation is your guest’s first glimpse into your wedding.
Invitations have become a creative source for the bride and groom and a special part of planning your big day. There are many variations of wording and many ways to make it personal. Here are the top three key points to remember: Make sure it’s informative, keep it simple, have as much fun with it as you want. Follow our example guide below to ensure your invitation is exactly what you want.
Host Line
Who’s hosting? There are many variations on how this line can be written, depending on the bride and groom’s families and preferences. It can also be separated between the bride and groom’s names, so the bride’s parents may come before, and the groom’s parents after. If the bride and groom's parents are hosting the wedding, but have had any history of divorce, it may be best to say "together with their families," rather than each parent and step parent.
Examples of host lines:
- Together With Their Families
- Mr. and Mrs. Smith
- Mr. and Mrs. Smith along with Mr. and Mrs. Johnson
- Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Mr. and Mrs. Johnson
- Mrs. Smith and the late Mr. Smith
- along with Mr. and Mrs. Johnson
- No line at all
Names
Who’s getting married? Remember your host line: if it is your parents requesting the guests to join, you may use the word “to,” as in “our daughter Allison is getting married to Jack.” If it is not a request from another party, the word “and” will join the names, as in “Allison and Jack invite you.”
Allison and Jack
Allison Marie and Jack Michael
Allison Marie Smith and Jack Michael Johnson
Allison Smith and Jack Johnson
It is also common to list the brides first and middle name, with the grooms full name:
Allison Marie to Jack Michael Johnson
Invitation Line
This is the line where you ask people to join you! This can come before or after names. Before Bride and Groom names would look like:
Other examples include:
Request the pleasure of your company…
Invite you to celebrate their marriage...
Invites you to share in the celebration...
Join us in celebrating...
Information
This line includes the date, time and location. Most formal invitations spell out the time, date, and anything else that might normally be abbreviated. For example, you would spell out:
On Saturday, the first of June
two thousand sixteen
at one o'clock in the afternoon
Reception Line
What can guests expect after the ceremony? Reception, dinner, cocktails? Get creative! This is where you’ll let your guests know. It can include a change of venue address or just a simple “Dinner and Dancing to follow” if it will remain in the same venue as the ceremony.
Above is an example of wording you would use if the venue remained the same, or if you were including the reception venue on an additional insert.
Listing an address for the reception is only necessary if it is at a different location.
Other reception wording ideas:
Dinner and Dancing to follow
Cocktail hour and Dinner reception to follow
Reception to follow at (with new address)
Dinner, dancing and happily ever after to follow
Dinner and merriment to follow
Food and fun to follow
Reception to follow, bring your dancing shoes!
Other Wording Tips
The Bride should be listed first unless it is traditional within your culture. Why? Think of it like everything else, ladies first. This is also important if the bride's parents are listed as the host, as seen in our Host Line section.
Let the invitations be a representation of your wedding. If you are not having a traditional formal wedding, don't feel obligated to spell out the words you normally would not, like "one o'clock"
Look at a variety of samples and see what fits your wedding and personality best!
Have a wedding website? Utilize it for your detailed information instead of having it all on your invitations. This makes it easier for guests to get the important information and saves you money on extra inserts.
Avoid asking for money, especially on the invitations. If you must, include that on an additional insert. Some people keep your invitations forever! Do you want to be remembered as the person who asked not only for a gift, but a cash gift on the invitation?
Stay tuned for more wording tips such as additional inserts, adult only weddings, and RSVP options!
