Wedding invitation wording might not be as fun to think about as paper designs, calligraphy and color schemes, but when it comes down to it, even the most gorgeous wedding invitations need to be informative.
Your wedding invitations are the first impression guests will have of your celebration. According to
The Knot, they should convey the who, when and where of the event, while offering a sneak peek of your wedding aesthetic. Wedding invitations should spell out all essential wedding info—who's getting married, who's hosting, and where and when the ceremony and reception will take place. (Psst—everything else goes on your wedding website.) And while we’re about to share their best wedding invitation wording samples, feel free to shake things up if your wedding style is more modern, relaxed or nontraditional. Here’s how to word your wedding invites, no matter the vibe.
Traditional Wedding Invitation Wording
A few basic invitation wording tips: If the bride's parents are hosting, it’s customary to leave off the bride's last name. However, if the bride has a different last name than her parents, include her full name. The bride's last name should also be included if the groom's parents are involved in hosting.
In its simplest form, this is a standard wedding invitation wording sample.
Mr. and Mrs. John L. Smithrequest the pleasure of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Heather Marie
to
Michael Francis Jacobson
Saturday, the seventeenth of May
two thousand and twenty
At six o’clock in the evening
Plaza Hotel
New York, New York
Reception to follow
Wedding Invitation Wording If One Set of Parents Is Hosting
In this case, the invitation includes the bride's parents’ names, so you can omit the bride's last name (unless she has a different last name than her parents). On the following line, write out the groom’s entire name. LGBTQ+ wedding invitation wording should follow similar guidelines. The host of the celebration (read: the party footing the bill) is listed first, followed by their son or daughter’s name, followed by their son or daughter’s partner’s name. If the couple is hosting themselves, names are typically listed in alphabetical order.
Formal Wording Sample:
Mr. and Mrs. John L. Smith
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter
Heather Marie
to
Michael Francis Jacobson
Saturday, the seventeenth of May
two thousand and twenty
at half past four in the afternoon
Casual Wording Sample:
John and Eliza Smith
invite you to share in their joy at the marriage of their daughter
Heather Marie
to Michael Francis Jacobson
Saturday, May 17, 2020
at 4:30 in the afternoon
Wedding Invitation Wording If Both Sets of Parents Are Jointly Hosting
The couple’s parents should each be listed on separate lines, starting with the bride's or whoever’s name falls alphabetically first. Since both last names are included in the greeting, there’s no need to use last names for the to-be-weds—unless, again, if either of them has a different last name than their parents. In that case, list out their full name, in addition to the full names of their parents.
Formal Wording Sample:
Mr. and Mrs. John L. Smith &
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Franklin Jacobson
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their children
Heather Marie
and
Michael Francis
Saturday, the seventeenth of May
two thousand and twenty
at half past four in the afternoon
Casual Wording Sample:
John and Eliza Smith
along with Mark and Sally Jacobson
invite you to share and celebrate the marriage of their children
Heather Marie
and Michael Francis
Saturday, May 17, 2020
at 4:30 in the afternoon
Wedding Invitation Wording If the Couple Is Hosting
If you’re paying for the wedding yourselves, the invite wording will look slightly different. Essentially, the greeting will skip the host line and begin with the request line—here’s an example.
Formal Wording Sample:
The honor of your presence
is requested at the marriage of
Heather Marie Smith
to Michael Francis Jacobson
Saturday, the seventeenth of May
two thousand and twenty
at half past four in the afternoon
Casual Wording Sample:
Heather Marie Smith &
Michael Francis Jacobson
invite you to share in their joy at their wedding
Saturday, May 17, 2020
at 4:30 in the afternoon
These are great examples to get you started but, don't worry,
The Knot offers a handful of others to get you through wording your wedding invites which you can
devour the details of
here. Good luck!
