Wedding Invitation Wording: Examples for Every Situation

Wedding invitation wording is one of the few areas of modern writing that still comes with real etiquette attached, which is why so many couples get stuck on it. The good news: the rules are simple, and you can break any of them as long as you do it on purpose and stay consistent.

In this guide you'll find the six things every invitation needs, host lines for every family situation (including divorced, remarried and late parents), formal, modern and casual examples, wording by type of wedding, and how to handle the reception, adults-only events, dress code, gifts and RSVPs. There's also a list of the mistakes couples make most often and a proofreading checklist.

At the end you'll find answers to the most common questions about wedding invitation wording.

What to include in your wedding invitation wording

Every wedding invitation, from black-tie to backyard, needs the same six pieces of information. Read them in this order and you have the skeleton of your invitation.

1. Who is hosting. Traditionally the people paying, often the parents. Today many couples host themselves or name both families.
2. The request line. "Request the honor of your presence," "invite you to celebrate" or something simpler.
3. The couple's names. Traditionally the bride's name comes first. Many couples now choose whatever order sounds best.
4. The date and time, including the year.
5. The venue and its city and state. The full street address can go on a details card or your website if space is tight.
6. What follows the ceremony. Reception, dinner, drinks or dancing.

The RSVP information usually goes on a separate reply card, a QR code or your wedding website. Everything else, such as accommodation, dress code details, parking and the registry, belongs on a details card or the website rather than the invitation itself. A clean invitation is easier to read and looks more elegant.

The host line: wording for every family situation

The host line causes the most head-scratching, because it quietly says who is giving the wedding and which families are involved. Pick the version that matches your situation, then adjust the names.

The bride's parents hosting

Mr. and Mrs. James Whitfield
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Anna Claire
to
Thomas Reid

The groom's parents hosting

Mr. and Mrs. David Reid
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of
Anna Claire Whitfield
to their son
Thomas James Reid

Both families hosting

Mr. and Mrs. James Whitfield
and
Mr. and Mrs. David Reid
invite you to celebrate the marriage of their children
Anna Claire and Thomas James

A shorter modern version: "Together with their families, Anna Whitfield and Thomas Reid invite you to celebrate their marriage."

The couple hosting

Anna Whitfield and Thomas Reid
request the honor of your presence
at their marriage

Divorced parents

If both divorced parents are hosting, list the mother's name first on its own line, then the father's on the next line, with no "and" between them. If one parent has remarried and the step-parent is co-hosting, include them with their spouse: "Mrs. Sarah and Mr. Paul Grant" on one line, "Mr. James Whitfield" on the next.

Remarried parents and step-parents

You can name everyone who is hosting, each couple on its own line. If the list gets long, "Together with their families" solves it gracefully and nobody has to be ranked.

A parent who has passed away

Traditionally, a deceased parent isn't listed as a host. The usual solution is to name them in the couple's line: "Anna Claire, daughter of Sarah Whitfield and the late James Whitfield." Some couples prefer to honor them in the program or with a reserved seat instead. Both are respectful.

Two brides or two grooms

Use the same structures and simply list both names. "Together with their families, Maya Lopez and Jordan Kim invite you to celebrate their marriage." Choose the order by what sounds best, or go alphabetical.

Formal, modern and casual wedding invitation wording

Formal wording spells everything out and uses the third person. Modern wording uses numerals and speaks to the guest a little more directly. Casual wording sounds the way you talk. All three are correct. What matters is choosing one and using it on every card: invitation, details card and RSVP.

Element	Formal	Modern	Casual
Request line	request the honor of your presence	invite you to celebrate their marriage	are getting married!
Date	Saturday, the fourteenth of June, two thousand twenty-seven	Saturday, June 14, 2027	Saturday, June 14
Time	at half past four o'clock in the afternoon	at 4:30 in the afternoon	at 4:30pm
Reception line	Reception immediately following	Dinner and dancing to follow	Stay for tacos and dancing

A full formal example

Mr. and Mrs. James Whitfield
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Anna Claire
to
Thomas James Reid
Saturday, the fourteenth of June
two thousand twenty-seven
at half past four o'clock
Saint Mark's Church
Charleston, South Carolina
Reception immediately following

A full modern example

Together with their families
Anna Whitfield and Thomas Reid
invite you to celebrate their marriage
Saturday, June 14, 2027 at 4:30 in the afternoon
The Old Mill, Asheville, North Carolina
Dinner and dancing to follow

A full casual example

Anna and Tom are getting married!
Join us on Saturday, June 14 at 4:30pm
Grandma's backyard, Austin, Texas
Food, drinks and dancing until late

A convention worth knowing: "the honor of your presence" has traditionally been used for ceremonies in a house of worship, and "the pleasure of your company" for other venues. Very few guests notice the difference, but some older relatives do. In formal wording, "honor" is often spelled "honour," a traditional choice some couples still like.

Wedding invitation wording by type of wedding

The structure stays the same, but a few phrases change depending on the kind of wedding you're having.

Religious ceremony: Many couples add a line such as "with joy in God's blessing" or "by the grace of God." Traditions differ by church and faith, so ask your officiant whether there's customary wording, especially for the name of the ceremony itself (wedding Mass, nuptial service, and so on).

Destination wedding: Send save the dates early and keep the invitation focused on the date, place and RSVP. "Join us in Tulum, Mexico, as we exchange vows on the beach" sets the scene. Travel and hotel details go on the website.

Small or intimate wedding: Warm, direct wording fits best. "Because you are so dear to us, we invite you to share our wedding day." It also gently signals a short guest list.

Courthouse wedding with a later party: Be clear about what guests are invited to. "Anna and Tom were married on May 2. Please join us for a celebration of their marriage on Saturday, June 14."

Second marriage: The couple usually hosts. Simple, modern wording works well, and you can include children: "Together with their children, Anna and Thomas invite you to celebrate their marriage."

Vow renewal: Name the milestone. "Please join us as we renew our vows and celebrate 25 years of marriage."

Reception, adults-only and dress code wording

The reception line

• Reception immediately following
• Reception to follow at the same location
• Cocktails, dinner and dancing to follow at The Old Mill
• Dinner and dancing to follow

If the reception is at a different venue, put it on a separate reception card with the address. If there's a gap between the ceremony and reception, give the reception start time, and mention on your website what guests can do in between.

Adults-only weddings

There's no perfectly graceful way to write this, so keep it brief. The clearest solution is to address envelopes and reply cards to exactly who is invited, then add one short line on the details card or website:

• We love your little ones, but our celebration will be adults only.
• We respectfully request an adults-only celebration.
• Adult reception to follow.

Anything longer starts to sound defensive. If close family children are the exception, tell those parents personally.

Dress code

Traditionally, "black tie" can appear in the lower right corner of a formal invitation. Anything that needs explaining, like "garden party attire, the ceremony is on grass," belongs on the details card or website. Common phrases: black tie, formal attire, cocktail attire, semi-formal, dressy casual.

RSVP, registry and gift wording

Give guests three things: a name or method, a deadline and a clear way to reply. The deadline is usually three to four weeks before the wedding, which tends to be about a week before your caterer needs final numbers.

RSVP card wording

• Kindly reply by May 15, 2027
• The favor of a reply is requested by the fifteenth of May (formal)
• Please RSVP at annaandtom.com by May 15
• Name(s): ______ Joyfully accepts ______ Regretfully declines ______

"M______" is the traditional line where guests write their title and name. "Name(s):" is clearer and increasingly common. If you're serving a plated dinner, add meal choices here with a small line or box next to each.

Gift and money wording

If you'd prefer money, keep the wording gentle and put it on your website, not the invitation:

• Your presence is the only gift we need. If you'd like to give something, a contribution to our honeymoon fund would be warmly appreciated.
• We're lucky to have a home full of everything we need. If you wish to give a gift, we've set up a fund for our first house.

And once the gifts arrive, you'll have notes to write. Our guide on what to write in a wedding thank you card has examples for every kind of gift, and the thank you cards collection has editable notes you can print in one go.

Wording for the events around the wedding

A wedding usually comes with a handful of smaller events, and each one needs its own invitation. We don't currently carry wedding invitation suites, but several of our designs are a natural fit for these events, and all text is editable in Canva with a free account. You get an instant download, so you can print at home or at a print shop. Browse them all in the invitations collection.

Save the date: Send 6-8 months ahead, or 8-12 months for a destination wedding. Keep it to names, date, city and "Formal invitation to follow."

Bridal shower or bridesmaid brunch: "Please join us for a brunch honoring Anna, bride-to-be." The designs below are brunch invitations; you replace the text with your own wording.

Day-after brunch: "Join the newlyweds for a farewell brunch before you head home. Sunday, June 15, 10am." A relaxed brunch design suits this perfectly.

Bridal shower tea: A tea party is a lovely shower format. "Please join us for an afternoon tea in honor of Anna." These are tea party invitations, and the wording is fully editable. See more in the tea party collection.

Seating at the reception: Your escort and table cards follow the same style rules as the invitation. Formal invitations pair with full names ("Mr. and Mrs. David Reid, Table 4"), casual ones with first names. These minimalist table cards are our one wedding design, and they're simple to fill in for each table.

Common wedding invitation wording mistakes

• Leaving out the year. It happens more often than you'd think, and it matters on save the dates sent far ahead.
• No RSVP deadline. This guarantees you'll be chasing people the week before the wedding.
• Mixing styles. Spelled-out dates on the invitation and numerals on the details card look like a mistake.
• Too much information. Registry, hotel blocks and parking on the invitation itself make it crowded. Use a details card or website.
• Tiny website text. Your website saves you the most questions, so make it easy to read.
• Not proofreading names aloud. Read every name, date and address out loud to someone else before printing.

Before you print the whole stack, print one copy at home and read it on paper. Errors are much easier to spot in print than on a screen. Our printing guide covers paper (250-300 gsm cardstock works well for invitations) and settings, and the Canva editing guide shows how to change fonts and text.

Frequently asked questions

What is the correct wording for a wedding invitation?

A correct invitation names the hosts, the couple, the date and time, the venue and what follows the ceremony. Formal wording uses "request the honor of your presence" and spells out the date. Modern wording uses numerals. Either is correct if you're consistent.

Whose name goes first on a wedding invitation?

Traditionally, the bride's name comes first. When the groom's parents host, his name may follow "their son." Many couples today simply choose the order that sounds best, or go alphabetical for two brides or two grooms.

When should wedding invitations be sent?

Send invitations six to eight weeks before the wedding, and eight to twelve weeks ahead for a destination wedding. Set the RSVP deadline three to four weeks before the date.

How do you say adults only on a wedding invitation?

Address the envelope and reply card to the exact guests who are invited, then add one brief line on the details card or website, such as "We respectfully request an adults-only celebration." Keep it short and friendly.

Should you put registry information on a wedding invitation?

No. Registry and gift details traditionally go on your wedding website or are shared by word of mouth. The invitation is reserved for the event itself.

Is "honor" or "pleasure" correct on a wedding invitation?

Both are correct. "The honor of your presence" is traditionally used for ceremonies in a house of worship, and "the pleasure of your company" for other venues. Choose the one that fits your ceremony.

Once your host line and style are settled, the rest of the wording falls into place: names, date, place, what comes next and how to reply. Write it out in plain text, read it aloud, then set it into your design. When you're ready to plan the reception tables, our editable wedding seating chart cards make the last step easy. For the events around the big day, browse new arrivals as well.