Wedding Invitation Wording Etiquette

For modern couples, the sky’s the limit regarding wedding invitation wording. There are countless ways to invite your guests to your wedding that reflect the style of the occasion. Remember, your wording sets the tone for the event – it’s the first glimpse your guests have into what to expect for the wedding day, so be thoughtful about how you articulate your invitation.

Below, you will find a breakdown of the different elements of a wedding invitation as well as suggestions on wording. Consider these a jumping-off point to crafting wedding invitation wording that perfectly suits your wedding day!

What to Include on Your Wedding Invitation

Who is hosting
The request to attend
The names of the couple
The date and time
The location
Reception information
Dress code (optional)

Host

This line indicates to the guests who is hosting or paying for the majority of the wedding. Start with the names of those issuing the invitation, traditionally the bride’s parents. However, modern-day family structures and changing financial dynamics also affect how this portion of the invitation is worded.

If the wedding is a collaborative affair, with different parties contributing to the overall cost, you can use “Together with their families…” See below for specific wording options.

2 | Request

The request line invites the guests to the celebration and clarifies where the wedding will be held. Use “honour of your presence” when the wedding ceremony occurs in a house of worship. Adding a “u” to honor and favor conveys that your wedding is more formal or traditional. Use “the pleasure of your company” when the ceremony occurs at a secular location. When both sets of the couple’s parents are hosting, this line would specify “at the marriage of their children.”

3 | Couple

Arguably, the most important line! The bride always precedes the groom. If her parents are hosting, then she will be referred to by her first and middle names only. Use the bride’s full name if her surname differs from her parents. No courtesy title (such as Miss or Ms.) is used. The groom is referred to by his first, middle, and last name. For more formal or traditional weddings, the groom’s title may precede his name. For same-sex weddings, the person whose parents are hosting should be listed first. If the couple is hosting, make the decision at your discretion.

4 | Date and Time

The date should be spelled out and preceded by the day of the week and separated by a comma. Only the day of the week and the month are capitalized. Traditionally, the first letter of the year is capitalized. The line indicating the time of the ceremony is never capitalized. Time on the hour should be followed by “o’clock.” Conversely, time, not on the hour, should be stated as “half after” or “quarter after.” Time should always be followed by “in the morning,” “noon,” “in the afternoon,” “in the evening,” or “midnight.” The evening begins at six o’clock. Otherwise, it is considered afternoon from noon until 5:59 pm.

ALSO SEE: Wedding Invitation Etiquette

5 | Location

Unless the ceremony occurs at a private home or unlisted address, the street address is unnecessary. When included, no abbreviations should be used. The city and state should always be written out.

6 | Reception

Space permitting, the reception information can be included on the invitation. If the ceremony and reception are held at the same location, you may print “and afterward at the reception” or “reception immediately following.” When the reception is held elsewhere, the location goes on a second line.

A separate reception card may be included with the invitation suite for very formal or traditional weddings. The reception information can also be featured on the details card if space is an issue.

7 | Attire

To guide your guests, it is appropriate to include a line at the bottom of the wedding invitation specifying what type of attire is requested. Only the first letter of this line is ever capitalized on the wedding invitation.

Wedding Invitation Wording Examples

To make it a little easier on you, we created the following guides to serve as inspiration for wording your wedding invitation suite.

Don’t see what you’re looking for? We are always willing to offer our expertise and advice on what kind of wording best suits the specifics of your wedding – ask!