Invitation Wording Help

Your wedding invitations are the first impression they’ll have of your big day.

After you’ve chosen the perfect invitation, it’s time to add the right wording that perfectly fit your event.

We’ve put together a range of classic and contemporary wedding invitation wording for you to choose from. Browse our Sample Invitation Wording selection for your special occasion!

Etiquette & tradition

What should you include on your wedding invitations?

No matter their style or the degree of formality you choose, when it comes to the right wording for your wedding invitations, be sure to include the following:

names of the hosts (parent(s) or other hosts)
first name, (middle name) and surname of the couple
where the ceremony is taking place
date, month and year of the wedding ceremony
include reception line if the reception is being held at the same location as the ceremony. If your reception is at a different location, you should include the information on a separate card. If you choose a less traditional format, you might include a separate reception venue's details on your main invitation.

You might also wish to include:

details of any dress code or theme
time guests can expect the day to come to an end
whether children are invited
wedding web page

RSVP card details (sent on separate response card). More details and wording samples below.

address to which guests should reply
a reply date

The traditional approach

If you want to follow a traditional invitation style, here are a few conventions to note:

Invitations are generally written in the third person.
The bride’s name should appear before the groom’s.
When listing the time, date and venue, the time and date should be written first and the venue last.
Use titles when appropriate.
‘The honor of your presence’ for invitations to religious ceremonies such as a church wedding or ‘The pleasure of your company’ for invitations to an event in a non‐religious venue is the normal choice of wording.
Generally, names, times and places are placed on separate lines.
Wording can be adapted to accommodate different circumstances due to death, divorce, and re‐marriage on the bride’s side. For example:
- if either parent is widowed: Mr. John Owens / Mrs. Sheila Sullivan, requests the pleasure…
- if parents are divorced: Mr. Evan Wells and Mrs. Tamara Wells request the pleasure…
- if parents divorced, mother remarried: Mr. James West and Mrs. Laura Tucker request…

Inviting children

It's perfectly fine only to invite children who are part of your or your fiance's immediate family or those of close family friends.

If you are inviting kids, add the words "and family" to the invitation envelope.

It can be tactful to include a short note to parents, such as:

‘Much as we would like to invite all the children of our friends, it is only possible to accommodate the children of close family’

‘We are sorry we are unable to accommodate children’.

'Adult Reception'

'As much as we love kids, this is an adult only affair.'

If you are inviting children, let parents know if you have made special childcare arrangements:

‘We have arranged child‐minding facilities for the duration of the service and/or reception’.

Who sends out the wedding invitations?

Invitations are sent from whoever is hosting the wedding ‐ traditionally the bride’s parents.

The wording becomes more complicated if parents are divorced or if the couple is holding the event themselves.

BRIDE'S PARENTS INVITING WORDING

Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Smith

request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter

Isabelle Anne

to

Adam Ryan

son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Burke

Saturday, the fifteen of June two thousand fourteen

at four o'clock in the afternoon

The Palmsteen's

3841 Chamblee Dunwoody Road

Atlanta, Georgia 30341

*****

Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Silverstone

request the pleasure of your company

at the marriage of their daughter

Susan Patricia Silverstone

to

Doctor Marc Adam Bates

Our Lady Queen of Peace

4040 York Street

Wichita Falls, TX 76310

Reception to follow at 5 o'clock

Kemp Center for the Arts

1300 Lamar Street

Wichita Falls, TX 76301

BRIDE'S & GROOM'S PARENTS INVITING WORDING

Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Colbert and Mr. and Mrs. Brian O'Connor

invite you to share in the joy of the marriage uniting their children

Kelly Marie Colbert

and

Timothy Brian O'Connor

on Saturday, the sixth of August two thousand sixteen

at five o'clock in the evening

The Palafox House

196 North Palafox Street

Pensacola, FL 32502

Reception immediately following

*****

With joyful hearts,

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Killam

and

Mr. and Mrs. Patrick McGrath

invite you to the marriage ceremony uniting

Amanda Elizabeth Killam

and

Eric James McGrath

Saturday, September 18, 2016

at 6 o'clock in the evening

Rancho Los Lomas

19191 Lawrence Canyon

Silverado, California 92676

Dinner and dancing to follow

*****

The families of

Miranda Leigh Stevens

and

Zachary Andrew Jones

invite you to join in the celebration of their marriage

Saturday, the seventh of March

two thousand and fifteen

at three o’clock in the afternoon

Sunset Presbyterian Church

14986 NW Cornell Road

Portland, Oregon 97229

Garden reception to follow

Stevens Residence

1456 Trenton Court

Portland, Oregon 97217

BRIDE & GROOM INVITING WORDING

Together with their parents

Lauren Julia Hosner
and
Michael Patrick Jordan

request the honor of your presence at their marriage

Saturday, October 17th, 2016

at 4 o’clock in the afternoon

The Sunset Beach House
8584 West Gulf Blvd.
Treasure Island, FL 33706

*****

Please celebrate with us as we,
Katherine Monica Harris
and
Dylan Ian Carter

exchange wedding vows

September 19th, 2016
At six thirty in the evening

Frogtown Cellars
7601 South Main Street
Helen, GA. 30545

Dinner and merriment to follow

*****

Before friends and family

Anthony Juan Garcia

Will give his heart and last name to

Victoria Marie Nelson

Share in the first moments of their forever and ever love

15.08.2015

4 o'clock

Rancho Wikiup
4900 Carriage Lane,
Santa Rosa, CA 95403

Dinner and merriment to follow

*****

Laura Emma Anderson
and
Vincent Liam Campbell

joyfully invite you to share in their happiness
as they unite in marriage

Saturday, March 14, 2015

at 4 pm

Bernardo Winery
13330 Paseo Del Verano Norte
San Diego, CA 92128

Reception to follow

*****

Together with their families

Tanya Olivia Ellis

and

Wesley John Webb

invite you to join them as best friends become
husband and wife

28.04.2016

Six o'clock in the evening

Cold Springs Angus Farm
176 McClanahan Lane

Walland, TN 37886

Reception to follow

RSVP card wording

While the traditional wording, "Accepts With Pleasure / Regretfully Declines" is still perfectly acceptable and used widely, it seems some couples are looking for more unique wording for their wedding RSVP card.

Here are a few unique was to word your wedding RSVP cards.

Starting line:

The favor of your reply is requested by May 15

We hope you can join us! Please reply by 04.12.2018

Kindly reply by July 15th

Kindly respond by the 30th of September

We'd love to celebrate with you! Please RSVP by 14/05/2018

We are looking forward to celebrating with you! Please respond by October 15th

Don't forgot to add space for guets to write their names:

M ..................................................

Guest(s) .....................................

Name(s) ......................................

Attendee(s) ............................

RSVP lines:

Accepts With Pleasure / Regretfully Declines

Can’t Wait / Sorry To Miss It

Looking Forward To The Big Day / Regretfully Cannot Attend

Can’t Wait To Celebrate / Sad To Miss All The Fun

Delighted To Attend / Sorry, Can’t Make It

Sunscreen Is Packed / Raising A Toast From Afar (beach destination wedding)

We Will See You There / Sorry To Miss It

Good News, We’ll Be There / Bad News, Can’t Make It

Can’t Wait To Be There / Party On Without Us

Yes, We’ll Be There / We Will Be There In Spirit

With Bells On / Will Be Thinking Of You

Ready To Dance / Sorry, My Dance Card Is Full

Count Me In / Count Me Out

My Bags Are Packed / Can’t Find My Passport

Let The Good Times Roll / Roll On Without Me

So Happy / So Sad

The Mad Libs Style RSVP cards:

If you want a fun way to engage your guests before the wedding or if you find ‘yes’ and ‘no’ check boxes a bit boring, choose a Mad Lib Style RSVP card!

Guests are given an interactive mad lib-style response card that they need to fill out and send back to you. The answers can be and will be a humorous or sentimental collection of messages that you will keep forever!