Last Updated: Nov 1, 2018
Your wedding invitation is one of the first elements of your wedding your guests will see. Your wedding invitation wording and invitation design clue your guests into details like your wedding’s formality, color scheme and overall tone. Finding the perfect wording can be a challenge but this guide will help you find the right wedding invitation wording for you.
This guide contains all the information you need to write your wedding invitations as well as formal and informal examples to give you a better idea of how your invitations could look when they’re finished. Use the jump-to’s below to check out the information that’s relevant to you:
WHAT TO INCLUDE | WORDING IDEAS | FORMAL EXAMPLES | CASUAL EXAMPLES
Elements to Include in Your Invitation Wording
There is a decent amount of overlap between formal wedding invitations and casual wedding invitations. Regardless of if your wedding is formal or casual, the “who, when, where and why” details of your wedding should be very clear and easy to read. Below find additional elements to include in your invitation.
Host Names
The first line of the invitation is dedicated to the host of the wedding, also known as the party covering the expenses. Traditionally, the bride’s parents paid for the wedding but with changing times, the groom’s parents, bride and groom, or a combination of all three are contributing. There is no official order or requirement to list the names. It’s all up to personal preference.
Honoring deceased parents in your wedding invitation
To include a deceased parent in your formal wedding invitation, you could try:
Mr. & Mrs. Jon Flores and
Mr. Tom Byrne & the late Mrs. Nancy Byrne
request the honor of your company
at the marriage of their children
Talia Flores
&
Stephen Byrne
Including step parents in your wedding invitation
If you are looking to include step parents in the invitation, you could try:
Mr. & Mrs. Flores, Mr. & Mrs. Hill,
Mr. & Mrs. Byrne and Mr. & Mrs. Lin
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of
Talia Flores
&
Stephen Byrne
The Couple’s Names
When listing the names of the couple, the bride’s name typically precedes the groom’s. Most commonly, the bride’s first and middle names are used while the groom’s first and last names are used. This is, of course, all up to personal style. Whether you’re opting for formal or casual invitations will determine how you display your names.
The Details
The details are the most important part of your wedding invitations. Keep them simple and stick to the basics! You’ll need to include the date, time, location and address. In many formal invitations, couples will spell out the date and time.
- Date + time
- Location + address
- Dress code
- Any other pertinent information
Post Ceremony Plans
Let your guests know what to expect after the ceremony. It’s a great way to set the tone for your reception with clear expectations. If there’s a cocktail hour or dancing and dinner, it’s good to spell it all out here. You should also include the address if the reception will be held at a separate venue.
Design Elements
When guests open their wedding invitation, the first thing they see is your overall design. Your design should reflect the personal style of your wedding. There are many styles to choose from — ornate, minimalist, rustic, vintage, artistic, whimsical, classic or modern. Consider including some of these additional design elements in your wedding invitation:
- Monogram + symbol
- Borders + patterns
- Engagement photos
- Sweet phrases
- Getting hitched
- We do
- Love
- All we need is love
- We decided on forever
- Forever and Always
- To love and to cherish
- The future Mr. & Mrs. _____
- At Last
- Mr. & Mrs.
- Share in our love
Wedding Invitation Wording Ideas
Whether you are planning a formal or informal affair, there are plenty of great wording options for your invitations. Some weddings don’t fall into the formal or informal category, but somewhere more down the middle. Many couples like to use a hybrid of formal and informal wording.
Formal Greetings and Phrases
- The honor of your presence is requested at the marriage of _____
- _____ request the honor of your presence at the marriage of _____
- _____ invite you to celebrate the marriage of their children _____
- Together with their parents you are cordially invited to celebrate the marriage of _____
- _____ request the pleasure of your company at the celebration of their union
- _____ joyfully request the pleasure of your company as we exchange vows
- You are cordially invited to celebrate the marriage of _____
- You are cordially invited to attend the wedding of _____
- _____ request the pleasure of your company at their wedding
- _____ request your presence on the day of their marriage
- We invite you to share in our joy and request your presence at the wedding of _____
Informal Greetings and Phrases
- You are invited to the wedding of _____
- You are invited to celebrate the marriage of _____
- Your presence is requested at the wedding of _____
- _____ request the pleasure of your company at their wedding
- _____ joyfully invite you to share in a celebration of love and commitment
- _____ invite you to celebrate their marriage
- Together with our families we joyfully invite you to the wedding of _____
- _____ invite you to join them in the celebration of their union
- _____ invite you to join them at their wedding
- _____ invite you to share in their joy as they become husband and wife
- _____ invite you to their wedding on _____
- Join us for the wedding of _____
- Kindly join us at the wedding of _____
- Please join us for our wedding
- _____ will say “I do”
- _____ invite you to join them as they say “I do”
- Please come help us celebrate our love
- _____ request the pleasure of your company as they exchange vows
- With joyful hearts, _____ request your presence at their wedding
- The wedding day of _____
- We’re getting married, please join us
- _____ join together as husband and wife
- _____ are getting hitched
- _____ would be honored to have you present when we exchange vows
Post Ceremony Wording
If you are hosting a post ceremony celebration make sure to include that in your invitation. If your reception is at a different location, make sure that you include the additional address or direct guests to your wedding website for more information. Here are some wording options to consider:
Informal Post Ceremony Wording
- Dinner and dancing to follow
- Merriment to follow
- Followed by dinner and dancing
- Drinks and dancing to follow
- Dinner, drinks and dancing to follow
- Cocktails, dinner and dancing to follow
- Adult reception to follow
Formal Post Ceremony Wording
- Reception to follow
- An evening of celebration to follow
- Followed by an evening of celebration
Different location reception wording
- Reception immediately following at _____
- Dinner to follow at _____
- Reception to follow at _____
- Reception to follow at the residence of _____
Formal Wedding Invitation Wording Examples
Jump to a specific section to see formal wording inspiration according to who the host is going to be:
- Couple Hosting
- Couple & Parents Hosting
- Bride’s Parents Hosting
- Groom’s Parent Hosting
- Couple’s Parents Hosting
Couple Hosting
The honor of your presence is requested at
the marriage of
Talia Camila Flores
and
Stephen Anthony Byrne
Saturday, the tenth of June
two thousand and seventeen
at twelve o’clock in the afternoon
Arctic Club Hotel
700 Third Avenue
Seattle, Washington
Reception to follow
Couple & Parents Hosting
Together with
Mr. & Mrs. Jon Flores and Mr. & Mrs. Tom Byrne
Talia Camila Flores
&
Stephen Anthony Byrne
request the honor of your company
at the celebration of their union
Saturday, the tenth of June
two thousand and seventeen
at twelve o’clock in the afternoon
Arctic Club Hotel
700 Third Avenue
Seattle, Washington
Reception to follow
Bride’s Parents Hosting
Mr. & Mrs. Jon Flores
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Talia Camila Flores
to
Stephen Anthony Byrne
Saturday, the tenth of June
two thousand and seventeen
at twelve o’clock in the afternoon
Arctic Club Hotel
700 Third Avenue
Seattle, Washington
Reception to follow
Groom’s Parent Hosting
Mr. & Mrs. Tom Byrne
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of
Talia Camila Flores
to their son
Stephen Anthony Byrne
Saturday, the tenth of June
two thousand and seventeen
at twelve o’clock in the afternoon
Arctic Club Hotel
700 Third Avenue
Seattle, Washington
Reception to follow
Couple’s Parents Hosting
Mr. & Mrs. Flores
and Mr. & Mrs. Byrne
request the honor of your company
at the marriage of their children
Talia Camila Flores
&
Stephen Anthony Byrne
Saturday, the tenth of June
two thousand and seventeen
at twelve o’clock in the afternoon
Arctic Club Hotel
700 Third Avenue
Seattle, Washington
Reception to follow
Casual Wedding Invitation Wording Samples
Jump to a specific section to see informal invitation wording inspiration according to who the host is going to be:
- Couple Hosting
- Couple & Parents Hosting
- Bride’s Parents Hosting
- Groom’s Parent Hosting
- Couple’s Parents Hosting
Couple Hosting
Talia Flores
and
Stephen Byrne
invite you to a celebration of their
love and commitment
June 10, 2017
12:00 pm
Arctic Club Hotel
700 Third Avenue
Seattle, Washington
Dinner and dancing to follow
Couple & Parents Hosting
Together with their parents
Talia Flores
&
Stephen Byrne
invite you to share in their joy
as they tie the knot
June 10, 2017
12:00 pm
Arctic Club Hotel
700 Third Avenue
Seattle, Washington
Dinner and dancing to follow
Bride’s Parents Hosting
Mr. & Mrs. Flores
would love your company
at the marriage of their daughter
Talia Flores
to
Stephen Byrne
June 10, 2017
12:00 pm
Arctic Club Hotel
700 Third Avenue
Seattle, Washington
Dinner and dancing to follow
Groom’s Parent Hosting
Mr & Mrs. Byrne
joyfully invite you to
the marriage of
Talia Flores
to their son
Stephen Byrne
June 10, 2017
12:00 pm
Arctic Club Hotel
700 Third Avenue
Seattle, Washington
Dinner and dancing to follow
Couple’s Parents Hosting
The Flores and Byrne families
joyfully invite you to the marriage of
Talia Flores
&
Stephen Byrne
June 10, 2017
12:00 pm
Arctic Club Hotel
700 Third Avenue
Seattle, Washington
Dinner and dancing to follow
Additional Inspiration
Browse the collection below for wedding invitation wording and design inspiration. They are great examples of how to mix formal and informal wording together on one invitation.
Sleek Black and White
- “You are cordially invited to the wedding of …” and “dinner and dancing to follow”
- Spelling out the date and time gives the invitation a more formal feel while “dinner and dancing to follow” keeps it from being completely formal
- Their engagement photo mirrors the card design with a simple black and white theme
Sweet and Simple
- “With Love ____ invite you to celebrate their union” and “reception to follow”
- The earthy feeling of this invite goes well with their garden celebration
- The white and navy text and designs pop against the simple tan background
Getting Hitched
- “____ request the pleasure of your company as they exchange vows” and “reception to follow”
- Adding more formal wording in this invitation kept it from becoming too colloquial
- Their woodsy engagement photo ties into the location of their wedding very well
Happily Ever After
- “Together with their families ____ request the pleasure of your company at the celebration of their union” and “reception to follow”
- This card layout is a great way to display all of your favorite shots from your engagement shoot
Sending out your wedding invitations is an exciting step of the wedding planning process! If addressing all of your invites is a daunting process to you, recipient addressing is the answer to your prayers. Don’t forget to include RSVP cards and to take advantage of RSVP functions on your wedding website in case any RSVPs get lost in the mail. Remember to hold on to a couple of invitations — they are perfect for scrapbooking, crafting and including in a shadow box or photo book!
