Deciding on the wording for your invitation can seem like a daunting task! I’ve put together this post to take some of the stress out of the process, and provide sample wording for your wedding invitations. There is a lot of conflicting information out there- when in doubt I defer to Emily Post for anything involving wedding etiquette.
I’m sharing my advice for following traditional wedding etiquette, but when all is said and done, it’s your wedding. As long as you include the basic info (who, what, where, and when), your guests will make it to the wedding. And most importantly, make sure you and your partner (and your families) are comfortable with the wording you decide on.
The information that is typically included in a wedding invitation is broken down into five sections: the host, the request, the couple, date and time, and location.
1. HOST
The first line of the invitation lists the host(s) of the event. Traditionally, the bride’s parents act as host, but it’s common to have the groom’s parents, both sets of parents, or the bride and groom hosting. You can leave the host line out completely, or alternatively use “together with their families”.
2. REQUEST
Use “the honor of your presence” for weddings at a place of worship. “The pleasure of your company” is used for secular locations. The old English spelling of “honour” can be used for traditional or formal weddings.
3. THE COUPLE
The bride’s name goes first, followed by the groom’s name. Use only the first and middle name if the parents’ names are listed. Formal invitations include the groom’s title. If the bride’s parents are hosting but you want to list the groom’s parents, do so after the groom’s name.
4. DATE & TIME
The date and time should be spelled out. Include a hyphen in numbers over twenty (twenty-three). Including the year is optional, but do not use “and” (two thousand and eighteen is incorrect). “In the afternoon/evening” is optional. Use “half after” for half hours.
5. LOCATION
List the ceremony location along with the city and state. The street address is optional (it’s a good idea if the venue is not well known, or if there are multiple venues with similar names in the city), but leave off the zip code.
6. Optional Information
If the ceremony and the reception are at the same venue, it’s common to include “reception to follow” (or similar wording). If they are at different locations or you have more reception details to include, you would use a separate card for the reception.
You can also include information about the suggested dress code (black tie, formal attire, black tie optional) if the invitation is to the ceremony and reception. Attire is generally listed in the lower right corner of the invitation.
Traditional Wedding Invitation Wording Samples
These first three invitation wording examples follow traditional wedding etiquette and would be perfect for a formal wedding.
[col_wrapper] [col3]OPTION 1
bride’s parents hosting at a religious location
Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Jackson
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Abigail Marie
to
Lucas James Douglas
Saturday, the twenty-first of April
two thousand eighteen
at four o’clock in the afternoon
Holy Trinity Church
Chicago, Illinois
[/col3] [col3]Option 2
both parents hosting at a secular location
Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Jackson
together with
Mr. and Mrs. Mason Douglas
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their children
Abigail Marie
and
Lucas James
Saturday, the twenty-first of April
two thousand eighteen
at half after four o’clock
Midtown Loft and Terrace
Chicago, Illinois
[/col3] [col3_last]Option 3
couple hosting at a secular location
The pleasure of your company
is requested at the marriage of
Abigail Marie Jackson
and
Mr. Lucas James Douglas
Saturday, the twenty-first of April
two thousand eighteen
at half after four o’clock
Midtown Loft and Terrace
5103 Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, Illinois
and afterward at the reception
[/col3_last] [/col_wrapper]Traditional Wedding Invitation Wording Variations
These next three wording examples are variations on the traditional wording, adjusted to fit different hosting situations.
[col_wrapper][col3]OPTION 4
parents and couple hosting
Together with their families
Abigail Marie Jackson
and
Lucas James Douglas
request the pleasure of your company
at their wedding ceremony
Saturday, the twenty-first of April
two thousand eighteen
at half after four o’clock
Midtown Loft and Terrace
Chicago, Illinois
dinner and dancing to follow
[/col3] [col3]Option 5
groom’s parents hosting, black tie
Mr. and Mrs. Mason Douglas
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of
Abigail Marie Jackson
to their son
Lucas James
Saturday, the twenty-first of April
two thousand eighteen
at half after four o’clock
Midtown Loft and Terrace
Chicago, Illinois
and afterward at the reception
black tie
[/col3] [col3_last]Option 6
bride’s divorced (and remarried) parents hosting
Mr. and Mrs. Anne Worthington
together with
Mr. Charles Jackson
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Abigail Marie Jackson
and
Lucas James Douglas
Saturday, the twenty-first of April
at four o’clock in the afternoon
Holy Trinity Church
Chicago, Illinois
[/col3_last] [/col_wrapper]Contemporary Invitation Wording Samples
Finally, these last three invitation wording samples are examples of modern wedding invitation wording.
[col_wrapper][col3]OPTION 7
couple hosting
Abigail Jackson
and
Lucas Douglas
invite you to join them
as they are united in marriage
April 21, 2018 at 4 o’clock
Midtown Loft and Terrace
Chicago, Illinois
merriment to follow
[/col3] [col3]Option 8
bride’s parents hosting
Mr. and Mrs. Mason Douglas
invite you to share their joy
at the marriage of their daughter
Abigail Jackson
to
Lucas Douglas
Saturday, April twenty-first
at four o’clock
Midtown Loft and Terrace
Chicago, Illinois
reception immediately following
[/col3] [col3_last]Option 9
bride and groom hosting
Because you have shared in our lives
by your friendship and love, we
Abigail and Lucas
invite you to share our joy
as we are united in marriage
Saturday, the twenty-first of April
at half after four o’clock
Holy Trinity Church
Chicago, Illinois
merriment to follow
[/col3_last] [/col_wrapper]Next week in The Wedding Stationery Guide, I’ll be sharing wording tips and etiquette advice for another important piece of your invitation suite: the response card!
