Wedding Invitation Wording

You’ve selected your dream invitation, and now it’s time to decide on your wedding invitation wording. I know it can be hard to navigate. There are so many different variations and scenarios to think through. It may even seem arbitrary to you, but the wording actually does serve a purpose in keeping proper wedding etiquette. I’m going to break down each of these lines.

The host line is where you state who is hosting your wedding. Basically, who is paying for your wedding? You’ll list the hosts’ names here. This may be one set of parents, both sets of parents, the couple, or all of the above!

After the host line, you will use the request lines to do the actual inviting. It’s common for people to just choose their preference here, but it actually depends on the location of your ceremony.

Wedding Invitation Wording 101

If the bride’s parents are hosting, only include the bride’s first and middle names if she shares the same last name with her parents. You can also include the groom’s title if you want to be extremely formal.

The first line is for the day of the week followed by the date with the number fully spelled out. The year should also be completely spelled out in words. Please note, there is no “and” included in the year. That is only used to make note of decimal places in word form.

When writing out the time, the time of day is not necessary (afternoon or evening). However, if you do choose to include it, anything before 6:00 p.m. is considered afternoon. Also, use “half after” for weddings that fall on the half hour.

Wedding Invitation And Wedding Stationery Wording

It’s only necessary to include the venue name with the city and state. Typically, the street address is left off unless it’s a private residence. Even then, it’s proper to omit the zip code. The venue address can be included on a detail card or on your wedding website. Make sure to spell out the states instead of abbreviating it.

“Son of” Line – Some couples like to include this line if the bride’s parents are hosing but they still want to acknowledge the groom’s parents. You would sit them directly under the groom’s name.

Reception Line – Typically, the reception line is used when the reception is at the same location as the ceremony. It’s usually worded as “Reception to follow” or “Dinner and dancing to follow”. It’s standard to include a separate reception card for different venues. However, I have more couples opting to go a little modern in order to eliminate this card.

Tips For Unique Wedding Invitation Wording In 2023 • Offbeat Wed (was Offbeat Bride)

Attire Line – Usually, you should leave the dress code off your wedding invitation unless it’s absolutely necessary. For example, if your wedding is a black tie affair, you can include “black tie” in the bottom right corner.

Registry – It’s considered rude to include this on your invitation. Luckily, guests already know they’ll be able to find your registry on your website. Don’t worry, you’ll get plenty of gifts!

Wedding Website – It’s best to put your wedding website on a separate card altogether. You can use a small website card or include it on a larger detail card with other information.

Attractive & Best Sample Wedding Invitation Wording Free Download

RSVP Info – If you’re collecting your RSVPs online, I know it can be tempting to put your RSVP info on your invitation in order to eliminate an extra card, but it’s best to put this on a separate card. It’ll start to look messy and cluttered if you try to fit it all.When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site.

Kristi Kellogg founded Dazzling Digital Marketing Agency in 2017. She also works closely with the digital marketing and SEO teams at Condé Nast.

Heather Lee is the managing editor for Minted's lifestyle blog, Julep, and a former editor for seven years. She has written for Bon Appétit, Sunset, and Shape.

Your Sweet And Simple Guide To Formal Wedding Invitation Wording

Now that you've picked out your stationery, it's time to take on wedding invitation wording. Whether you want to keep the wording classic and traditional or creative and whimsical is up to you, but whatever route you choose, there are some basic elements that should be included no matter what.

The good news is that the rules of wedding invitation etiquette aren't that complicated. The primary tenets are actually much simpler and more straightforward than you think. And no matter the case, they're there to serve as a guideline. The most important rule of all is that you create a beautiful wedding invitation that represents you, your love, and the big day to come—while also communicating the vital details of the wedding—so feel absolutely free to riff off these wedding invitation wording principles to create your own.

Traditionally, the bride's parents are the hosts of the wedding and are named at the top of the invitation, even for very formal affairs. However, including the names of both sets of parents as hosts is a gracious option no matter who foots the bill. Also, more and more couples these days are hosting their own weddings, or do so together with their parents.

Unique Wedding Invitation Wording Ideas That Will Stand Out

If it's a collaborative affair hosted and paid for by the couple and both sets of parents, you can also use Together with their parents, Emma and Jax request the pleasure of your company ...

If you want to include the name of a parent who is deceased, you'll need to rearrange things a bit, as someone who has passed can't actually serve as a host. Try this, for example:

If the couple's parents are divorced and you want to include both as hosts, you can include them all, just keep each parent on a separate line. If you're going to include the name of a stepparent, keep it on the same line as their partner. It might seem complex at first, but all it requires is a few more lines. This is an example of how a bride with divorced (and remarried) parents worded the wedding invitation:

Wedding Invitation Introductory Wording

If their names haven't been included in the host line, they should still take center stage a few lines down. No one would forget to add this to a wedding invitation, of course, but you might be wondering whose name should go first on a wedding invitation? Traditionally the name of the bride always precedes the groom's name. Formal invitations issued by the bride's parents refer to her by her first and middle names, the groom by his full name and title; if the couple is hosting by themselves, their titles are optional.

For same-sex couples, the traditional rule of the woman first and man second isn't applicable. Whether it's Emily and Zara or Zara and Emily, it's going to be lovely either way. When writing their own names, same-sex couples can choose to either go in alphabetical order or simply with what sounds better.

For formal weddings, everything is written out in full (no numerals). The year is optional (the assumption being your wedding is on the nearest such date). Time of day is spelled out using o'clock or half after five o'clock. The use of a.m. or p.m. is optional. For casual weddings, numerals are fine.

Wedding Invitation Wording, Examples, & Etiquette

The street address of a venue is not usually needed unless omitting it would lead to confusion or your wedding is taking place at the host's home. The city and state should be written out in full in either case.

Very formal invitations include this information on a separate card. Otherwise, it can be printed on the wedding invitation itself if there is room; if the ceremony and reception are held in the same location, you may print and afterward at the reception or reception immediately following. When the reception is elsewhere, the location goes on a different line.

Wedding invitation etiquette dictates that the dress code—if you're including it on the invitation—is in the lower right-hand corner of the invitation. If you don't include a note on attire, the invitation itself will indicate the dress code. For example, if the invitation is very fancy, guests will likely be anticipating a formal, black-tie affair, or conversely, an invitation on the simpler side indicates a more casual dress code.

Modern Wedding Invitation Wording Examples

Most couples choose to include a separate response card for guests to fill out and return in the mail. You also have the option of having people RSVP via your wedding website. If that's the case, include the website address on a separate card, just as you would with an RSVP card, and indicate that guests can let you know if they can come directly on the site.Wording your wedding