Wedding Invitation Wording: 50 Examples and Templates

Wedding invitation wording should identify the hosts, name the couple, invite the guest, and state the ceremony date, time, and location. Add reception information when it follows at the same venue. Put RSVP instructions, travel, accommodations, dress code, registry, and other logistics on a separate details card or wedding website.

The 50 examples below are templates, not rigid rules. Replace the brackets, preserve each person’s chosen name and title, and make the wording sound like the people hosting the celebration.

The Wedding Invitation Wording Formula

Most invitations follow six lines:

1. Host line: who is issuing the invitation
2. Request line: asks the guest to attend
3. Names: the people getting married
4. Date and time: when the ceremony begins
5. Venue: where it takes place
6. Reception line: what follows

Emily Post’s formal invitation guide distinguishes “the honour of your presence” for a house of worship from “the pleasure of your company” for other venues. Modern couples can use either a traditional form or direct language, as long as the invitation is unambiguous.

Formal Wedding Invitation Wording

1. Bride’s parents hosting

[Parent Names] request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter [Full Name] to [Full Name] on [Day, Month Date, Year] at [Time], [Venue, City, State]. Reception to follow.

2. Groom’s parents hosting

[Parent Names] request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of [Full Name] and their son [Full Name], [Day, Date] at [Time], [Venue]. Dinner and dancing to follow.

3. Both families hosting

Together with their families, [Name] and [Name] invite you to celebrate their marriage on [Date] at [Time], [Venue, City]. Reception immediately following.

4. Couple hosting formally

[Full Name] and [Full Name] request the honour of your presence at their wedding ceremony on [Date] at [Time], [Venue].

5. Formal evening wedding

The pleasure of your company is requested at the marriage of [Name] and [Name], [Day, Date] at [Time], [Venue, City]. Black tie reception to follow.

6. Formal daytime wedding

Please join us for the marriage of [Name] and [Name] on [Day, Date] at [Time], [Venue]. Luncheon reception immediately following.

7. Separate reception venue

[Host Names] request the honour of your presence at the marriage of [Name] and [Name] on [Date] at [Ceremony Venue]. Reception at [Reception Venue] to follow.

8. Formal without parent names

You are cordially invited to the wedding of [Name] and [Name], [Day, Date] at [Time], [Venue, City].

Casual and Modern Wedding Invitation Wording

9. Simple modern

[Name] and [Name] are getting married. Join us on [Date] at [Time], [Venue, City]. Dinner, drinks, and dancing afterward.

10. Warm and direct

We would love you to be there when we say “I do.” [Name] and [Name], [Date], [Time], [Venue].

11. Celebration-first

Come celebrate the wedding of [Name] and [Name] on [Date] at [Time], [Venue]. Cocktails, dinner, and dancing to follow.

12. Backyard wedding

Join [Name] and [Name] for a backyard wedding, [Date] at [Time], [Address or Venue]. Dinner under the lights to follow.

13. Restaurant wedding

Please join us for the marriage of [Name] and [Name], followed by dinner at [Restaurant], [Date] at [Time].

14. Brunch wedding

Mimosas, marriage, and brunch. Celebrate [Name] and [Name] on [Date] at [Time], [Venue].

15. Cocktail-style reception

[Name] and [Name] invite you to their wedding celebration on [Date] at [Time], [Venue]. Cocktails and small plates to follow.

16. Short digital invitation

We’re getting married! Join [Name] and [Name] on [Date] at [Time], [Venue]. RSVP by [Date] at [URL].

Couple and Family Hosting Examples

17. Couple with both families

Together with our families, we, [Name] and [Name], invite you to celebrate our wedding on [Date] at [Time], [Venue].

18. Couple paying, parents honored

With the love of their families, [Name] and [Name] invite you to share in their wedding celebration on [Date] at [Venue].

19. One parent hosting

[Parent Name] requests the pleasure of your company at the wedding of [Name] and [Name], [Date], [Venue].

20. Divorced parents hosting

[Parent Name] and [Parent Name] invite you to celebrate the marriage of their child [Name] to [Name] on [Date] at [Venue].

21. Remarried parents hosting

[Parent and Stepparent Names], together with [Parent and Stepparent Names], invite you to the wedding of [Name] and [Name], [Date], [Venue].

22. Siblings hosting

[Sibling Names] invite you to celebrate the marriage of [Name] and [Name] on [Date] at [Venue].

23. Children hosting a parent’s wedding

[Children’s Names] invite you to celebrate the marriage of [Name] and [Name], [Date] at [Time], [Venue].

24. Families listed equally

The [Surname] and [Surname] families invite you to celebrate [Name] and [Name] on [Date], [Venue].

Host lines describe the invitation, not a full financial ledger. Include the people whose role the couple wants to honor without turning the first lines into an explanation of who paid for what.

Inclusive and Identity-Respecting Wording

25. No gendered roles

Together with their families, [Full Name] and [Full Name] invite you to celebrate their marriage on [Date] at [Venue].

26. Two brides

[Name] and [Name] joyfully invite you to their wedding on [Date] at [Time], [Venue].

27. Two grooms

Together with their families, [Name] and [Name] request the pleasure of your company as they marry on [Date], [Venue].

28. Nonbinary partner wording

Celebrate the marriage of [Name] and [Name] on [Date] at [Time], [Venue]. Reception to follow.

29. Chosen-family hosting

Surrounded by their chosen family, [Name] and [Name] invite you to witness and celebrate their marriage on [Date] at [Venue].

30. Titles omitted

[Full Name] and [Full Name] invite you to their wedding celebration, [Date], [Time], [Venue].

Use each person’s actual name, title, and pronouns. Traditional order is optional; clarity and respect are not.

Religious and Cultural Ceremony Wording

31. Church ceremony

[Host Names] request the honour of your presence at the marriage of [Name] and [Name] on [Date] at [Time], [Church, City].

32. Nuptial Mass

[Host Names] request the honour of your presence at the marriage of [Name] and [Name] and participation in the celebration of the Nuptial Mass on [Date], [Church].

33. Jewish wedding

[Host Names] request the honour of your presence at the marriage of [Name] and [Name] on [Date] at [Time], [Venue]. Dinner and dancing to follow.

34. Hindu wedding

With the blessings of their families, [Name] and [Name] invite you to join their wedding ceremony on [Date] at [Time], [Venue]. Please see the enclosed schedule for additional celebrations.

35. Muslim wedding

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, [Family Names] invite you to celebrate the Nikah of [Name] and [Name] on [Date], [Venue].

36. Multicultural ceremony

Together with their families, [Name] and [Name] invite you to a wedding celebration honoring their [traditions] on [Date] at [Venue].

Ask the officiant and family members involved to review religious wording. A template cannot determine which titles, blessings, transliterations, or ceremony terms are appropriate for a specific community.

Destination and Multi-Day Wedding Wording

37. Destination wedding

Pack your bags and join [Name] and [Name] for their wedding in [City, Country] on [Date]. Travel and weekend details: [URL].

38. Formal destination wedding

[Host Names] request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of [Name] and [Name], [Date], [Venue, City, Country].

39. Wedding weekend

Join [Name] and [Name] for a wedding weekend in [Destination], [Date Range]. Ceremony on [Date] at [Time]. Schedule enclosed.

40. Resort wedding

Meet us in [Destination] as [Name] and [Name] say “I do,” [Date] at [Time], [Venue]. Celebration to follow.

The invitation should state the ceremony. Put entry rules, transfers, hotels, and costs in the destination wedding website wording guide and the matching destination invitation guide.

Small, Private, and Reception-Only Wording

41. Micro wedding

Join our closest family and friends for the intimate wedding of [Name] and [Name], [Date], [Venue].

42. Private ceremony

[Name] and [Name] will marry in a private ceremony and invite you to celebrate with them at a reception on [Date] at [Venue].

43. Reception only

Please join [Name] and [Name] for a reception celebrating their marriage, [Date] at [Time], [Venue].

44. Elopement celebration

We eloped! Celebrate with [Name] and [Name] on [Date] at [Time], [Venue].

45. Courthouse ceremony and dinner

Following a private courthouse ceremony, [Name] and [Name] invite you to dinner and dancing on [Date] at [Venue].

46. Anniversary reception

One year married, finally celebrating together. Join [Name] and [Name] for their wedding reception on [Date], [Venue].

Never use ceremony wording for a reception-only invitation. Guests should know before accepting whether they are invited to witness the marriage or celebrate afterward.

Second Wedding and Blended-Family Wording

47. Second wedding

With joy, [Name] and [Name] invite you to celebrate their marriage on [Date] at [Venue].

48. Blended family

Together with their children, [Name] and [Name] invite you to celebrate as their families become one on [Date], [Venue].

49. Adult children named

[Children’s Names], together with their families, invite you to celebrate the marriage of [Name] and [Name] on [Date], [Venue].

50. Simple new chapter

Join [Name] and [Name] as they begin their next chapter together, [Date] at [Time], [Venue].

What Goes Somewhere Else?

Keep the main invitation focused. Move these items to the wedding details card or website:

• RSVP URL, QR code, and deadline
• Accommodations and travel
• Transportation and parking
• Dress-code explanation
• Adults-only or plus-one policy
• Registry
• Full weekend schedule
• Accessibility details

The wedding invitation layout guide shows where the host, request, names, date, location, and reception lines usually appear.

Final Proofing Checklist

1. Match names to the couple’s preferred spelling and titles.
2. Confirm date, time, venue, and city against signed contracts.
3. Make the ceremony versus reception invitation explicit.
4. Test every URL and QR code on the details card.
5. Ask one person outside the planning team to explain what the invitation tells them.
6. Weigh the complete suite before purchasing postage.

Frequently Asked Questions

What information belongs on a wedding invitation?

Include the hosts when relevant, the couple's names, a clear request to attend, the ceremony date and time, venue, and reception line. Put RSVP, travel, accommodations, transportation, registry, and detailed policies on an insert or website.

What does together with their families mean on a wedding invitation?

It acknowledges family support without assigning hosting to one set of parents. Couples often use it when both families are involved, the couple is hosting, family structures are complex, or a simple inclusive line feels most accurate.

Whose name goes first on a wedding invitation?

Traditional formats may place the bride's name first, but modern invitations can use either order. Choose the order that sounds natural, matches the couple's preference, or supports the visual design, then keep it consistent across stationery.

Can the wedding website go on the invitation?

Yes, but it is usually cleaner on a details card or the back of a less formal invitation. Include a short written URL even when using a QR code, and do not place registry language on the main invitation.

How do you word a reception-only wedding invitation?

State that the guest is invited to a reception celebrating the marriage, not to the wedding ceremony. Include the reception date, time, and venue, and avoid phrases such as witness our marriage that imply a ceremony invitation.