How to write and word wedding invitations

writing wedding invitations

Give your guests a tantalising insight into what to expect on your big day with the perfect design and wording on your wedding invites. Choosing beautiful wedding stationery is all part of the fun. Whether you’re having a traditional white wedding, a modern celebration or a more informal do, you’ll need to decide on suitable wording on your wedding invites to share all the important details.

Creating the invites is just one of the many things to think about when planning for the big day – but don’t worry too much about invitation wording for weddings, as the rules of etiquette are really quite straightforward. Use our simple guidelines to help you choose the right wording and create special invitations that perfectly set the tone for your wedding day.

Essential information for wedding invites

There are several important details you must remember to include in your wedding invitation, no matter whether you’ve chosen a formal or informal do. These include:

  • Who’s hosting the wedding
  • Who is invited – including children’s names if they’re also invited
  • Full names of the happy couple
  • The request to come to the wedding
  • Full location details for the ceremony and reception venues
  • The date and time of the wedding ceremony and reception
  • RSVP details – provide a separate response card or simply clear instructions on how and by when to reply

Optional extras for wedding invites

You may also wish to include other details on your invites, depending on personal preference:

  • Gifts – If you’re having a wedding gift registry, then including the details of the list will point guests in the right direction if they wish to give you a present
  • Wedding website – save cluttering up your invite, and include your URL to direct guests to further information about your wedding day
  • Dress code or wedding theme – if you have a particular wedding theme or want guests to wear something specific, such as black tie or 1920s, then include that information on your invitation
  • Details on whether children are invited – if you’ve opted for no children on the day, then it might be tactful to mention this on the invite
  • Dietary requirements – to ensure you have all the necessary information before catering for your big day, include a request for guests to advise of any specific dietary requirements with their RSVP  

A guide to wedding invitation wording

Getting to grips with the wording for wedding invites is always a little easier with the help of a few examples. Simple enough to customise, wording can be adjusted to suit your particular circumstances:

Hosting your own

If you’re hosting the wedding, then the invite wording follows a simple structure. Traditionally the bride’s name appears before the groom’s on the invite. You’ll need to adjust the wording to reflect whether you’re having a church wedding or a civil ceremony:

 

Miss Jenny Stevens

and

Mr Daniel Smith

request the pleasure of

[guest’s name]

at their marriage

at St Martin’s Church, Salisbury SP1 2HY

 

on Saturday 23rd June 2018

at 1.30pm

followed by a reception

at Burley Manor, Ringwood Road, Burley, Hampshire BH24 4BS

RSVP by 30th April to

Miss J Stevens and Mr D Smith

12 Bouverie Avenue, Salisbury

 

Hosted by parents

If you’re having a collaborative wedding that’s hosted and paid for by both sets of parents, then the above example wording could be adjusted to reflect this with a simple Together with their parents, Miss Jenny Stevens and Mr Daniel Smith request the pleasure of…. Otherwise, the parents of the bride, who traditionally host the wedding, are named at the top of a wedding invitation:

Mr & Mrs Paul Stevens

request the pleasure of

[guest’s name]

at their marriage of their daughter

Jenny

to

Mr Daniel Smith

at St Martin’s Church, Salisbury SP1 2HY

on Saturday 23rd June 2018

at 1.30pm

followed by a reception

at Burley Manor, Ringwood Road, Burley, Hampshire BH24 4BS

RSVP by 30th April to

Mr & Mrs Paul Stevens

12 Bouverie Avenue, Salisbury

 

Evening invite only

If you wish to invite some guests to just the evening reception, then the following example of wedding invitation wording for the evening only will help to make this clear:

 

Together with their parents,

Miss Jenny Stevens

and

Mr Daniel Smith

request the pleasure of

[guest’s name]

at an evening reception to celebrate their marriage

at Burley Manor, Ringwood Road, Burley, Hampshire BH24 4BS

on Saturday 23rd June 2018

at 7pm

RSVP by 30th April to

Miss J Stevens and Mr D Smith

12 Bouverie Avenue, Salisbury

 

When it comes to wedding invitations, how to write them may feel daunting. However, once you’re sure on the details for your big day, then it’s fairly easy to prepare the words. The wide array of wedding invitations available at Solopress will make this part of wedding planning a breeze, as they are simple to customise to your taste and style. You can expect high-quality printing, a fast turnaround and free UK delivery as standard.