Wedding Invitation Wording & Etiquette

Wedding invitation wording starts with a host line. Traditionally the bride’s parents are hosting, and so their names come first. But no matter who’s paying for the wedding, listing the names of both sets of parents is acceptable (and gracious). If the couple and their parents are contributing, you can opt for something like, “Together with their parents” or “Together with their families.”

A common way to honor a deceased parent is alongside one of the couple’s names. Here’s an example: “Lauren Martinez, daughter of Marta Martinez,” or “Lauren Martinez, daughter of Robert Martinez and the late Marta Martinez.”

kouignette by chocomocacino

Host Line Wording Examples

This is where you extend the invitation to attend your wedding, and you can use it to set the tone for your celebration. Here are a few more things to keep in mind:

• “The honor of your presence” is traditionally used to denote a religious service. Some couples opt to spell “honour” using the British spelling to evoke a more formal and traditional feel. (Note: If you’re using “honour” on the invitation, we recommend matching it with “favour,” as in “favour of your reply,” on the RSVP card.)
• “The pleasure of your company” (or variations on this) is used to denote a non-religious ceremony locale.

Request line wording examples

• request the honor of your presence
• request the pleasure of your company
• invite you to celebrate with them
• would love for you to join them

Here, you’re outlining what you are inviting people to share in (cue the confetti). There are many ways to word this depending on who’s hosting and how formal your wedding will be.

Action line wording examples

• at the marriage of their daughter (if the bride’s parents are hosting)
• at the marriage of their children (if both sets of parents are hosting)
• at the celebration of their union (if the couple is hosting)
• as they say “I do!”
• in celebration of their marriage

This one might seem easy—until you start thinking about the nitty-gritty details. Whose name goes first? Do you have to include last names? What about middle names? Though there really are no right or wrong answers—do whatever feels most comfortable to you both—here are a few suggestions:

• For different-sex couples, the bride’s name typically goes first, followed by the groom’s name. If the bride’s parents’ names are listed at the top, the bride’s name can just be her first and middle name (without last name). In that case, the groom’s name is either listed in full, or his first and middle names are listed followed by the line “Son of Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Wong.”
• For same-sex couples, you can list the names in alphabetical order by last name or based on what looks best with the design of the invitation.
• For a less formal feel, you may opt to list first names only.

Traditionally, the date and time should be spelled out in full. For example, if your ceremony is on September 15, 2024, at 4:30 p.m., the wording should read, “Saturday, the fifteenth of September, two thousand twenty-one, at half after four in the afternoon.” The day of the week and the month should be capitalized, and the year should be lowercase. There is no “and” when spelling out the year.

The time of day should be spelled out as “four o’clock” or “half after four o’clock.” Evening begins at five o’clock. From noon until four o’clock is considered afternoon.

Date & Time Wording Examples

• 4:00 p.m. can be spelled out as:
  • four o’clock (traditional)
  • four o’clock in the afternoon (also acceptable)
  • 4:00 p.m. (informal)
  • 4:00 p.m. in the afternoon (informal)
• 4:30 p.m. can be spelled out as:
  • half after four o’clock (traditional)
  • half past four o’clock (also acceptable)
  • four-thirty in the afternoon (also acceptable)
  • 4:30 p.m. (informal)

• List the ceremony venue as follows: “Venue Name” on one line, “City, State” on the following line. For formal weddings, the state name is usually spelled out.
• The venue’s street address is traditionally not included unless the venue is a private residence.
• Zip codes are not usually included.

If the reception will be at the same location as the ceremony, you can simply say, “Reception to follow” or “Dinner and dancing to follow.” If the reception is at a different location, you can list the venue on the following line or on a separate insert card, called a reception card. And if you’re not serving a full meal, this would be a great place to let guests know by saying something like, “Join us after the ceremony for cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and dancing.”

Reception line wording examples

• Reception to follow
• Reception immediately following the ceremony
• Dinner and dancing to follow
• Cake, punch, and merriment to follow (if you’re not serving a full meal)
• Feasting and merriment to follow
• Dining, dancing, and happily ever after to follow

Dress Code
This is optional, but it can be helpful for guests. One exception: If your wedding is black tie, you must include that on the invitation. If you don’t include wedding attire information on the invitation, guests will infer it based on the formality of the wedding invitation itself. For example, if the invitation is formal, guests will likely anticipate a formal affair. A simpler invite suggests wedding attire that leans more casual. The dress code line should be listed on a line following the reception location.

Dress Code Wording Examples

• Black-tie (tuxedos and floor-length gowns)
• Formal attire (suits and dresses)
• Cocktail attire (suits or dress shirts with ties and cocktail dresses)
• Beach-casual (long- or short-sleeve shirts with pants or shorts, sundresses, and sandals)

Wedding Website
Typically you don’t print your wedding website on the main invitation card; rather, you should list it on one of a reception card or an additional information card. It’s also a good idea to have your wedding website URL (or the QR code) on your wedding save the date card.

Good news! Wording the RSVP card (also called the reply card or response card) is a simpler task than the invitation. Here’s what you’ll need to include:

RSVP date: The first piece of information on the card is the reply-by date, which is typically three to four weeks before the wedding. This will give you enough time to get a final head count to the caterer (one week before) and to finalize your seating chart.

Remember to keep the wording consistent with the invitation. For example, “the favor of a reply” typically matches the invitation wording “the honor of your presence.” For less formal wedding invitation wording, such as “request the pleasure of your company,” the RSVP wording would typically be “Kindly reply by” or “Kindly respond by.”

Guest(s) names: Next is a line for guests to write their names, along with checkboxes for accepting or declining the invitation.

Most traditional weddings use the “M” line to indicate the place where guests will write in their names. The “M” itself is meant to designate the first letter of the formal salutation (Mr., Mrs., Miss or Ms.) that the guest would write along with their name(s). For less formal celebrations, we suggest the more straightforward “Name(s)” instead.

Additional information you can include: Meal choices, along with checkboxes or illustrated icons, and a song-request line such as, “We promise to dance if you play __________.”

If the ceremony and reception are held at the same venue, include the line “Reception to follow” at the bottom of the invitation. However, if the reception is held at a different location, it should be treated as a separate event—include a separate reception card with the event details as part of the invitation suite.

Activity cards can be very helpful if your wedding has multiple events taking place during the wedding weekend. List all of the festivities open to guests in chronological order. Our complete guide on wedding detail cards will be helpful especially when you have a lot of information to share to your guests.

If you choose not to include the activity card in your invitation suite, make sure you list this information on your wedding website.

An information card can be enclosed with your wedding invitation if you’d like to provide any additional wedding details to guests: directions, transportation information, lodging suggestions, etc. Make sure to check out our guide on how to assemble your wedding invitation suite, especially if multiple enclosure cards are involved.