Your wedding invitation wording isn’t as complicated as you may think. There are rules and etiquette for wording your invitation to guide you. If you follow this formula, you’ll have an invitation that clearly outlines your wedding details while maintaining a subtle personal touch.

Use this complete wedding invitation wording guide to write the perfect invitation.

Key Takeaways:

• Start the wedding invitation with the host’s names
• Use everyone’s full names on the wedding invitation
• Write out the date
• Use enclosures to give additional information and details

What Goes on a Wedding Invitation?

• Host Line: List who is hosting the wedding
• Request Line: Ask for the guests’ attendance at the wedding
• Bride: Write out the bride’s full name
• Groom: Write out the groom’s full name
• Date and Time: Specify when the wedding ceremony starts
• Location: Share the address of the wedding ceremony
• Reception: Add an optional note that a reception will follow

How to Word Each Element in Your Invitation

Use these tips for the wording of your wedding invitation to keep with traditional wedding invitation etiquette.

Host Line

Traditional wedding invitations open with the hosts' names – i.e., the people who paid for most of the wedding. The hosts are traditionally the bride’s parents, but it doesn’t have to be.

Modern weddings often have different members contributing financially to the wedding. Occasionally, the couple pays for most of the wedding and is therefore considered the host.

Here are a few ways to word your invitation depending on who your hosts are.

Brides Parents:
Mr. and Mrs. Charles William Grimes
Request the honor of your presence
At the marriage of their daughter

Bride’s Parents (divorced):
Ms. Jennifer (Maiden Name) (Married Name)
Mr. Charles William Grimes
Request the honor of your presence
At the marriage of their daughter

Both Sets of Parents:
Mr. and Mrs. Charles William Grimes
Along with Mr. and Mrs. James Arthur Fox
Request the honor of your presence
At the marriage of their children

Bride and Groom:
The honor of your presence is requested
at the marriage celebration of

These templates are a few of the common formats, but alternatives depend on your unique situation. If you’re in doubt, ask a Shine Wedding Invitations designer for tips on the host line wording.

Request Line

The request line conveys the purpose of your wedding invitation: asking guests to attend your wedding ceremony. While the exact wording can vary depending on how formal or relaxed you want to be, the core message is the same: You’re invited to the marriage.

Use these examples to inspire your invitation.

Example 1: From Parents
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter/children

Example 2: From Parents
cordially invite you to attend
the wedding of their daughter/children

Example 3: From the Couple
your presence is requested
at the marriage celebration of

Example 4: From the Couple
invite you to celebrate with them

Bride and Groom’s Names

The proper wording on a wedding invitation for the couple’s names is always to name the bride first. This order reflects the tradition of parents giving their daughters away to join another in marriage. So, the bride’s parents, or hosts, introduce their daughter first.

When listing names, you also use the bride and grooms’ full names, including first, middle, and last names.

However, if you already listed your parents’ last name and the daughter has the same last name, you can include just the bride’s first and middle names. The same goes for the groom if his parents’ full names are on the invitation.

Use these examples as inspiration.

Example 1: Bride’s Parents Hosting
Mr. and Mrs. Charles William Grimes
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Poppy Jane
to
Landon Parker Fox

Example 2: Groom’s Parents Hosting
Mr. and Mrs. James Author Fox
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of
Poppy Jane Grimes
to their son
Landon Parker

Example 3: Couple Hosting
Together with their families
Poppy Jane Grimes
and
Landon Parker Fox
request the honor of your presence
at their marriage celebration

Date and Time

The date and time say when the ceremony starts. For formal wedding invitation wording, write out these elements fully. Don’t forget to specify if the time is in the morning, afternoon, or evening to avoid confusion. You also want to always include the year, as engagements often last longer than 12 months.

The date and time come after the host, request, and name lines.

Here are some examples of how this might look.

Example 1:
Saturday, the second of August
two thousand twenty-three
at three o'clock in the afternoon

Example 2:
Saturday, August second
two thousand twenty-three
half past three in the afternoon

Ceremony Location

To keep the invitation clutter-free, write the ceremony location as short as possible. You can often stick with the location’s name, city, and state. Most wedding venues have well-known names, like landmark churches or country clubs, that will appear on any map.

However, if the location is less known, add a street address. For example, backyard weddings need your street address and a line specifying that it’s your house.

Example 1: Well-known Venue
The Wadsworth Homestead
Geneseo, New York

Example 2: Small Venue
Hyatt Point Resort
5001 Coconut Road
Bonita Springs, Florida

Reception

End your invitation by letting guests know about the reception. Adding this line helps your guests better plan for the day and what to wear. A simple line saying “Reception to follow” is enough for the primary invitation. However, you can also add the reception’s time if it isn’t immediately after the ceremony.

Any additional details about the reception go on a different enclosure.

When Do You Need Additional Enclosures?

Sometimes, weddings have more details than you can fit on a single invitation card. Instead of trying to rework your wording, add enclosures for those details so the invitation focuses on the main event: your ceremony.

You can use a large or small enclosure, depending on how much detail you want to provide. Here are some common reasons couples use enclosures with their invitations:

• Wedding website details
• Reception details (if the reception is at a different location)
• Address changes
• Accommodations information (like reserved hotels)
• Parking details

Work with Expert Designers to Get Your Wording Right

The designers at Shine Wedding Invitations stay updated on the latest etiquette and trends in wedding invitation wording. So, when you choose our invitations, you receive the support of our designers as you pick out the perfect wording to announce your big day.

Start your personalized journey to designing a romantic wedding invitation suite.

Order a free sample of our customized designer wedding invitations.