Choosing the right wording for your wedding invitations

What to include

Although your wording can vary depending on how formal your celebration will be, make sure that the invitation includes the following:
  • names of the bride's parents or other hosts
  • first name of the bride
  • first name and surname of the bridegroom and his title (Mr/Lieutenant/Sir etc)
  • where the ceremony is taking place
  • date, month and year of the wedding ceremony
  • location of the wedding reception
  • address to which guests should reply, and a reply date
You might also wish to include:
  • details of any dress code/theme
  • time guests can expect the day to come to an end
  • whether children are invited
Who sends out the invitations?

Invitations are always sent from whoever is hosting the wedding -- traditionally the bride's parents. The wording becomes more complicated if parents are divorced or if the couple are holding the event themselves. The usual wording for a traditional invitation is:

Mr & Mrs Andrew Fleming
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter
Leslie to Mr Mark Thomson
at Abbotshall Church, Kirkcaldy,
on (date), (month), (year),
at, (time)
and afterwards at (reception venue).
RSVP: (host's address).


The traditional approach
If you want to follow traditional invitation style, there are a few rules to follow:
  • Invitations are generally written in the third person.
  • The bride's name should appear before the groom's.
  • When listing the time, date and venue, the time and date should be written first and the venue last.
  • Use titles, such as. Dr, Mrs etc when appropriate.
  • 'The honour of your presence' or 'The pleasure of your company' is the normal choice of wording. The former is often used for invitations to religious ceremonies such as a church wedding; the latter for invitations to an event in a non-religious venue.
  • How you break up the lines is up to you. Generally, names, times and places are placed on separate lines.
  • Wording can be adapted to accommodate different circumstances due to death, divorce and re-marriage on the bride's side. For example:
    • (if either parent is widowed):
      Mr Andrew Fleming / Mrs Lorraine Fleming, requests the pleasure...
    • (parents are divorced):
      Mr Andrew Fleming and Mrs Lorraine Fleming request the pleasure...
    • (parents divorced, mother remarried):
      Mr Andrew Fleming and Mrs Lorraine Smith request...

 

Inviting children

If children are invited, make this clear by including their names on their parents' invitation. Parents should assume that the invitation is for them alone if their children's names are not specified.

It can be tactful to include a short note to parents, such as: 'Much as we would like to invite all the children of our friends, it is only possible to accommodate the children of close family', or: 'We are sorry we are unable to accommodate children'. If you are inviting children, let parents know if you have made special childcare arrangements: 'We have arranged child-minding facilities for the duration of the service and/or reception'.

Invitations to the reception or an evening party

If space is limited at your ceremony venue, you may wish to invite more guests along to the reception afterwards. You may then decide to invite even more guests for your party in the evening.
A reception invitation will 'request the pleasure of your company'. An evening party invite can be equally formal, but can also be informal depending on the style of your wedding.

More wording examples

Who is hosting your wedding? Below are sample wordings for:

  • the bride’s parents
  • both sets of parents
  • hosting your own wedding
  • you with both sets of parents
  • a single parent
  • divorced parent with their spouse/bride or groom’s step parent
  • jointly hosted by divorced parents


The bride's parents

 Mr & Mrs Fleming
Request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Leslie Ann
to Mark Scott Thomson
son of
Mr & Mrs Thomson
on date, month, year
at, time
Abbotshall Church
Kirkcaldy


Both sets of parents

Mr & Mrs Fleming
and
Mr & Mrs Thomson
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter
Leslie Ann
to Mark Thomson
on date, month, year
at, time
Abbotshall Church,
Kirkcaldy



You're hosting your own

 Ms Leslie Ann Fleming
and
Mr Mark Scott Thomson
request the pleasure of your company
at their marriage
on date, month, year
at, time
Abbotshall Church,
Kirkcaldy


You with both sets of parents

Mr & Mrs Fleming
and their daughter
Leslie Ann
together with
Mr & Mrs Thomson
and their son
Mark Scott
request the honour of your presence
at the wedding of
Leslie Ann
and
Mark Scott
on date, month, year
at, time
Abbotshall Church,
Kirkcaldy


A single parent

Mr Fleming
requests the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of his daughter
Leslie Ann
to
Mark Scott Thomson
on date, month, year
at, time
Abbotshall Church,
Kirkcaldy


A divorced parent with their spouse bride or groom's step parent

Lorraine & John Smith
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of Lorraine Smith's daughter
Leslie Ann Fleming
to
Mark Scott Thomson
son of Mr & Mrs Thomson
on date, month, year
at, time
Abbotshall Church,
Kirkcaldy


Jointly hosted by divorced parents

Mr Fleming
and
Mrs Smith
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter
Leslie Ann Fleming
to
Mark Scott Thomson
son of
Mr & Mrs Thomson
on date, month, year
at, time
Abbotshall Church,
Kirkcaldy



Invitations from someone other than the bride or groom’s parents

If the host of the wedding is neither the bride nor the groom's parents but another relation, you should word the invitation submitting the word daughter/son and adding the hosts' relationship:

  • grandparents = granddaughter/grandson
  • aunt and uncle = niece/nephew 
  • godparents = goddaughter/godson 
  • foster parents = foster daughter/foster son 
  • brother = sister/brother 
  • sister = sister/brother

Invitations for joint weddings

If, for example, two sisters are getting married, the name of the older sister and her future husband should go first.

 

Other Invitations

Naming day

 You are invited to join in the happiness of
...(parents' names)...
in celebrating the birth of
(baby's name),
born on...,
weighing...
on...
at..
RSVP

 

 You are invited to celebrate the
birth and naming of
...(baby's name)...
on... time...
at...
RSVP


Christening/baptism

We request the honour of your presence at
the baptism of
...(baby's name)...
on... time...
at...
RSVP 

 

 We have been blessed.
Please join us at the Christening of
...(baby's name)..
on... time...
at...
Followed by drinks
at...
RSVP


Engagement

 Mr & Mrs...
cordially invite you to attend
the Engagement Party of their daughter
...(daughter's name)...
to
...(fiancé's name)...
on... time...
at...
Dress code: Lounge suites and evening dresses
RSVP

 

...(couple's names)...
are tying the knot!
Join them in celebrating their
engagement
on...time...
at....
RSVP 

 

He asked and I said YES!
Join ...(couple's names)... 


18th /21st birthday

 Mr & Mrs....(parents' surname)
request the pleasure of your company
to celebrate their daughter
...(girl's name)...
coming of age
on... time...
at...
Dress code: Black tie
RSVP

 

...(birthday boy's name)...
is having a ...(18th/21st)...Birthday party
on... time...
at...
RSVP 

 

It's time to party!
...(girl's name)...
has turned...(18/21)
Come and help her celebrate
on... time...
at...
RSVP

 

Party time!
...(birthday boy's name)...
has got the key of the door
You are invited to join in the celebrations
on... time...
at...
RSVP 


Hen Party Invitations

(bride to be’s name)
Hen Night
Invitation

You are invited to join (bride to be) in celebrating her Hen Night
Let’s make it a night to remember
On …. Time….
At……
RSVP