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Wedding Invitation Wording

You’ve got the venue, caterer, photographer and DJ booked.  The dress is in and you are soon starting your fittings.  The guys have their tuxes ordered and you sent your save the dates out a couple months back.  Now it’s time to think about the wedding invitations.  You’ve spent hours browsing Pinterest and other websites and you think you’ve found the perfect option but you have no idea what it should say.

While choosing the proper wording for your wedding invitation suite can be a bit tricky, the process does not need to be stressful.  The most important thing to remember is that the wording should always reflect the overall style of your special day.

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GENERAL WEDDING INVITATION WORDING GUIDELINES

If you aren’t sure, you can always check with your officiant for any specific information on style but traditionally if a couple gets married in a church or other house of worship, the request line wording reads “request the honor”.

All words, dates and numbers are typically written out.  The only abbreviations typically on a wedding invitation are Mr. and Mrs.

Punctuation is typically found only in the time, date or in the location.

If the bride’s parents are hosting and the daughter shares their last name, it can be omitted from the invitation.

Monogram | Wedding Logo

While not required, monograms and wedding logos can help brand a wedding and maintain consistency throughout all wedding stationery. When
used, they are often placed prominently at the top of the wedding invitation as the sample shows.

Host Names | Introduction

The first line(s) is/are where you indicate who is hosting the wedding. Historically, the bride’s family always hosted (paid for) the wedding. This is
often not the case today so you must decide if you (the couple) are sharing that honor with anyone else including sets/singles of parents. The word
“and” between two names traditionally implies that those people are married. Names of unmarried hosts or guests should be stacked.

If you, the couple, wish to invite your guests yourself “Andrea and Steven invite you to…” would be acceptable. The most common, general line
would be “Together with their families…”

Invitation Line

This may come before or after the couple’s names depending on the wording of the invitation. This is where you actually invite your guests.
“Request the honor of your presence” is typically reserved for a church or place of worship. “Request the pleasure of your company” is often used
for a more secular wedding though this can be whatever the couple wishes. You may use “honor” or “honour”, just be sure to match your RSVP card
with “favor” or “favour”.

The Couple |Names

Traditionally the bride’s name goes first and if her parents are in the host line, her last name should be left off. If the couple is two brides, or two
grooms or the couple simply wants to put the groom’s name first, this is perfectly fine too. The couple should also decide if they want to include
middle names and/or last names. While we feel middle names are completely optional, Raspberry Creative does recommend using last names.

Action Line

This line may be with the invitation line as the example shows but it may also be separate. This is the line that tells people what they are being
invited to. Traditionally if the bride’s parents are hosting, a common action line would be “at the marriage of their daughter”. Other common action
lines are “at the celebration of their marriage”, “as they tie the knot”, “as they celebrate their marriage vows”.

The Details

Depending on the level of formality, abbreviations are not recommended. Traditionally, middle names, street information, states, months and days
are all written out. If the invitation is meant to be more casual and abbreviations preferred, be sure to remain consistent throughout the entire
invitation suite. Raspberry Creative also recommends keeping the information clean and simple so your guests don’t have to guess at what you
mean.

Post Ceremony

This simple line serves as an indication of what your guests should expect for the party to follow. If the wedding and reception are being hosted
in the same location, there is no need for a reception card or details card. You can simply say “reception to follow” or “dinner and dancing to
follow” You can also get creative if you wish or be more speicific, “cake, punch, and revelry to follow”, “Join us for an intimate dinner following the
ceremony”, “Confetti and magic to follow” or “come for the love, stay for the merriment”.

Wording Samples by Host

Wedding Hosted by Both Parents

Traditional / Religious

Held in a religious venue, hosted by both parents.

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Masser
and Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Klinger
request the honor of our presence
at the marriage of their children
Madeline Louise
and
Brock Matthew
Saturday,the third of June
two thousand twenty-one
at half past four in the afternoon
Cathedral of Christ the King
1425 South Main Street
Atlanta, Georgia
Reception to Follow

 

Traditional / Secular

Held in a secular location, hosted by both parents.

Mr. and Mrs. William Gushue
and Mr. and Mrs. Andreas Vellajo
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their children
Tina Marie
and
Erick Andreas
Saturday, the ninth of September
two thousand twenty
at five o’clock in the afternoon
The Loft at Jack’s Barn
1487 Route 81
Oxford, New Jersey
Dinner and Dancing to Follow

Casual / Informal

Held in a casual location, hosted by both parents.

Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Ruck
and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Teichman
invite you to celebrate with them
at the wedding of their children
Taylor Lauren
and
Brandon Charles
Saturday, July 15, 2021 at 4:00 PM
Indian River Lifesaving Station
Delaware Seashore State Park
25039 Coastal Highway
Ocean View, Delaware
Confetti and magic to follow

Wedding Hosted by Bride's Parents

Traditional / Religious

Held in a religious venue, hosted by the bride’s parents.

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Merriam Sr.
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Victoria Ann
to
Raymond George Miller
Friday, the fourth of September
two thousand twenty-one
at half past five in the afternoon
St. John’s Catholic Church
809 Park Avenue
Collingswood, New Jersey
Dinner and Dancing to follow

Traditional / Secular

Held in a secular venue, hosted by the bride’s parents.

Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Albertson
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter
Alexis Rae
to
Brian Davis Garrison
Saturday, the twenty-fifth of April
two thousand twenty-one
at half past three in the afternoon
Colonial Pines
4067 Old Turnpike Road
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
Dinner and Dancing to follow

Casual / Informal

Held in a casual location, hosted by the bride’s parents.

Mr. and Mrs. Corey Welsch
invite you to celebrate with them
at the marriage of their daughter
Kimberly Rose
to
Justin Robert Montgomery
Saturday, June 5, 2021
at 4:00 PM
3840 Lakewood Drive
Pendalton, New York
Reception to Follow

Wedding Hosted by Groom's Parents

Traditional / Religious

Held in a religious venue, hosted by the groom’s parents.

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Cooper
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of
Brittany Reagan Massey
to their son
Alexander Thomas
Saturday, the fourth day of November
two thousand twenty-one
at half past five in the afternoon
St. John’s Catholic Church
809 Park Avenue
Collingswood, New Jersey
Dinner and Dancing to follow

Traditional / Secular

Held in a secular venue, hosted by the groom’s parents.

Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Kennedy
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of
Daniella Claire Johnson
to
Andrew Frederick
Saturday, the twenty-fifth of April
two thousand twenty-one
at half past three in the afternoon
Colonial Pines
4067 Old Turnpike Road
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
Dinner and Dancing to follow

Casual / Informal

Held in a casual location, hosted by the groom’s parents.

Mr. and Mrs. James Miller
invite you to celebrate with them
at the marriage of
Claire Elain Thomas
to
Preston Robert
Saturday, June 5, 2021
at 4:00 PM
3840 Lakewood Drive
Pendalton, New York
Reception to Follow

Wedding Hosted by the Bride and Groom

Traditional / Religious

Held in a religious venue, hosted by the bride and groom.

We’ve decided on forever
and forever begins when we,
Courtney Anne Smith
and
Peter James Chappell
are joined in holy matrimony
and we request the honor of your presence
to celebrate with us
Saturday, the fourth day of November
two thousand twenty-one
at half past five in the afternoon
St. John’s Catholic Church
809 Park Avenue
Collingswood, New Jersey
Dinner and Dancing to follow

Traditional / Secular

Held in a secular venue, hosted by the bride and groom.

Daniella Claire Johnson
to
Andrew Frederick
request the pleasure of your company
at the celebration of their wedding
Saturday, the twenty-fifth of April
two thousand twenty-one
at half past three in the afternoon
Colonial Pines
4067 Old Turnpike Road
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
Dinner and Dancing to follow

Casual / Informal

Held in a casual location, hosted by the bride and groom.

Claire Elain Thomas
to
Preston Robert
invite you to celebrate with them
at their wedding
Saturday, June 5, 2021
at 4:00 PM
3840 Lakewood Drive
Pendalton, New York
Reception to Follow

Wedding Hosted by Both Families and Couple

Traditional / Religious

Held in a religious venue, hosted by both families and couple.

Together with Mr. and Mrs. Neil Mason
and Mr. and Mrs. George Thompson,
Courtney Anne
and
Peter James
are joined in holy matrimony
and we request the honor of your presence
to celebrate with us
Saturday, the fourth day of November
two thousand twenty-one
at half past five in the afternoon
St. John’s Catholic Church
809 Park Avenue
Collingswood, New Jersey
Dinner and Dancing to follow
at The Priestly House

Traditional / Secular

Held in a secular venue, hosted by both families and couple.

Together with Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Johnson
and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Penney,
Daniella Claire
and
Andrew Scott
request the pleasure of your company
at the celebration of their wedding
Saturday, the twenty-fifth of April
two thousand twenty-one
at half past three in the afternoon
Colonial Pines
4067 Old Turnpike Road
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
Dinner and Dancing to follow

Casual / Informal

Held in a casual location, hosted by both families and couple.

Together with their parents,
Claire Elain Thomas
to
Preston Robert
invite you to celebrate with them
at their wedding
Saturday, June 5, 2021
at 4:00 PM
3840 Lakewood Drive
Pendalton, New York
Reception to Follow

Alternate Situations

Divorced Parents

Formal and/or traditional weddings being held in a church and hosted by the divorced parents of the bride – include parents’ names on separate
lines.

Remarried Parents

Use similar format to divorced parents with parents on separate lines.

 

If you have more questions or still aren’t sure, our experienced and friendly creative team can work with you one-on-one to personally help you decide what wording speaks to you and your special day!

More Help with Wedding Invitations

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RSVP Wording

From meal choices to song requests, find all the elements to word your perfect RSVP card wording.

Wedding Invitation Etiquette

All the dos and don’ts so your wedding invitations are perfect from start to finish.

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Enclosure Card Wording

Whether you need a simple reception card, provide your guest hotel accommodations, directions or provide your wedding website, find easy ways to word all your enclosure cards.

 

Addressing Your Wedding Invitations

Easily see how to address your wedding invitations for all those tricky situations.