What to Include in a Wedding Invitation? 40 Wedding Invitation Wording, Templates & Examples
Here you'll find everything you need to know about wording your wedding invitations, along with free and downloadable templates you can customise yourself
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Once you've gone through the process of choosing your wedding venue and picking a date, the next thing you need to consider is your save the dates and wedding invitation - but understanding wedding invitation wording can be a whole minefield in itself.
Perhaps you're wondering what to include in a wedding invitation and what to save for the website, or you're fretting over how your evening wedding invitation wording will sound. For some, the dilemma may be that you haven't seen any wedding invitation examples where no children are invited, and you want to know how to break the news that little ones aren't invited.
Whatever your woe, rest assured that we have all the answers you could possibly need right here. Breathe!
What to Write in a Wedding Invitation? 40 Wedding Invitation Wording, Examples & Templates
We've consulted expert wedding stationery suppliers, and our own team of experts, of course, to put together a complete guide that details all the wedding invitation wording dos and don'ts you need to know about.
We've put together a list of wedding invitation examples with wording for pretty much any scenario you'd need to tackle, as well as rounding up our favourite wedding invitation templates, some of which are completely free to customise and download yourself!
Covering practically everything within the invite wordings realm, this really is your one-stop-shop for everything relating to wedding wording and invites. And to make things even simpler for you (because no one has time to scroll searching for what they need - are we right?), you can use the section guide below to skip to the part you need.
Prepare to have all of your wording for wedding invitations questions answered right here, right now.
- What to Include in a Wedding Invitation?
- Traditional Wedding Invitation Wording
- Modern Wedding Invite Wording Examples
- Traditional Wedding Invitation Wording Examples
- Unique Wording for Wedding Invitations
- LGBTQ+ Wedding Invitation Wording Examples
- Evening Wedding Invitation Wording Examples
- Wedding Invitation Templates to Print Yourself
- Free Wedding Invitation Templates to Download Now
What to Include in a Wedding Invitation?
It's all well and good having wedding invitations that look beautiful - but if they don't have all the correct information on it, you're opening yourself up to a lot of questions, queries and unwanted pestering from your guests. Not what you need when you're busy wedding planning, right?
To ensure you include all the relevant details, we've sought advice from stationery experts.
When advising what to write on a wedding invitation, Laura Baker, senior designer at Created by Magic provided us with the concise checklist below, detailing all the elements that should be included in your wedding invite wording.
- Host names - who is the wedding invitation from?
- A warm invitation sentence.
- The couple's names - who is getting married?
- The date and time of the wedding.
- The location of the ceremony (and reception if elsewhere!)
- A separate RSVP card, or instructions for a digital RSVP
She then advises that for finer details, couples should consider including a separate card. She explains, "For smaller details like travel and accommodation, consider adding a separate card. Here, you can provide advice on attire, parking and even direct guests to your wedding website for additional information."
Expert Tips for Your Wedding Invitation Wording
To help you nail your wedding invite text, here are some expert tips and advice for you to note.
Keep it Simple
Going back to the point of what to put on a wedding invitation versus what to include on your website or in a card, Rachael and Jamie at The Illustrated Invitation advise couples to, "Keep the actual invite as uncluttered as possible – any extra info can then be included on an information card, or the RSVP card.
"Alternatively, if you are having a wedding website you may include any extra info on there, or you may ask for replies by email. If so you can include any contact info, website addresses and passwords on the invite, under the RSVP section, so your guests know where to look."
Things to Consider on an RSVP or Information Card:
Rachael and Jamie give examples here of things you may want to include on your RSVP, information card or wedding website:
- Is there anything extra or unusual you need to let your guests know about, or ask them? For example, some venues are card only, restrict confetti or have limited parking.
- Are you offering accommodation that people need to book?
- Do you need to know menu choices in advance? Or ask about dietary requirements?
Be Clear Who is Invited
Asking couples for plus ones or if they can bring their children is a big wedding guest no-no, but to avoid this happening to you, it's important to be clear about who is actually invited in the first place, and the invitation is the best place to do this.
Rachael and Jamie suggest couples think about, "Who are you inviting? Is it just the adults, children too? And if it's an individual, can they bring a plus one? Make sure you state clearly who is invited, either on the invitation wording itself, or on the envelope."
Adding to this, Laura says, "If children aren’t on your guest list, communicate this graciously. Give ample notice to parents and consider nursing mothers’ needs. Simple wording like “We are very sorry, but we are keeping our special day as an adult-only occasion."
What's more, you also need to ensure that evening guests and day guests are clear as to which part of the wedding they are invited to.
Proofread Thoroughly
It sounds obvious, but even the best writers find it difficult to spot their own errors. Proofreading your wedding invite words thoroughly is so important, especially if you are using a wedding invitation template or designing it yourself. It's amazing how easy it is to forget to change a name, date or time on a template and not notice.
"I'd always recommend getting a second and third pair of eyes on your wedding invitation text," says Zoe Burke, Hitched Editor.
"Ask your most detail-oriented wedding party members to give your invitations a once-over before approving it with you stationer or sending them to print. I'd also advise giving yourself a few days breather from them and taking another look - a fresh pair of eyes always helps."
Ensure There's Clarity
Don't leave anything to chance when writing out your wedding invitation information. Laura explains, "A bit don't for me is expressing time using phrases such as "in the morning" or "in the evening" on your invitations," and we couldn't agree more.
Being vague with timings, directions and instructions that your guests actually need clarity on will cause chaos in their minds. It'll either result in people not being in the right place at the right time, or cause many of your guests to ask you 100 questions ahead of the day - neither of which are ideal.
Be Aware of Tradition
Traditional wedding invitation wording isn't for everyone, but if you do want to adhere to tradition, it's important to be aware of what 'the done thing' is.
Laura explains, "I would advise against including a gift registry on your printed wedding stationery, as this practice diverges from traditional etiquette. Instead, I would recommend incorporating the gift registry information into your wedding website.
"Another common oversight with traditional wedding invitations is not adhering to the traditional order of names. It's a delightful nod to tradition to place the bride's name before the groom's," - that's if there is a bride and groom getting married, that is.
Other traditional etiquette includes referring to 12.00pm as 'noon', using full legal names for both partners and avoiding symbols unless they are being used for design purposes.
However, as we said, a traditional wedding invitation message will not be everyone's preference, and if that's the case, you'll love the modern wedding invite wording ideas below.
Traditional Wedding Invitation Wording Examples
Here, you will find examples of wording for a wedding invite that go down more of a traditional route. However, you can always use these as a basis for your wedding invite message and tweak bits that don't work so well for you.
1. Traditional Church Wedding Invitation Wording
A traditional wedding invitation would typically come from the parents of the bride, as tradition dictates that they host the day and foot the bill.
On a traditional wedding invite, you’ll start with details of the church wedding ceremony followed by the reception details. While “request the pleasure of [guest]” is typical wording, you may choose to handwrite the name of the guest at the top and print a non-personalised set of invites. This wording would be “[bride’s parents] invite you to celebrate the marriage of…”
As the bride’s parents would be hosting, the RSVPs would go back to them and you’d add a separate RSVP card.
The text for a traditional wedding invitation to a church wedding ceremony, followed by the reception, should read as follows:
Mr & Mrs John Smith
request the pleasure of
[guest name/your company]
at the marriage of their daughter
Jessica
to
Mr Edward Jones
[location]
[date]
[time]
and afterwards at
[reception]
R.S.V.P by 30th June to [parent’s address]
2. Traditional Formal Civil Ceremony Wedding Invitation Wording
Many couples now have a civil ceremony at the same venue as their reception. You only need to list one venue on the invitation, but it’s best to include ‘followed by a reception’ so the guest knows they’ll be welcome at the ceremony as well as the celebrations after.
If the bride’s parents are hosting, just use their names, otherwise you may choose to name both sets of parents.
A formal civil ceremony wedding invitation should read:
Mr & Mrs John Smith
and Mr & Mrs Alan Jones
request the pleasure of
[guest name/your company]
at the marriage of their children
Jessica and Edward
[location]
[date]
[time]
R.S.V.P by 30th June to [parents’ address]
3. Traditional Informal Civil Ceremony Wedding Invitation Wording
Together with their parents,
[couple]
invite you to celebrate their wedding!
[location]
[date]
[time]
R.S.V.P by 30th June to [parents’ address]
4. Formal Wedding Invitation Wording With Numbers as Words
Laura gave us an insight into her favourite style of wedding invitation wording, saying, "Personally, I adore formal worded invitations, where numbers and times are spelled out," and her example is below.
Together with their families,
Lydia Harrison
and
William Jones
invite you to join them
at the celebration of their marriage
Saturday, the twenty-first of October
Two thousand and twenty-three
At two thirty in the afternoon
[ceremony location]
Dinner and dancing to follow at reception location
Modern Wedding Invite Wording Examples
If you're wondering what to write on a wedding invitation when sending it from you as the couple, or are trying to navigate invitations from modern family set-ups, these wedding invitation quotes and examples should help.
5. Wedding Invitation Wording with the Couple as Hosts
If your parents haven’t chipped in for the wedding, or you just feel like you’d like the invitations to come directly from you, then you don’t need to include their names on your wedding invitations.
You can simply put yourself down as hosts – just tweak the text accordingly following the above examples to reflect whether you’re having a church or civil ceremony.
Usually an invite from the couple is more informal, modern and might look like:
Jessica and Jane are getting hitched!
[location]
[date]
[time]
followed by drinking and dancing
R.S.V.P by 30th June to [couple’s address]
Other wording might include:
- Join us to celebrate our wedding
- [Couple] invite you to join them as they say “I do!”
- Please join [couple] as we tie the knot!
- [Couple] invite you to share in our joy as we get married
- A very simple ‘The wedding of [couple]’, followed by location, time and date details
6. Divorced Parents Wedding Invitation Wording
It can be tricky to know how to word your wedding invitations if your parents are divorced or have remarried. If they are divorced but have kept the same surname, you would use both parents’ full names on the invite:
Mr John Smith & Mrs Beth Smith
request the pleasure of
[guest name/your company]
at the marriage of their daughter
Jessica
to
Mr Edward Jones
[location]
[date]
[time]
R.S.V.P by 30th June to [parent’s address]
7. Remarried Parents Wedding Invitation Wording
If your parents have remarried but are still hosting the wedding together, you would name them separately and use your mother’s new married name, like so:
Mr John Smith & Mrs Beth Howard
request the pleasure of
[guest name/your company]
at the marriage of their daughter
Jessica
to
Mr Edward Jones
[location]
[date]
[time]
R.S.V.P by 30th June to [parent’s address]
8. Step-Parents Wedding Invitation Wording
If your parents split up a long time ago and they have since remarried or met a new partner and your step-parent is a part of hosting the wedding instead of one of your biological parents, there are a couple of ways around this in your wedding invitation wording.
You would use their separate names if they’re not married but, if the invitation is coming from your parent and step-parent, the wording should look something like this (the use of his and her is interchangeable depending on whether it’s your father or mother hosting.)
Mr & Mrs Paul Howard
request the pleasure of
[guest name/your company]
at the marriage of her daughter
Jessica Smith
to
Mr Edward Jones
[location]
[date]
[time]
R.S.V.P by 30th June to [parent’s address]
If both parents and respective step-parents are hosting, it’s always best to start with ‘Together with their families’.
9. Widowed Parents Wedding Invitation Wording
Addressing a wedding invitation from a widowed parent can be sensitive. It is traditional to just use the name of the parent who is requesting the company of the guest, if they are hosting alone or haven’t remarried.
If they’ve remarried and you’re happy to have both names on your invitations, you’re best to follow the step-parent format above. If it is from the father and he has not remarried, you’d just use his name. If it’s the mother that is the surviving parent, and she has not remarried, you’d use her married title.
Below is an example of wedding invitation wording from a widowed parent:
Mrs Beth Smith
request the pleasure of
[guest name/your company]
at the marriage of her daughter
Jessica Smith
to
Mr Edward Jones
[location]
[date]
[time]
R.S.V.P by 30th June to [parent’s address]
10. Formal Both Families Wedding Invitation Wording
Perhaps both sets of parents have helped contribute towards the wedding, or you would just like to reference both sets of families on your wedding invitations? This is an increasingly popular way to word your wedding invitations.
For formal invitations from both sets of parents, you would use both their names:
Mr and Mrs John Smith
&
Mr and Mrs James Jones
invite you to celebrate the marriage of their children
Jessica and Edward
[location]
[date]
[time]
R.S.V.P by 30th June to [parents’ address]
11. Informal Both Families Wedding Invitation Wording
If you feel like having both sets of parents’ names on there is a bit clunky, you can word it slightly more informally. “Together with their parents” works well if both sets of parents are still together, but if one party is widowed or there are any remarriages involved, “Together with their families” is a nice option that acknowledges everyone.
Here’s an example of an informal invitation from both sets of parents:
Together with their families,
Jessica Smith
&
Edward Jones
invite you to join them as they say “I do!”
[location]
[date]
[time]
R.S.V.P by 30th June to [couple/parents’ address]
LGBTQ+ Wedding Invitation Wording Examples
The rules are almost exactly the same for same-sex couples, the only difference is which name goes first.
Traditionally the name of the bride comes at the top, but if there are two brides or two grooms then throw the rule book out and do what feels right for you.
12. Formal LGBTQ+ Wedding Invitation Wording
If one set of parents are paying for the wedding then etiquette dictates their names will go first, but otherwise it is your choice how you list your names. Alphabetically might solve any potential issues!
Together with their parents,
Edward Jones
&
Jack Andrew
request the pleasure of your company
at their wedding
[location]
[date]
[time]
R.S.V.P by 30th June to couple/parents’ address
13. Informal LGBTQ+ Wedding Invitation Wording
If you'd rather things feel less formal, stick to first names and go with the order that most people refer to you as a couple.
Jessie & Mabel
Invite you to party with them
& celebrate their love
at their wedding
at [venue]
on [date and time]
R.S.V.P by 30th June to couple/parents’ address
14. Cute LGBTQ+ Wedding Invitation Wording
Why not introduce your new surname (whatever you're going for) on your wedding invitations?
The future
Mrs & Mrs Brooker-Drake
Invite you to celebrate with them
[location]
[date]
[time]
R.S.V.P by 30th June to couple/parents’ address
Personal & Unique Wording for Wedding Invitations
Want something out of the box and unique to you? These unique wording for wedding invitations will give you plenty of food for thought.
15. Wedding Invitation Wording With a Personal Touch
Speaking about their favourite and most modern wedding invitation wording, Rachael and Jamie explain, "There are a couple that just spring to mind, the ones that make you smile the first time you read them!
"One was an invitation from a couple living in Australia, but returning to the UK for their wedding to a beautiful Scottish castle, as the groom was originally from Scotland. On it, it said, ”We request the pleasure of your wee faces….”
It was very simple, but very personal, and clearly stated how important the recipient of the invite was to the couple. It was just a little thing, but it immediately set the tone and personality of the couple, and was so warm.
16. Wedding Invitation Wording from Your Children
This is a cute idea if you and your partner have children together already, or have children from previous relationships that you want to include on your wedding invitations.
Here’s how to word your invitation if the children are from your relationship:
Jennifer and Jacob Jones
invite you to join them
for the marriage of their parents
Jessica Smith
&
Edward Jones
[location]
[date]
[time]
followed by a reception
R.S.V.P by 30th June to [couple‘s address]
If the children are from a previous relationship they should be listed in age order from oldest to youngest, with the bride’s children appearing first (in age order only for a same-sex marriage).
17. Informal & Fun Wedding Invitation Wording
If you're more of a fun and informal couple, show that in your invitation wording message. For example, you could say:
Lucia and Sammy
being the party animals they are
invite you to sip fizz
and dance the night away
[location]
[date]
[time]
R.S.V.P by 30th June to [couple‘s address]
Evening Wedding Invitation Wording Examples
Not having children at the wedding? Inviting some guests only to the evening? Here's how to be super clear with your wording.
18. Formal Evening-Only Wedding Invitation Wording
Sometimes there just isn’t enough room on the guest list to invite everyone to the day. If you need to invite someone to the evening reception only, make sure you word it clearly so your guests aren’t confused.
Here’s a traditionally worded wedding evening invitation to inspire you:
Mr & Mrs John Smith
request the pleasure of
[guest name/your company]
at a reception to celebrate the marriage of their daughter
Jessica
to
Mr Edward Jones
[location]
[date]
[time e.g. 7pm]
R.S.V.P by 30th June to [parents‘ address]#
19. Informal Evening-Only Wedding Invitation Wording
An informal evening-only invite would look like:
Jessica and Edward
invite you to an evening of drinks and dancing
to celebrate their wedding!
[location]
[date]
[time e.g. 7pm]
R.S.V.P by 30th June to [couple’s address]
20. Adults-Only Wedding Invitation Wording
For couples who want an adult-only celebration, it is worth specifying this on your invitations. Some people may assume their children are invited, even if they haven’t been named.
Address your invitations as normal with just the names of the adults invited and then add a line at the bottom expressly stating kids aren’t invited. You can politely point out your choice on your invitation like so:
- Unfortunately, children are not invited – we hope you understand
- We have chosen to have a child-free wedding. We hope you are still able to celebrate with us
- Our wedding will be a child-free occasion. We hope you can still come and enjoy a night off
Wedding Invitation Templates for You to Print
If you're planning to write your own wedding invitations, why not use one of these wedding invitation templates which you can download and print yourself?
21. Romantic Wisteria Wedding Invitation Template - £2.50, Hitched Stationery
Put your own twist on this editable chic floral invitation. Light colours and watercolour inspiration mean that this design screams elegance, and is the perfect introduction to a garden wedding - what could be more whimsical and perfect than a wedding invitation template like that?
22. In Love Print-It-Yourself Wedding Invitation Templates – Approx £36.50, Minted
This unusual design is a template you can print yourself. It's perfect for making a style statement, putting a modern twist on classic wedding invitations.
After all, love is the answer and the reason for your wedding day - why not remind your guests of this? It's modern, chic and effortlessly stylish, what's not to like?
23. Lavender Wedding Invitation Template Set - £30 for 10, Papier
Lavender is said to symbolise devotion, serenity and calmness, ideal for your wedding day and beyond. These 'Lavande' invitations are a beautifully decorated introduction to a serene ceremony perfect for every season.
It's also a great way to embrace floral wedding stationery without being too over-the-top.
24. Vintage Mountain Wedding Invitation Template With Insert - £2.61, Hitched Stationery
Perfect for any hiking enthusiasts or nature lovers, this mountain invitation has a lovely vintage feel. The invitation template comes in a range of designs and can be paired with other pieces in the 'Vintage Mountain' series to create an adventurous and outdoorsy feel for your big day.
The colour palette is also super contemporary and would perfectly match a botanical wedding theme.
25. Gatsby Wedding Invitation Template - £3.01, Hitched Stationery
A glitzy Gatsby glamour theme is an exciting way to jazz up your ceremony - be sure to check out this wedding invitation template in a classic Gatsby design to get the ball rolling.
It's the perfect pick if you've already decided on your 1920s wedding dress.
26. Rustic-Boho Autumn Wedding Invitation Template – £21.16, Etsy
This wedding invitation template brings together the colours of autumn with a delicate, boho illustration style.
You get an editable invitation template, details card and RSVP card. This design is absolutely perfect for any couple planning a rich, decadent autumn wedding.
27. Blush Pink Watercolour Wedding Invitation Set – £18, The Little Touches
This gorgeous set is the modern way to do pretty. It includes wedding invitation templates, guest information cards, RSVP cards and even envelopes. If a pink wedding theme is what you're after, pair this set with a pink wedding dress.
28. Calligraphy Wedding Invitation Template – £6, Etsy
Looking for paired-back wedding invitation templates? This chic design fits the bill, with the calligraphy font the star of the show.
If you're planning a simple wedding for a smaller budget, make sure you check out our guide to planning a wedding for £3,000 - it really can be done!
29. Wood Wedding Invitation Suite Template – £9.97, Etsy
This lovely design is one of those downloadable wedding invitation templates that would be ideal for a rustic barn or festival-style wedding.
We've got lots of rustic wedding ideas to inspire you and this stationery helps to set the scene for a barn wedding setting like nothing else!
30. Sage Green Wedding Invitation Template Suite – £11.08, Etsy
This invitation suite offers couples a template that feels so current, blending gorgeously earthy tones with a contemporary font.
It's the perfect match for a boho wedding dress - we can just see it being photographed next to some beautiful pampas grass wedding décor.
Free Wedding Invitation Templates to Download Now
Did you know there are free wedding invitation templates out there that won't cost you a penny to edit and download? Well if you didn't, you do now!
31. Geometric Winter Template – Free, Tempoola
Geometric designs always look so refined, and this modern style is no exception. We also love the richness of the dark blue background - pair this with a geometric cake for a theme that will be the envy of all in attendance.
32. Winter Bride Wedding Invitation Template – Free, Greetings Island
We love the icy shade of blue used on this design. These cool tones, combined with some gorgeous wintery wreaths and gold berries, make this one of the chicest ways to invite friends and family to your winter wedding.
33. Green Watercolour – Free, Canva
The refreshing green and blue hues of this design create a wonderful calming feeling, and interesting patchwork style details makes it extra intriguing. This design feels so fresh, and would suit a plethora of different wedding themes, colour schemes and styles.
34. Tropical Green Wedding Invitation Template – Free, Tempoola
This is the ideal printable wedding invitation for any nature lovers or plant parents out there. The tropical design template feels so fresh - print it on the best paper stock your budget allows to really let that green hue sing.
35. Gold & Black Royal Wedding Invitation – Free, Canva
We do love a glamorous wedding invitation, and this show-stopping design is giving us serious Old Hollywood vibes. Black and gold is a luxurious combination and this design wouldn't look out of place at a Gatsby party... or a Gatsby wedding.
36. Pre-Made 107 Wedding Invitation Template – Free, Jukebox
We love the colour palette used in this design, and the exuberant pinks, oranges and greens make this the ideal invitation for a bright and beautiful spring wedding. We can smell the roses already and love the blend of pink and orange - it's super on trend.
37. Peacocks in Love Wedding Invitation Template – Free, Greetings Island
Looking for a bright and beautiful design? Peacocks in Love is eye-catching without being over the top, with its beautifully illustrated peacocks and a gold border creating a sense of luxury. The fact that such a gorgeous design is free with a watermark is still blowing our minds...
38. Peach Watercolour Wedding Invitation – Free, Canva
This design is the definition of pretty in pink. The ombre design means that the free wedding invitation template travels from baby pink to blush pink to deep pink, making this design cute, romantic and bursting with love.
39. Gold & Roses Wedding Invitation Template – Free, Greetings Island
Roses and gold; name a more iconic duo, we challenge you. If you love an exuberant floral (us too!), you need to check out this romantic design - the pink blooms and green leaves really pop against the dark background and the gold body.
40. Pre-Made 278 Wedding Invitation Template – Free, Jukebox
Whether you're having an exotic destination wedding or you're simply an adventurous couple who likes to travel, this flight-ticket-style template is just the thing to get guests excited. With this gorgeous design, you're guaranteed to have a first class trip down the aisle - see what we did there?
To ensure your invites are picture-perfect, read up on the biggest wedding stationery mistakes other couples make so you can avoid them completely!
