Invitation Wording & Addressing Tips

WEDDING INVITATION WORDING TIPS

 

THE HOST LINE

The first line(s) are reserved for the host of the wedding (who is doing the inviting). Lots of times it’s one party’s parents, or the couple themselves. Wording options can be as formal as you like and include;
When parents are hosting:
  • Mr. and Mrs. Smith
  • Mr. and Mrs. Thomas R. Smith, Sr.
  • Mrs. Judy and Mr. Thomas Smith
  • Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Smith together with Mr. and Mrs. James Jones
When the couple is hosting:
  • With great pleasure and joy, [we]
  • Together with their families [or parents],
  • Together with our families [or parents],
The host line can get a bit complicated when there are divorced parents, widowed parents, grand parents or multiple sets of parents hosting. If any of these sound familiar, let’s chit chat about your wording options!
 

THE REQUEST LINE

The next couple of lines are to formally invite your guests to the wedding. Some lines are for more formal weddings, or weddings being held in a place of worship.
  • request [the pleasure of] your company at
  • request [the honor/honour of] your presence at *
  • invite you to [share in the joy of]
  • would love your presence in celebrating
  • invite you to join them as they say “I do” [exchange vows]
  • invite you to join them as they promise forever at
  • invite you to join in the celebration of
Depending on the line you choose above, if there is no host, or the couple is hosting, you may need to choose an additional line;
  • … the marriage of their daughter
  • … the marriage of their children
  • …our marriage
  • …their/our wedding mass
  • …their our nuptial mass
  • …their/our wedding
Note: extended wordings are listed inside the brackets [the pleasure of] and lines with an * are usually reserved for a wedding ceremony located in a place of worship.
 

THE NAME LINES

The name lines seem straight forward, but there are a few general guidelines to follow!
 
If the couple is hosting:
  • Bride: First, Middle (optional) , Last
  • Groom: First, Middle (optional) , Last, Suffix.
If only the Bride’s parents are listed in the host line:
  • Bride: First, Middle only (if Bride shares the same last name as both parents)
  • Bride: First, Middle (optional) and Last (if Bride’s last name is different or parents are divorced)
  • Groom: First, Middle (optional), Last, Suffix.
If the Groom’s parents ARE listed on the invitation
  • Bride: First, Middle only (if Bride shares the same last name as both parents)
  • Groom: First, Middle only (if Bride has first and middle only)
    OR
  • Bride: First, Middle (optional) and Last (if Bride’s last name is different than parents or parents are divorced)
  • Groom: First, Middle (optional), Last, Suffix (if Bride’s full name is listed)
If you’re listing the groom’s parents on the invitation, but they are not hosting, a great way to include them is to put them directly following the groom’s name, using “son of”. Of course, you can precede this with words like “beloved”, “oldest”, “only”, etc.
 

USING -TO-  OR -AND-

Trying to decide to use “to” or “and” is pretty simple. If the host is anyone other than the couple, use “to”. If the couple is hosting, use “and”. Example:
“Mr. and Mrs. Smith request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of
Kimberly Anne
to
James Jones”

or

“Together with their families
Kimberly Anne
and
James Jones”

Note: We used “Bride” and “Groom” above, but we fully appreciate and understand that not all couples have a bride and/or groom. If you need help with deciding how to list your names, we’re more than happy to help any couple find the perfect wording!

 

WRITING THE DAY, DATE AND TIME

There’s more than one way to write the date and time on your invitations. Super formal weddings require a long, written-out date while more casual weddings can abbreviate the date or even use just numbers. Here’s a list of ways to write your date, from MOST formal to LEAST formal. Of course you can mix and match!

  • Wednesday, the first day of January
    Two thousand nineteen
    Three o’clock in the afternoon
  • The first of January
    Two thousand nineteen
    at three o’clock
  • January 1, 2019 or January 1st 2019
    at 3 in the afternoon
  • 01/01/2019 or 01.01.19
    at 3:00 p.m.

Note: We always recommend putting the DAY, DATE, and TIME, regardless of which format you choose!

 

THE VENUE

Regardless of where your wedding is being held, it’s important to give your guests the most information possible, without crowding the invitation.

If your ceremony and reception are at DIFFERENT venues;

  • Include the ceremony venue name, street address, city and state on the invitation
  • Include the reception venue name, street address, city and state on an insert card
    OR
  • Include the ceremony venue name, city and state on the invitation
  • Include the full ceremony venue name, street address, city and state on an insert card
  • Include the reception venue name, street address, city and state on an insert card
 

THE RECEPTION CARD

Do you need to outline your entire reception on the invitation? No- but if you have a separate reception card, you can include things like;
  • The venue name, address and phone number
  • Venue Parking information (valet, free parking, etc.)
  • Reception start time
  • Cocktail Hour Information
  • Reception end time

Reception cards are completely optional, but recommended with almost every situation. A reception card is the best place to communicate what your guests can expect after the ceremony. If your ceremony and reception are at the SAME venue;

Include the venue name, city and state only on the invitation, with the full street address on an insert card
 
OR
 
Include the venue name, street address, city and state on the invitation with;
  • Reception to Follow
  • Dinner and Dancing Immediately Following the Ceremony
  • Followed by Cocktails, Dinner and Dancing
  • To be Followed by a Reception
  • Reception at (time)
  • Dinner Reception Following
 

ADDITIONAL INSERT CARDS

More often than not, our clients have extra information that they want to convey to their guests. Insert cards are used to keep the invitation clean and easy-to-read, and are designed to get the most information to your guests. All of our suites come with at least one insert. You can use your inserts for whatever you like, but here are our most popular.
 
“Extra” Details Card
This is the perfect place to put things that are important for your guests to know, such as;
  • Attire requests that are not on the main invitation
  • “No photography” request
  • “Unplugged Wedding” Information
  • Wedding Website & Passcode
  • Wedding Hashtag
  • Information about children at the ceremony/reception
  • Directions
  • Special requests (such as to wear a comfortable jacket for an outdoor wedding)
Travel and Hotel Accommodations Card
This card usually has information on travel itineraries, local hotels, group codes, and reservation dates.
 
Weekend Activities/Itinerary
Need to let your out-of-town guests know what’s coming up over the wedding weekend? This is perfect for you.
 
R.S.V.P Card
This is probably the most important insert. Even if you are requesting that your guests reply online, we always recommend having a separate, mail-in reply card. The date on the reply card should be 2 weeks prior to when you need your final headcount.

Note: We used “Bride” and “Groom” above, but we fully appreciate and understand that not all couples have a bride and/or groom. If you need help with deciding how to list your names, we’re more than happy to help any couple find the perfect wording!