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The Ultimate Guide to Wording Your Perfect Wedding Invitation


Wedding invitations are not just a simple announcement, they set the tone for the big day and are a reflection of your personality and style. When writing your wedding invitations, it's important to consider the tone, formality, and style you want to convey. Additionally, it's important to include all the necessary information such as the date, time, location, and dress code. We've put together some tips and examples to help you craft the perfect wording for your wedding invitations.

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS TO INCLUDE ON A WEDDING INVITATION

Who's hosting
Request to attend
The couple’s names
Date and time
Location
Reception details
Dress code



    The following examples should serve as a guideline, based on traditional wedding invitation etiquette. However, you really don’t need to adhere to any rules. Ultimately your invitation should reflect who you are as a couple, your love, and the celebration to come.

    THE HOSTS

    The hosts names are typically indicated on the first line of the invitation wording. Usually the parents host the wedding, however it's common for the couple to host it themselves.   

    IF THE BRIDE'S PARENTS ARE HOSTING

    If the bride's parents are hosting, you would leave off the bride's last name (unless she has a different last name to her parents, in which case her full name should be used).

    Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Langlie
    Request the honour of your presence
    at the marriage of their daughter
    Kiera Louise
    to
    Mr. Patrick Ethan Kennedy
    Saturday the thirtieth of March
    Two thousand twenty four
    At four o'clock in the afternoon

    IF BOTH PARENTS ARE HOSTING

    List the bride and groom's parent's names on seperate lines, with the bride's parents on the first line. You don't need to include the bride or groom's surname unless it differs from their parents.
    Julie and Aaron Whitely
    Together with Eliza and Brian Purcell
    Invite you to join them at the marriage of their children
    Jasmin Emily
    and Oliver Ryan
    Saturday the fourth of April
    Two thousand twenty four

    IF THE COUPLE ARE HOSTING

    If you are paying for the wedding yourselves, the invitation can start with a request line, followed by your names. Alternatively, you may list your names, followed by the request line:
    Examples
    The honour of your presence is requested at the marriage of...
    Together with their families...
    We invite you to be with us as we begin our new life together...
    With joyful hearts...
    With full hearts...
    Skip host line and list couples names, followed by request line

    THE REQUEST LINE

    After the hosts are listed the request line will follow. The tone of the request line should reflect the style and formality of the wedding.
    It's customary to use the term "request the honour of your presence" only when a wedding is held in a place of worship, otherwise you would use a different term.
    Examples
    Request the pleasure of your company
    Invite you to celebrate the love and marriage of
    Joyfully request your company at the love and marriage of

    THE COUPLES NAMES

    Typically the brides name will appear first, followed by the groom. For same-sex couples, the order of names can be a matter of preference in terms of what sounds better.

    DATE AND TIME

    If you want your invitation to reflect a formal wedding, the date and time would be written out in full. Including the day of the week is optional, however we recommend including this if it is a mid-week wedding as guests may need to make extra arrangements.

    For formal weddings, the time is spelled out 'three thirty in the afternoon'. For an informal wedding you would use numerals.

    LOCATION

    The street address, city and state should be included, however you may omit the street address if you are including an additional card with more detailed information about the venue. Postal/zip codes should not be included on the invitation.

    RECEPTION DETAILS

    The reception details can be included on the invitation if there is room. Alternatively this could be included on the enclosure card. Following the ceremony location you might include:

    Formal
    Reception to follow
    And afterwards at a reception
    Reception immediately following

    Informal
    Followed by a night of celebrations
    Dinner, dancing and celebrations to follow
    Followed by a night under the stars

    DRESS CODE

    Dont forget to include the dress code on your invitations, your guests will want to know!


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