Wedding Invitation Wording: 20 Examples for Every Style
The seven parts every invitation needs, plus ready-to-use wording by formality and by who is hosting.
Your invitation is the first thing guests see, and it quietly answers a dozen questions before the day even arrives.
Formal or casual, every wedding invitation does the same job: it says who is getting married, who is inviting you, and when and where to show up. Get those parts right and the wording is mostly about tone. This guide breaks down the seven-part formula, then gives you twenty ready-to-use examples by formality, by who is hosting, and for the RSVP and details cards, including the tricky cases like divorced parents and honoring someone who has passed.
Copy a version, swap in your details, and you have your wording sorted in one sitting.
The seven parts of a wedding invitation
The seven parts of a wedding invitation
Every invitation, formal or casual, answers who, what, when, and where. These seven lines cover it.
| Part | What it does | Example line |
|---|---|---|
| Host line | Names who is inviting the guests | Together with their families |
| Request line | Invites guests to attend | request the honor of your presence |
| Couple's names | Who is getting married | Emma Rose Carter and James Michael Bennett |
| Date and time | When, spelled out for formal invites | Saturday, the fourteenth of June, two thousand twenty-six, at four o'clock in the afternoon |
| Venue | Where the ceremony happens | The Rose Garden Estate, Charleston, South Carolina |
| Reception line | What happens next | Dinner and dancing to follow |
| RSVP details | How and by when to reply | Kindly reply by the first of May |
Wedding invitation wording by formality
Formal
"Mr. and Mrs. Robert Carter request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Emma Rose to James Michael Bennett on Saturday, the fourteenth of June, two thousand twenty-six, at four o'clock in the afternoon, The Rose Garden Estate, Charleston, South Carolina. Reception to follow."
"Together with full hearts, Emma Rose Carter and James Michael Bennett request the pleasure of your company at their wedding on Saturday, the fourteenth of June, two thousand twenty-six, at four o'clock in the afternoon, The Rose Garden Estate, Charleston, South Carolina. Dinner and dancing to follow."
Semi-formal
"With joy, Emma Carter and James Bennett invite you to celebrate their marriage on Saturday, June 14, 2026, at four in the afternoon, The Rose Garden Estate, Charleston, South Carolina. Cocktails, dinner, and dancing to follow."
"Emma and James are getting married, and they would love for you to be there. Saturday, June 14, 2026, four o'clock in the afternoon, The Rose Garden Estate, Charleston, South Carolina. Reception to follow."
Casual and modern
"We're tying the knot. Join Emma and James for their wedding on Saturday, June 14, 2026, at 4:00 pm, The Rose Garden, Charleston. Good food, cold drinks, and dancing to follow."
"Emma and James. Getting married. June 14, 2026, 4 pm. The Rose Garden, Charleston, SC. Stay for dinner and dancing."
Fun and playful
"She said yes, he cried, and now there's a party. Come watch Emma and James get married on Saturday, June 14, 2026, at four in the afternoon, The Rose Garden, Charleston. Cake is non-negotiable."
"Our favorite people in one place to watch us say I do. Emma and James, June 14, 2026, 4 pm, The Rose Garden, Charleston, South Carolina. Come hungry, leave dancing."
Destination and weekend weddings
"Pack your bags. Emma and James are getting married in Tulum, Mexico, on Saturday, June 14, 2026. Join us for a weekend of sun, celebration, and I do. Travel and stay details enclosed."
"You are invited to a weekend of celebration as Emma and James say I do. Friday welcome drinks, Saturday wedding, Sunday farewell brunch. June 12 to 14, 2026, Asheville, North Carolina."
Wedding invitation wording by who is hosting
When the couple is hosting
"Together with their families, Emma Rose Carter and James Michael Bennett request the pleasure of your company at their wedding..."
When both sets of parents host
"Mr. and Mrs. Robert Carter and Mr. and Mrs. David Bennett request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their children Emma Rose and James Michael..."
When one set of parents hosts
"Mr. and Mrs. Robert Carter request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Emma Rose to James Michael Bennett, son of Mr. and Mrs. David Bennett..."
When parents are divorced or families are blended
"Ms. Susan Carter and Mr. Robert Carter request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Emma Rose... (list each parent on their own line, hosts first, and drop the And between them)."
When honoring a parent who has passed
"Emma Rose Carter, daughter of Mr. Robert Carter and the late Mrs. Susan Carter, and James Michael Bennett request the pleasure of your company... You can also phrase it as the daughter of Robert Carter and the late Susan Carter to keep the honor clear and gentle."
Wording for the RSVP and details cards
RSVP and details card wording
"Kindly reply by the first of May. M_____ will _____ attend. Number attending _____. Or reply at emmaandjames.com."
"Ceremony and reception at The Rose Garden Estate, 12 Palm Avenue, Charleston. Cocktail attire. For hotel blocks, travel, and registry, visit emmaandjames.com."
"We have reserved a block of rooms at The Harbor Inn at a special rate through May 1. Booking details are on our website, emmaandjames.com."
Reception-only and evening wording
"Emma and James invite you to a reception in celebration of their marriage on Saturday, June 14, 2026, at six in the evening, The Ivy Room, Charleston. Dinner and dancing to follow."
"We would love for you to join the evening celebration as Emma and James continue the party. Eight o'clock, The Ivy Room, Charleston. Drinks, cake, and dancing await."
The extra lines: reception, dress code, RSVP, and more
The reception line. If the reception is at the same place, "Reception to follow" is enough. If it is elsewhere, name it: "Dinner and dancing to follow at The Ivy Room." A separate details card can carry the address so the main invitation stays clean.
Dress code. Put it in the lower corner or on the details card, not in the main body: "Black tie," "Cocktail attire," or "Garden formal." Guests appreciate the steer.
Adults-only. Keep it kind and clear. "We love your little ones, and we have planned an adults-only celebration" reads warmer than "No children." The clearest signal, though, is addressing the envelope to the invited names only.
RSVP. Give a reply-by date about three to four weeks before the wedding, and a clear method: a reply card, a phone number, or a wedding website. "Kindly reply by the first of May" does the job.
Registry. Leave it off the invitation itself. Registry details belong on your wedding website or spread by word of mouth. The invite is for the invitation, not the gift ask.
Wedding invitation etiquette, quickly
Five small things that keep an invitation looking polished.
Spell out formal dates
On a formal invite, write out the date and time in full: Saturday, the fourteenth of June, at four o'clock. Casual invites can use numerals.
Match the envelope to the guest list
The names on the outer envelope are your real guest list. This is how you signal plus-ones and adults-only without a single awkward line.
Keep the registry off
Registry links live on your website, never on the invitation. It keeps the tone about the celebration, not the gifts.
Order extras
Order about ten percent more invitations than your guest count. Reprints for a few forgotten names cost far more than a handful of spares up front.
Proofread with fresh eyes
Have two people who are not you check every name, date, and address. The one typo you will miss is always in the venue address.
Wedding invitation wording questions, answered
Whose name goes first on a wedding invitation?
On the host line, the hosts come first, and traditionally the bride's name comes before the groom's in the couple's names. For same-sex couples, go alphabetically or with whatever sounds best read aloud. If the couple is hosting, open with a warm line like "Together with their families" instead of parents' names.
How do you word a wedding invitation when parents are divorced?
List each parent on their own line, hosts named first, and leave out the word "and" between them if they are no longer married. If a step-parent is a host, include them. The goal is to honor everyone clearly without crowding the invitation, so a details card can carry anything that does not fit.
How do you honor a deceased parent on a wedding invitation?
Reference them gently through the couple, not the host line. For example: "Emma Rose Carter, daughter of Mr. Robert Carter and the late Mrs. Susan Carter." It keeps their memory present without changing who is formally hosting.
How do you politely say adults only on an invitation?
The clearest way is to address the envelope only to the invited guests by name. If you want it on paper, keep it warm: "We love your little ones, and we have planned an adults-only celebration." Put it on the details card or your website, not in the main body of the invitation.
Do you put the registry on the wedding invitation?
No. Registry information belongs on your wedding website or is shared by close family and the wedding party. Listing it on the invitation reads as a gift request. The one exception is your website URL, which can carry registry, RSVP, and travel details together.
When should you send wedding invitations?
Send them six to eight weeks before the wedding, and send save-the-dates six months to a year ahead, earlier for a destination wedding. Set the RSVP date about three to four weeks before the day so you can give your caterer a final count. Our save-the-date magnets are a memorable way to kick that timeline off.
Keep planning the details
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