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Wedding Invitation Wording

Wedding Invitation Wording

Etiquette makes it easy to choose gracious wording for your invitation. The chart below looks at the invitation line by line, suggesting both traditional and contemporary options.

Host line
Bride’s parents hosting	Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Burke
Bride’s and groom’s parents sharing expenses	Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Burke Dr. and Mrs. Harold Edwards
Bride’s parents hosting; want to mention groom’s parents	Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Burke request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Kathryn Elizabeth to Mr. Stephen James Edwards son of Dr. and Mrs. Harold Edwards
Divorced parents hosting (names listed on separate lines, without “and”)	Mrs. Lucy Burke Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Burke
Couple hosting	Kathryn Burke and Stephen Edwards
Couple hosting; want to include both families	Together with their families Kathryn Burke and Stephen Edwards
Parent has passed away (wording should make it clear that the deceased parent is not issuing the invitation)	The pleasure of your company is requested at the marriage of Kathryn Elizabeth Burke daughter of Daniel Burke and the late Lucy Burke to Stephen James Edwards
Request line
Ceremony at a place of worship	request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter
Ceremony at a secular location	request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter
Informal, parents hosting	would be delighted by your presence at the wedding of their children
Informal, couple hosting	invite you to join them in celebrating their wedding
Bride and groom lines
Traditional	Kathryn Elizabeth to Mr. Stephen James Edwards
Contemporary	Kathryn Burke to Stephen Edwards
Date and time lines
Traditional (day and month are capitalized; year and time are not)	Saturday, the twenty-second of April two thousand and six at half after four o’clock
Contemporary	Saturday, April 22, 2006 at 4:30 p.m.
Location line
Ceremony held in a place of worship	Saint Bartholomew’s Church Austin, Texas
Ceremony held in another location	San Jacinto Ballroom Four Seasons Hotel Austin, Texas
Unfamiliar location with address	The Allan House 1104 San Antonio Street Austin, Texas
Reception line
Reception and ceremony at same location	and afterward at the reception
Reception and ceremony at different locations	Reception immediately following the ceremony Four Seasons Hotel

Tip: An invitation that follows tradition to the letter—written in the third person, with social titles, British spellings, and with time and date spelled out—suggests a formal wedding. For a casual affair, you might follow the same basic format but instead use the first person and leave off “Mr.” and “Mrs.”

Tip: If you’re having a cocktail reception or a punch-and-cake event, it’s a good idea to say so on the invitation or reception card so no one will arrive expecting a full meal Use wording such as “and afterward in the garden for cocktails” in place of the reception line.

Tip: While it may seem practical to include details such as where you’re registered or that you don’t want gifts, it is never appropriate to do so on the invitation. Information like this is best conveyed by your relatives, and only when guests inquire.

Tip: While an R.S.V.P. line on the invitation is classic and formal, enclosing a separate response card is an easier way to solicit a reliable head count.

Wedding Invitation Wording

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