Wedding Invitation Wording: 100 Examples, Formal to Casual

Most wedding invitations say the same five things. What changes is the register: how formal the words are, who is named first, and how much is spelled out. Every special case, from divorced parents to a WhatsApp message, is a variation on the same lines. Names, dates and venues below are placeholders.

The structure of a wedding invitation

Dress code, hotels, directions, the registry and the children question belong on a separate card or, on a digital invitation, on their own page.

Six conventions that still matter

1. "Honour" for a house of worship, "pleasure" everywhere else. "Request the honour of your presence," with the British spelling kept in American formal usage, is for a religious ceremony. "Request the pleasure of your company" is for a venue, a home, a city hall, and any reception-only invitation. Emily Post's formal samples apply this rule throughout.
2. The host line names whoever hosts. Hosting means paying for and welcoming. Each configuration has a form, shown below and explained in our guide to who hosts and how to name them.
3. Formal means spelled out. Dates, times and years in words; "half after four o'clock," not "4:30." Modern invitations use numerals. Never both on one card.
4. Titles go together or not at all. "Miss," "Mr." and "Doctor" belong to the formal form, for everyone or for no one.
5. Nothing about gifts. The Emily Post Institute's position is that the invitation and its enclosures never mention gifts, registries or money, not even "no gifts, please." Our guide to asking for money instead of gifts covers the wording, and where the United Kingdom differs.
6. The names decide who is invited. The envelope, or the personal link, lists the people you expect. Children not named are not invited; "and guest" is the only way to offer a plus-one.

The date, time and place lines are written out in the first examples of each section and left out of the others; add them in the same style.

Formal and traditional (1 to 10)

1. Bride's parents hosting, church ceremony

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Whitfield
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Eleanor Grace
to
Mr. Samuel James Harrington
Saturday, the twelfth of June
two thousand twenty-seven
at four o'clock in the afternoon
Saint Mark's Church
Charleston, South Carolina

The bride's surname is omitted when it is the same as her parents'.

2. Bride's parents hosting, ceremony at a venue

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Whitfield
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter
Eleanor Grace
to
Mr. Samuel James Harrington
at half after four o'clock
Lowndes Grove

3. Both sets of parents hosting

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Whitfield
and
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Harrington
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their children
Eleanor Grace Whitfield
and
Samuel James Harrington

4. Groom's parents hosting

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Harrington
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of
Miss Eleanor Grace Whitfield
to their son
Mr. Samuel James Harrington

5. Bride's parents hosting, groom's parents named

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Whitfield
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Eleanor Grace
to
Mr. Samuel James Harrington
son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Harrington

6. The passive form, no host named

The honour of your presence is requested
at the marriage of
Miss Eleanor Grace Whitfield
to
Mr. Samuel James Harrington

7. A host with a professional title

Doctor Margaret Ann Whitfield
and Mr. Thomas Whitfield
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter

"Doctor and Mrs." is only for a couple where the husband holds the title.

8. A host with a military rank

Captain and Mrs. Robert Harrington
United States Navy
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their son
Samuel James
to
Miss Eleanor Grace Whitfield

9. Two grooms hosting, formal

Mr. Daniel Ruiz
and
Mr. Michael Chen
request the honour of your presence
at their marriage

10. Ceremony and reception on one formal card

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Whitfield
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Eleanor Grace
to Mr. Samuel James Harrington
Saturday, the twelfth of June, at four o'clock
Saint Mark's Church, Charleston
and afterward at the reception
Lowndes Grove

Modern (11 to 18)

11. Together with their families, numerals

Together with their families
Maya Patel and Jonah Reyes
invite you to celebrate their marriage
Saturday, June 12, 2027, at 4 p.m.
The Foundry, 42 West Street, Brooklyn
Dinner and dancing to follow

12. First person

Please join us as we exchange vows
and begin our life together.
Maya and Jonah

13. Parents hosting, first names

Margaret and Thomas Whitfield
invite you to the wedding of their daughter
Eleanor
to Samuel Harrington

14. Names first

Maya and Jonah
are getting married
and would love for you to be there.

15. Formal in tone, modern in form

Maya Patel & Jonah Reyes
request the pleasure of your company
at their wedding

16. Ceremony and reception at different venues

Maya Patel and Jonah Reyes
invite you to their wedding
Saturday, June 12, 2027
Ceremony at 3 p.m., Brooklyn Borough Hall
Reception at 6 p.m., The Foundry, 42 West Street
Transportation between the two is provided.

17. Details on the pages that follow

You are invited to the wedding of
Maya Patel and Jonah Reyes
Saturday, June 12, 2027, at 4 p.m.
The Foundry, Brooklyn
Schedule, dress code and RSVP on the pages that follow

18. Two grooms, together with their parents

Daniel and Michael
together with their parents
invite you to their wedding
Dinner on the sand to follow

Casual (19 to 26)

19. Plain and warm

Lily and Max are getting married.
Come celebrate with us.
Saturday, June 12, 2027, at 4 p.m.
Hollow Oak Farm, Hudson, New York
Dinner, drinks and dancing to follow

20. Very short

We're doing it.
Lily & Max
June 12, 2027, Hollow Oak Farm, Hudson
Ceremony at 4, party until late

21. Food first

Good food, good people, and the two of us finally making it official.
Lily and Max invite you to their wedding.

22. Relaxed garden wedding

Lily and Max would love you to join them
for a relaxed wedding in the garden,
a long dinner under the trees
and dancing after dark.

23. Backyard

Our backyard, our favorite people, and a wedding.
Lily & Max, 18 Maple Lane, Hudson
Casual dress. Bring a sweater for the evening.

24. With the couple's child

Lily, Max and Theo (age four, in charge of the rings)
invite you to a wedding.
Dinner to follow. Kids welcome.

25. After an elopement

We eloped. Now we're throwing the party.
Lily & Max invite you to celebrate their marriage.
Food, music, no ceremony, no speeches over three minutes

26. Brunch wedding

Pancakes, vows and mimosas.
Lily and Max are getting married on a Sunday morning
and want you there.
Sunday, June 13, 2027, at 11 a.m.

When the bride's parents host (27 to 33)

27. Modern, "pleasure of your company"

Margaret and Thomas Whitfield
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter
Eleanor
to Samuel Harrington
Saturday, June 12, 2027, at 4 p.m.
Lowndes Grove, Charleston

28. Parents in the first person

Our daughter Eleanor is marrying Samuel Harrington,
and we would be honored to have you with us.
Margaret and Thomas Whitfield

29. "Share in the joy"

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Whitfield
invite you to share in the joy
of the marriage uniting their daughter
Eleanor Grace
and
Samuel James Harrington

30. The bride has a professional title

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Whitfield
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Doctor Eleanor Grace Whitfield
to
Mr. Samuel James Harrington

31. Reception elsewhere, on the same card

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Whitfield
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Eleanor Grace
to Mr. Samuel James Harrington
Saint Mark's Church, Charleston
Reception at six o'clock
Lowndes Grove

32. Informal parents

Margaret and Tom Whitfield
would love you to join them
for the wedding of their daughter Eleanor
and her fiancé, Sam Harrington.

33. Catholic Nuptial Mass

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Whitfield
request the honour of your presence
at the Nuptial Mass uniting their daughter
Eleanor Grace
and
Mr. Samuel James Harrington
in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony

When both families host (34 to 40)

34. Both sets of parents, first names

Margaret and Thomas Whitfield
and Diane and Robert Harrington
invite you to the wedding of their children
Eleanor and Samuel
Saturday, June 12, 2027, at 4 p.m.
Lowndes Grove, Charleston

35. Together with their parents

Together with their parents
Eleanor Whitfield and Samuel Harrington
request the pleasure of your company
at their wedding

36. Together with their families

Together with their families
Eleanor Whitfield and Samuel Harrington
invite you to celebrate their marriage

37. First person plural

Our families are coming together,
and we would love for you to be there.
Eleanor & Samuel

38. The two family names

The Whitfield and Harrington families
invite you to celebrate the marriage of
Eleanor and Samuel

39. Both sets of parents, formal, "their children"

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Whitfield
and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Harrington
invite you to share in the celebration
of the marriage of their children
Eleanor Grace
and
Samuel James

40. Parents named after the couple

With their parents,
Margaret and Thomas Whitfield
and Diane and Robert Harrington,
Eleanor and Samuel invite you to their wedding

When the couple hosts (41 to 47)

41. Formal, with titles

Ms. Eleanor Grace Whitfield
and
Mr. Samuel James Harrington
request the honour of your presence
at their marriage
Saint Mark's Church, Charleston

42. Celebration of their marriage

Eleanor Whitfield and Samuel Harrington
request the pleasure of your company
at the celebration of their marriage

43. First person

We invite you to celebrate with us
as we are married.
Eleanor & Samuel

44. Plain

Eleanor and Samuel
invite you to their wedding.
Dinner and dancing to follow

45. After years together

After nine years, two cities and one kitchen renovation,
Eleanor and Samuel are getting married.
They would love you to be there.

46. With the blessing of their parents

Eleanor Whitfield and Samuel Harrington
with the blessing of their parents
invite you to their wedding

47. A note on timing

Join Eleanor and Samuel
for their wedding ceremony and reception.
The ceremony begins promptly at four o'clock.

Divorced, remarried or deceased parents (48 to 57)

A divorced parent who hosts is named on their own line, under their own name. A parent who has died is not listed as a host, but can be honored next to the bride's or groom's name. The etiquette is in our hosting guide.

48. Divorced parents hosting together, neither remarried

Mrs. Anne Carter Whitfield
Mr. Thomas Whitfield
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Eleanor Grace
Saint Mark's Church, Charleston

The mother's name comes first. Leaving out "and" between the lines signals that the hosts are not a couple.

49. Mother and stepfather hosting

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Baxter
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of her daughter
Eleanor Grace Whitfield
to
Mr. Samuel James Harrington

50. Both parents remarried, all four hosting

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Baxter
and
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Whitfield
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Eleanor Grace Whitfield

51. Father hosting alone

Mr. Thomas Whitfield
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of his daughter
Eleanor Grace

52. Mother hosting alone, under her own name

Ms. Anne Carter
requests the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of her daughter
Eleanor Grace Whitfield
to Samuel James Harrington

53. Widowed mother hosting

Mrs. Anne Whitfield
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of her daughter
Eleanor Grace

54. Honoring a parent who has died

Mrs. Anne Whitfield
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of her daughter
Eleanor Grace
daughter of the late Mr. Thomas Whitfield
to Mr. Samuel James Harrington

55. Both of the bride's parents deceased, couple hosting

Eleanor Whitfield,
daughter of the late Margaret and Thomas Whitfield,
and Samuel Harrington,
son of Diane and Robert Harrington,
invite you to celebrate their marriage

56. Grandparents hosting

Mr. and Mrs. George Whitfield
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their granddaughter
Eleanor Grace Whitfield
to Mr. Samuel James Harrington

57. Modern, every parent by first name

Together with their parents,
Anne Carter, Thomas Whitfield,
and Diane and Robert Harrington,
Eleanor and Samuel invite you to their wedding

Second marriage (58 to 63)

A second wedding is usually hosted by the couple, without "Miss," under the names each person uses today.

58. Couple hosting, formal in tone

Caroline Shaw and David Lindqvist
request the pleasure of your company
at their marriage
Saturday, June 12, 2027, at 2 p.m.
The Carriage House, Portland, Maine

59. Together with their children

Caroline Shaw and David Lindqvist
together with their children
Noah, Ava and Finn
invite you to celebrate their marriage

60. The children extend the invitation

Noah and Ava Shaw and Finn Lindqvist
invite you to the wedding of their parents
Caroline Shaw and David Lindqvist

61. Small and quiet

Caroline and David are getting married, quietly and happily.
Join them for a short ceremony and a long lunch.

62. An older couple

Caroline Shaw and David Lindqvist
invite you to share in their happiness
as they exchange vows

63. Parents hosting a second marriage

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Whitfield
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter
Caroline Whitfield Shaw
to Mr. David Lindqvist

Adults only (64 to 70)

Say it once, kindly, and let the names on the envelope or the personal link do the rest. Twenty-five versions by tone: no-kids wedding invitation wording.

64. We respectfully request that this be an adults-only celebration.

65. Please note that our wedding will be an adults-only occasion. Thank you for understanding.

66. We love your little ones, but this is a grown-ups' night out.

67. While we adore your children, our wedding will be an adult-only event. We hope you can arrange care and join us.

68. To allow all our guests an evening of relaxation, we have chosen an adults-only reception.

69. We are keeping the guest list to adults, with the exception of the children in our wedding party.

70. We have reserved two seats in your honor. (The RSVP line that makes the point without a word about children.)

Reception only (71 to 77)

Reception-only invitations use "pleasure of your company" or a plainer phrase, never "honour of your presence," which belongs to the ceremony.

71. After a private ceremony

Eleanor and Samuel
were married in a private ceremony on June 12.
Please join them for a celebration of their marriage
Saturday, June 26, 2027, at 6 p.m.
Lowndes Grove, Charleston

72. Parents hosting the reception

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Whitfield
request the pleasure of your company
at the wedding reception of their daughter
Eleanor
and Mr. Samuel James Harrington

73. City hall, then everyone

We're getting married at City Hall with our parents.
Then we're celebrating with everyone we love.
Join Eleanor and Samuel for dinner and dancing from 7 p.m.

74. Late-evening guests

Please join Eleanor and Samuel
for cocktails, dessert and dancing
from 8:30 p.m.

75. The day after

Join us for a celebration of our marriage
Sunday, June 13, 2027, from 1 p.m.
Lunch, music, and the newlyweds, Eleanor & Samuel

76. A hometown party after a destination wedding

Married on Lake Como on June 12.
Celebrating at home with you on Saturday, July 10, from 6 p.m.
Eleanor & Samuel

77. A wedding brunch

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Whitfield
invite you to a wedding brunch
in celebration of the marriage of
Eleanor and Samuel
Sunday, June 13, 2027, at 11 a.m.
The Whitfield home, 14 Legare Street

Destination wedding (78 to 84)

A destination invitation names the country, frames the weekend, and points to the travel details.

78. Formal, Lake Como

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Whitfield
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Chloe Marie
to Mr. Arthur Blake
Saturday, the twelfth of June, two thousand twenty-seven
at five o'clock in the afternoon
Villa del Balbianello
Lenno, Lake Como, Italy
Weekend celebrations from Friday, the eleventh of June

79. Plain

Pack your bags.
Chloe and Arthur are getting married in Provence.
Saturday, June 12, 2027, Mas de la Rose, Orgon, France
Travel, hotels and RSVP on the pages that follow

80. A three-day weekend

Join us in Santorini
for three days of celebration,
June 11 to 13, 2027.
Ceremony Saturday at 6 p.m., Imerovigli
Chloe & Arthur

81. The weekend, event by event

Chloe and Arthur invite you to their wedding on Lake Como.
Friday, June 11: welcome drinks, 7 p.m., Varenna
Saturday, June 12: ceremony at 5 p.m., dinner and dancing, Villa del Balbianello
Sunday, June 13: farewell brunch, 11 a.m.

82. An early reply, explained

Chloe and Arthur invite you to their wedding in Provence.
Because we are marrying abroad, we kindly ask for your reply by February 1,
so that we can reserve your room.

83. Bilingual

Chloe et Arthur
vous invitent à leur mariage
Chloe and Arthur
invite you to their wedding
Mas de la Rose, Provence

84. Honest about the distance

We know Lake Como is not around the corner.
That is why we are asking early, and why we will make it worth the trip.
Chloe & Arthur

The message that carries a digital invitation (85 to 92)

A digital invitation travels by text, WhatsApp or email. The message around the link is short and personal, and says what the link is; it does not repeat the invitation.

85. Formal, to an older relative

Dear Aunt Ruth and Uncle Gene, we are delighted to invite you to our wedding on Saturday, June 12, 2027, in Charleston. Our invitation, with the details and the RSVP, is here: (link). With love, Eleanor and Samuel

86. Warm WhatsApp to a friend

Hi Priya, it's official: we're getting married on June 12 in Brooklyn, and we'd love you there. Everything is in the invitation: (link). Could you reply by April 30? Maya & Jonah

87. Shortest possible text

Maya & Jonah are getting married on June 12, 2027. Your invitation and RSVP: (link)

88. To a family, naming who is invited

Hello Whitfields, this is your invitation to Eleanor and Samuel's wedding, for all four of you: (link). Please reply on the invitation by April 30.

89. Email

Subject: You're invited: Eleanor & Samuel, June 12, 2027
Dear Sarah and Tom, our wedding invitation is ready: (link). Inside: the weekend schedule, the dress code, hotels and the RSVP form. We hope to see you in Charleston. Eleanor and Samuel

90. After a save the date

You saved the date, and here is the invitation: (link). Full schedule, dress code and RSVP inside. Eleanor & Samuel

91. Bilingual message

Chers Camille et Jules, voici notre faire-part: (lien). Dear Camille and Jules, here is our invitation: (link). It opens in French or English. Chloe & Arthur

92. The reminder

A quick reminder that RSVPs close on April 30. Your invitation is still here: (link). We would love to know if you can make it. Eleanor & Samuel

RSVP lines (93 to 100)

93. Kindly reply by the thirtieth of April.

94. RSVP by April 30 at the link.

95. Please reply by April 30. We have reserved two seats in your honor.

96. The favour of a reply is requested by the first of May.

97. Please let us know by April 30 whether you can join us, and choose your entrée.

98. Reply on the invitation by April 30, even if you can't make it. We would rather know than wonder.

99. Kindly reply by April 30. Seating is limited, and we are unable to accommodate additional guests.

100. Please RSVP by April 30 for each event you are invited to: welcome drinks, ceremony and farewell brunch.

United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia: what changes

Evening invitations are a UK and Irish habit with their own wording: see our evening wedding invitation wording, with 20 examples.

What a digital invitation changes

On a printed suite, everything competes for one card and a few enclosures. On a digital invitation, each piece of information has its own page: the opening screen carries the names, the date and the city; the schedule, the venues, the dress code, the hotels and the RSVP form follow. The first screen can say less, because nothing is lost.

Three details are specific to the format:

• The names on the personal link. Each household receives its own link, and the RSVP opens with the names and the number of seats you assigned. A family of four cannot reply for six, which settles the children and plus-one questions without a line of text.
• One invitation per group. Guests invited to the whole weekend and guests invited to the reception only receive different versions of the same invitation, each showing only the events that concern them.
• A second language. The guest chooses the language on opening, and each language is a full version of the invitation rather than a line-by-line duplicate on the same screen: two languages with the Essential plan, three with Signature, as many as needed with Bespoke.

Ours are composed by hand from your text. The examples above are a starting point, not a template to fill in.