When it comes to wedding invitations, you could go the more unique route (Monopoly, anyone?) or stick with e-vites. But if you’re having a more formal affair, you’ll definitely want to set the tone by having a more formal wedding invitation…which in most cases will require formal wedding invitation wording. But what exactly should you say? If you’re still trying to figure out what to put for the Who, What, When, and Where, these example scenarios for formal wedding invitation wording should help get you started.
Is your family situation a bit trickier? Check out these wedding invitation wording examples for complicated situations.
PLUS: Try our new wedding invitation wording generator to help you find your PERFECT wording.
If the bride’s parents are hosting:
Mr. and Mrs. John Smith
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Jill Marie
to
Mr. Samuel Brown
Saturday, the twenty-first of May
two thousand sixteen
at half after three o’clock
St. Dennis Catholic Church
Madison, Wisconsin
and afterward at the reception
Bishops Bay Country Club
123 Bishops Bay Drive
If the bride’s parents, who are divorced and remarried, are hosting:
Mr. and Mrs. Sarah Jones
and
Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Carpenter
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Sarah Elizabeth Carpenter
to
Doctor Christopher Jon Fitzgerald
Saturday, the twenty-first of March
two thousand sixteen
at six o’clock in the evening
The Church of the Little Flower
Miami, Florida
If both the bride and groom’s parents are hosting:
Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Underwood
and
Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Wyatt
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of
Carol Ann Underwood
to
Daniel Peter Wyatt
Saturday, the twenty-fifth of August
two thousand sixteen
at four o’clock
St. Luke’s Episcopalian Church
New Orleans, Louisiana
If the bride and groom are hosting:
Miss Elise Jane Dearborn
and
Mr. Robert Harold Bahr
request the honour of your presence
at their marriage
Saturday, the eighth of July
two thousand sixteen
at half after four o’clock
First Congregational Church
Los Angeles, California
If a different family member hosts:
Mr. Levi James Evans
requests the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of his sister
Rebecca Grace
to
Mr. Holden Randolph Clark
Saturday, the seventh of May
two thousand sixteen
at one o’clock in the afternoon
Sacred Heart Church
Columbia, Missouri
- You’ll notice that with formal wedding invitations, the year is spelled out, but not capitalized. States are spelled out as well, not abbreviated, as are titles like “Doctor” or “Captain”.
- Make sure not to mention anything about gifts or attire on the invitation. That’s what wedding websites are for. If you don’t have a wedding website, the mother of the bride can spread the word about where the couple is registered and what type of attire is appropriate.
- If you’re having a formal religious ceremony, there are more options for wording. A Catholic Mass can include an invitation for “your participation in the offering of a Nuptial Mass.” Wedding invitation wording for Jewish weddings will typically say “and” between the bride and groom’s name instead of “to”. The phrase “request the honour of your presence” is typically saved for religious ceremonies and shouldn’t be used for secular celebrations.
- “Honour” and “Honor” are both correct, though most prefer the former.
- You may designate the time of day (such as “in the morning” or “in the afternoon” or “in the evening”) if you prefer, though it is not necessary.
- Information for the reception can either be directly on the wedding invitation or on a separate reception card, depending on how much paper you want to use. Any information about RSVPing (like the date they’ll need to RSVP by) can be directly on the RSVP card.
- How to address formal wedding invitations can get tricky as well—check out our guide here for tips.
Sending formal wedding invitations doesn’t have to be complicated. By following these basic tips, your invitations will easily set the mood for your big day.
