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Finding the perfect words for your wedding invitation is almost an art form itself. Even more so if you want a traditional, formal invite.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n To help you find the right words, we\u2019ve put together this guide on formal wedding invitation wording. Below, you\u2019ll find our best advice on structure, plus some wording examples and formal wedding invitation designs we love.\u00a0<\/span> Once you know the structure of a <\/span>formal wedding invitation<\/a><\/strong>, it\u2019s easy to fill in the details. Here\u2019s your guide to formal invitation etiquette with what you need to include and examples to inspire your own wording. You can also use our <\/span>wedding invitation wording tool<\/a><\/strong> to help you find the exact words and include all the information your guests will need about your wedding day.<\/span><\/p>\n First of all, formal wedding invitations should begin with a line or two on who your lovely hosts are. The hosts are typically the people paying for the wedding. Traditionally, this was the bride\u2019s parents. These days, many couples pay for their own weddings or receive contributions from both families to help make their special day a reality. This means the \u201chost line\u201d looks very different depending on who is hosting the wedding.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Your host line may feature the parents’ names, the couple’s names, or an unnamed greeting. When multiple people are hosting, couples should feature on separate lines.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Here are some examples:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Mr. and Mrs. Simon Jones\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n Mr. and Mrs. Simon and Margaret Jones<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n Mr. Simon Jones and Ms. Margaret Hathway<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n Simon and Margaret Jones\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Mr. and Mrs. Peter Grand\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n and\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Lawrence\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n Mr. and Mrs. Peter and Elizabeth Grand\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n and\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Mr. and Mrs. Andrew and Felicity Lawrence<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n Peter and Elizabeth Grand\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n together with\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Andrew and Felicity Lawrence\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Mr. Joseph Thomas<\/span> \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n Mr. Joseph and Gail Thomas<\/span> Together with their families<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n Together with their parents<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n Together as one<\/span><\/p>\n As you can see, there are multiple ways to address the start of your formal wedding invitation wording. It\u2019s all about choosing the most appropriate option based on who is paying for and hosting your wedding ceremony and reception.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n After your host line, the next line features a request to attend. This is where you let your guests know exactly what they\u2019re being invited to \u2014 your wedding! This section is made up of a request line followed by an action line, but as they\u2019re part of one phrase we\u2019ve grouped them together.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n These wording ideas fit in perfectly with your formal wedding invitation wording.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n request the pleasure of your company<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n request the honor of your attendance<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n cordially invite you to join them<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n invite you to the wedding<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n invite you to join them in celebration<\/span><\/p>\n Some couples like to use the British spelling of \u201chonour\u201d to denote that it\u2019s a religious ceremony, but you can go with whichever option feels most comfortable to you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Looking for something a little more relaxed for this part of your wedding invitation wording? Here are some ideas.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n would love the honor of your presence<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n happily invite you to join them<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n joyfully wish you to join their celebration<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n would love you to join them<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n invite you to share this moment of joy<\/span><\/p>\n After your request line comes the action line. This is where you confirm the type of celebration your guests are being invited to. Here are some ideas on how to word this.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n as they say \u201cI do\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n at the marriage of their children<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n at the marriage of their daughter or son<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n as they tie the knot in beautiful surroundings\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n to celebrate their union<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n at their wedding<\/span><\/p>\n Your request line and action lines flow on directly from your host line, so read them together to ensure they match up perfectly and there are no awkward combinations. Keep the formality of your invitation in mind too \u2014 if your request line is too casual it won\u2019t match the rest of your formal wedding invitation wording.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Design: Snow + Ivy<\/p><\/div>\n Next up, you\u2019ll want to add the couple\u2019s names. There are a few different ways you can do this, and the option you choose depends on how traditional or formal you\u2019d like your wedding invitation to be.<\/span><\/p>\n For a couple where the partners have different genders, the bride\u2019s name traditionally goes before the groom\u2019s name. The couple\u2019s full names are often used, including middle names, although you may leave out the last name if the parents are listed in the host line above.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For example:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Sarah Amanda Moore and George Henry Smith<\/span><\/p>\n If one set of parents isn\u2019t listed in the host line, you may want to include a reference to them beneath their son or daughter\u2019s name.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For example:<\/span><\/p>\n Sarah Amanda Moore<\/span><\/p>\n and<\/span><\/p>\n George Henry Smith<\/span><\/p>\n Son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Smith<\/span><\/p>\n For same-sex couples or a less formal option, feature the couple\u2019s names in whichever order feels most comfortable. This may be alphabetical order or the order that makes the most sense with your chosen design. Stick with full names and titles for a more formal option, or go more informal with just first names \u2014 like \u201cJames and Simon.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s tempting to think that spelling out the date and time on your wedding invitation is easy. After all, 4:30 p.m. on 21st July makes sense. If you\u2019re going for a more formal wedding invitation wording though, you\u2019ll want to stick with a more traditional format.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The traditional way to give a date and time for a wedding invitation is by spelling everything out in full. For example, your wedding ceremony at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 18th, 2022 would be written out as:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Saturday, the 18th of June, two thousand twenty-two, at half-past five o\u2019clock\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Some couples may choose to swap out the \u201co\u2019clock\u201d for a note about the time of day, like \u201cfour in the afternoon.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s less traditional to use a.m. or p.m, or to shorten aspects of the date, but this might make sense if your invitation design is more modern or features less space. In cases like this you could find a middle ground, like:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Saturday 18th June 2022 at five in the evening<\/span><\/p>\n After the date and time, a formal wedding invitation will feature the wedding location. This is often kept short and sweet with the full street address being left off. If it\u2019s essential to include the full street address, you can always feature it in a separate note card or within the details panel of your <\/span>digital invitation<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Traditionally, you\u2019ll list the venue name or location, followed by the city and state. In formal invitations, the state is spelled out in full, rather than using the abbreviation. There\u2019s no need to feature the zip code.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Beneath the location details for your big day, include a line or two about the reception so your guests know what to expect.<\/span><\/p>\n On a traditional, formal wedding invitation this will be a simple line that confirms the existence of a reception. Here are a couple of examples:<\/span><\/p>\n Reception to follow<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n Reception immediately afterward<\/span><\/p>\n If your reception follows at a time not immediately after the ceremony, it helps to include that information for guests. For example:<\/span><\/p>\n Reception to follow at six o\u2019clock<\/span><\/p>\n Sometimes you\u2019ll want to share more details \u2014 particularly if you\u2019re opting for a non-traditional wedding meal or reception. A great way to do this is to use a separate insert or reception card or to add the info to the details panel on your <\/span>online invitation<\/a><\/strong>. Here you can confirm whether it is \u201cdinner and dancing\u201d or \u201ccake and a toast.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n If you wanted to break from your formal wedding invitation wording slightly, here are some more informal ways to share details about your reception:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Drinks and merriment to follow<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n Join us for an evening of cocktails and celebrations\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n Merriment to ensue<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n Dinner and dessert following the ceremony<\/span><\/p>\n In most cases, for a formal invitation, a short and simple \u201creception to follow\u201d is an easy way to go.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n With all the basics covered, most of your formal wedding invitation wording is complete. That said, there are some occasions where you\u2019ll want to share extra details with your guests.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Your guests may be able to infer the dress code from the formality of both your invitation wording and the invite design. Still, you may wish to <\/span>confirm the dress code<\/a><\/strong> so there\u2019s no confusion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Typically, you\u2019d list this information beneath the reception details. Stick with a well-known dress code to keep things simple \u2014 like black tie or cocktail. That way, guests can easily <\/span>find the perfect outfit<\/a><\/strong> to match.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While it\u2019s not usually printed on your formal wedding invitation, your guests need to know how to RSVP and where to find more information about your wedding day. A great place to keep this information is on a separate response card in the options provided with your online invitations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\nHow to Structure Your Formal Wedding Invitation Wording<\/b><\/h2>\n
Who\u2019s Hosting<\/b><\/h3>\n
One Set of Parents Hosting<\/b><\/h4>\n
Two Sets of Parents Hosting<\/b><\/h4>\n
Divorced or Separated Parents Hosting<\/b><\/h4>\n
\n<\/span>Ms. Abigail Way<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>Ms. Abigail Way<\/span><\/p>\nCouple and Their Families Hosting<\/b><\/h4>\n
A Request to Attend<\/b><\/h3>\n
Formal Request Options<\/b><\/h4>\n
Less Formal Wording Options<\/b><\/h4>\n
Action Line Ideas<\/b><\/h4>\n
The Couple\u2019s Names<\/b><\/h3>\n
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The Date and Time<\/b><\/h3>\n
The Location<\/b><\/h3>\n
Reception Details<\/b><\/h3>\n
Other Details<\/b><\/h3>\n
Dress Code<\/b><\/h4>\n
Wedding Website and RSVP<\/b><\/h4>\n
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