Wedding Invitation Wording

Wedding invitation wording can vary.  Depending on who is hosting the wedding, the wording will change.  For instance, if the bride's parents are hosting, the wording can read two ways. One is to list only the bride's parents as the host or requester and two, to list the bride's and the groom's parents.  The groom's parents being listed as a courtesy.  In the case of the bride and groom hosting, they would word it so that everyone knows it's them doing the inviting.

Here is a list of rules that will help you with your invitation wording:

* The bride's name always comes before the grooms

* Dates and time are written out in full, using a comma between   the day and date

* Use full names; only Mr., Mrs., Ms., and Jr. may be used

* Spell out street and state names

* Be absolutely sure to use military titles; this goes for women and men; Their rank appears before their name, and the branch after or on the line right below 

example: 

Lieutenant Commander Richard Riedel, United States Navy 

example:

Lieutenant Commander Richard Riedel

United States Navy

*Center the wording on the invitation

Never list your registry on the invitation, or on a separate card mailed out with the invitation. This should be done with shower invites or on a wedding couples web page, which is becoming ever increasingly possible.

The examples of wedding invitation wording that follow are only a few of the many ways you can choose to word the invitation. If you search the internet, I'm sure you can find many more examples should none of the following prove useful to you.

Traditional Invitation:

Mr. and Mrs. William Thornton

request the honour of your presence

at the marriage of their daughter

Elsie Fay

to 

Mr. Henry Lee Dubois

Saturday, the fifth of May

Two thousand and ten

at six o'clock

Fellowship of the Unashamed Church

Zachary, Louisiana 

When the reception detail is printed on the invite you simply add it to the bottom of the above wording.

example:

Reception

immediately following the ceremony

Rosedown Plantation

999 Heirloom Lane

Saint Francisville, Louisiana

Bride's and Groom's Parents Co-Host:

Mr. and Mrs. William Thornton

and

Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Dubois

request the honour of your presence

at the marriage of their children

Elsie Fay Thornton

and Henry Lee Dubois

Saturday, the fifth of May

at six o'clock

Fellowship of the Unashamed Church

Zachary, Louisiana

Groom's Parents Host:

Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Dubois

request the honour of your presence

at the marriage of

Elsie Fay Thornton

to their son

Henry Lee Dubois

Saturday, the fifth of May

at six o'clock

Fellowship of the Unashamed Church

Zachary, Louisiana

Bride and Groom Host:

The Honour of your presence

is requested at the marriage of

Elsie Fay Thornton

to

Henry Lee Dubois

Saturday, the fifth of May

at six o'clock

Fellowship of the Unashamed Church

Zachary, Louisiana

Formal Reception Card:

Mr. and Mrs. William Thornton

request the pleasure of your company

Saturday, the fifth of May

at half after six o'clock

Rosedown Plantation

999 Heirloom Lane

Saint Francisville, Louisiana 

Informal Reception Card:

Reception

immediately following the ceremony

Rosedown Plantation

999 Heirloom Lane

Saint Francisville, Louisiana

Wedding Invitation Wording to RSVP cards 

Ceremony and Reception Checklist 

Wedding Etiquette