Why do you need a wedding invitation wording guide at all?
You’ve made the largest decisions, the venue is booked, you’ve fallen in love with your dress, the wedding cake has been booked. Now you’re spending hours pouring over the different options available to you and you’ve finally settled on the perfect wedding invitation designs for your big day. But as this is such an important part of your preparation, you don’t want to fall at the final hurdle. Your invitation designs are just part of it. You need to make sure you get the wedding invitation wording as perfect as your design.
But if you’re feeling unsure on what you should say, don’t panic! We’ve put together this guide to help you out and take a look at some popular examples of wedding invitation wording. This should help you to choose the right style for you. Plus, we’ll also discuss what you need to include on your RSVP and information cards as well.
Meet Rubana at Crimson Letters
This guide is bought to you by Crimson Letters, so before we begin let’s meet Rubana, the British designer and artist based in England, who is the wedding invitation designer behind Crimson Letters. Rubana creates unique and luxury wedding invitations, all hand painted, or created with hand painted / watercolour / calligraphy designs and made with passion. As an expert in her field, she will use this guide to explain wedding invitation wording etiquette and how to make the right choice for your big day.
You can check out the full guide below.
The different styles of wedding invitation and how this affects the wedding invitation wording you choose
There are a number of different styles of wedding stationery depending on your theme and the type of day you’re having. For example, you might be sticking with tradition, going contemporary or really trying out modern-luxury and fun ideas. Whatever the theme for your day, this will help you narrow down the wedding invitation wording that’s right for you. This will also be dependent on who is hosting the wedding, whether your parents have paid for and organised a great deal of the day, or whether you are a very close knit family (as it’s sometimes traditional to invite guests on behalf of the family as a whole).
How to decide which style is right for you
Choosing the style that’s right for you will depend on a number of factors. So first ask yourself these questions as a starting point:
- Are you having a traditional or more modern wedding?
- Is it more of a formal wedding or a very casual backyard affair?
- Who has funded the wedding?
- Where is the wedding being held?
- What types of guests will you be having, dignitaries / politicians, or close family and friends?
Why do you need to ask yourself these questions? Well, if you’re having a traditional wedding that is being held at your parents house, you might want to invite your guests on behalf of your parents. If the event is a big family affair and you’re very close to your relatives, you might want to invite your guests on behalf of both your families. Alternatively, if you’re taking a more modern approach, you can use more casual wording and invite your guests on behalf of you as a couple.
What’s more, if you’re choosing very intricate or hand painted custom wedding invitations like those we offer at Crimson Letters, you might want to keep your wording very simple to avoid spoiling the aesthetics. You can then add more details by creating a separate information card. If you try to cram too much information onto your invitations, you risk them becoming confusing and visually overwhelming – certainly not what you want when you’re setting the tone for your big day.
That’s why it’s important that you’re taking all of this into consideration when choosing the wording that’s right for you. Are you in need of some inspiration? Check out some examples of popular wedding invitation wording below.
Examples of wording for your wedding invitations
Once you’ve spent some time deciding how traditional or contemporary you want your invitations to be, who you’re addressing and the style that is going to best suit your big day, it’s time to finalise the wedding invitation wording. To help you out, we’ve pulled together a guide of some examples of wording you could use, ranging from detailed wedding invitations right down to short and sweet designs.
Plus, to help you find the style that’s best for you, these have been broken down by scenario and who is doing the inviting. Check out the examples below for inspiration.
Wedding invitation wording together with their families:
Weddings are a time when the important people in your life come together to celebrate the joining of two families. As such, you may wish to invite your guests on behalf of your family as a whole. If you choose this style, take inspiration from the examples below.
For detailed invitations:
Together with their families
Bethan Smith and Andrew Jenkins
Invite you to join them as they say “I Do!”
On Friday fifteenth June, two thousand nineteen
At one o’clock in the afternoon
Wood Hall Hotel, Yorkshire
Dinner, dancing and drinks to follow
Dress: Black tie
The middle ground:
Together with their families
Bethan Smith and Andrew Jenkins
Warmly request the pleasure of your company on their wedding day
On Friday fifteenth June, two thousand nineteen
At one o’clock in the afternoon
Wood Hall Hotel, Yorkshire
Short and sweet:
Together with their families
Bethan Smith and Andrew Jenkins
Request your company for their marriage
At 13:00, Friday 15th June 2019
Wood Hall Hotel, Yorkshire
Wedding invitation wording for parents hosting:
Addressing your guests from the parents is a more traditional style of wedding invitation, especially if the parents have helped to cover some of the wedding costs. There may be several variations of this style depending on whether you’re from a single parent background, your parents have re-married or sadly one of your parents is deceased. But as a general rule, the following wording can be adapted to invite your guests on behalf of your parents.
For detailed invitations:
Doctor and Mrs Geoffrey Baker
Mr and Mrs Dennis Taylor
Invite you to share in their joy at the marriage of their children
Samantha Baker and Matthew Taylor
On Saturday, the twenty eighth of September
Two thousand nineteen
At three o’clock in the afternoon
Notley Abbey
Buckinghamshire
Dinner and dancing to follow
Black tie invited
The middle ground:
Dr and Mrs Geoffrey Baker
Mr and Mrs Dennis Taylor
Invite you to celebrate the marriage of their children
Samantha Baker and Matthew Taylor
On Saturday, the twenty eighth of September
Two thousand nineteen
At three o’clock in the afternoon
Notley Abbey
Buckinghamshire
Dinner and dancing to follow
Short and sweet:
Dr and Mrs Geoffrey Baker and Mr and Mrs Dennis Taylor
Invite you to celebrate the marriage of their children
Samantha Baker and Matthew Taylor
On Saturday, the twenty eight of September, two thousand nineteen at three o’clock in the afternoon
Notley Abbey, Buckinghamshire
Wedding invitation wording from the bride and groom:
Weddings are very personal, after all the day is all about you. Therefore, you might simply choose to invite your guests on behalf of you as a couple. In this instance you can take inspiration from the below to create your perfect wedding invitation wording.
For detailed invitations:
With great pleasure
Elizabeth Morris and Christopher Wood
Invite you to join them
At the celebration of their wedding
On Saturday tenth July two thousand nineteen
At eleven in the morning
At Rowton Castle, Shropshire
Dinner and dancing to follow at Albright Manor Hotel
Black tie optional
The middle ground:
Please join us for our wedding
Elizabeth Morris and Christopher Wood
On Saturday tenth July two thousand nineteen
At eleven in the morning
At Rowton Castle, Shropshire
Dinner and dancing to follow at Albright Manor Hotel
Short and sweet:
Elizabeth Morris and Christopher Wood request the pleasure of your company
On Saturday tenth July two thousand nineteen, 11:00 am
At Rowton Castle, Shropshire
Wedding invitation wording for friends (formal):
If you want to keep your wedding invitations more neutral, simply to give the key information to your friends and family, take a look at the below and tweak to create the style that’s right for you.
For detailed invitations:
Julie Garrett and Alan Hemmings
Have the honour of announcing their wedding day
Which will take place on Saturday twenty first May two thousand nineteen
At two o’clock in the afternoon
At Fawsley Hall Hotel, Northamptonshire
Drinks, dancing and shenanigans to follow
The middle ground:
Julie Garrett and Alan Hemmings
Invite you with all their hearts to join their wedding celebrations
At Fawsley Hall Hotel, Northamptonshire
On Saturday twenty first May two thousand nineteen
At two o’clock in the afternoon
Short and sweet:
Join us for the wedding of
Julie Garrett and Alan Hemmings
At 14:00 on Saturday 21st May 2019
Fawsley Hall Hotel, Northamptonshire
Wedding invitation wording for friends (casual):
Similarly to the above, you may want simple invitations for friends and family. But the examples below are more casual if you’re going for a more relaxed and laid back style to your day.
For detailed invitations:
Georgia Dixon and Phillip Sturman
Would love your presence in celebrating their marriage
On twenty third July two thousand nineteen
At eleven o’clock in the morning
Easton Grange, Suffolk
Reception to follow
The middle ground:
Join us for the wedding of Georgia Dixon and Phillip Sturman
On twenty third July two thousand nineteen
At eleven o’clock in the morning
Easton Grange, Suffolk
Short and sweet:
Georgia Dixon and Phillip Sturman invite you to their wedding
On 23rd July 2019
Easton Grange, Suffolk
Modern wedding invitation or save the date wording:
Modern invitations like to side step tradition altogether, focusing less on the formalities and having a bit more fun with it instead. The wording is short, sweet and to the point, this is actually best for handwritten calligraphy invitations.
Check out some of the creative examples below.
For detailed invitations:
Grace Harrison and Thomas Bartlam
Are getting hitched!
Saturday 13th July 2019
Join us at 11:30
The Barns, Hunsbury Hill
Reception and merriment to follow
The middle ground:
Grace and Thomas
We’re getting married!
Please join us on 13.07.19
At 11:30 am
The Barns, Hunsbury Hill
Short and sweet:
You’re warmly invited to the wedding of
Grace and Thomas
We invite you to join us
Carey & Steven
Join our wedding as we celebrate our marriage
Lucy & Thomas
(A separate information card can be provided with detailed information)
How to include dress code on your wedding invitation.
You’ll first need to decide what your dress code is going to be, based on the style and theme of your wedding. Are you planning an extravagant castle ceremony? Or perhaps you’re having your own festival style wedding. This will dictate the dress code and what you need to advise your guests to wear. If you’re sticking with a traditional approach you can safely assume that your guests will have a good idea of what to wear. But if you want a more casual dress code or perhaps even a themed dress code, you’ll need to let guests know.
Good wedding invitation wording etiquette is to include a small description of dress code at the bottom of the invitations. For example ‘Black tie’ or ‘cocktail attire’. But if you’ve chosen a dress code that requires a bit more of an explanation, you can choose to include an information card that outlines what to wear. You should also mention at this point if the dress code is optional or mandatory.
You can find a good example of this below that was used for a recent client. She specifically wanted to highlight the dress colours to be worn at her wedding and we used fabric swatches to demonstrate her wedding’s dress code to her guests on an entirely separate card.
Some example of dress codes for your wedding invitation wording etiquette:
If you want to include a little note about the dress code, here are some examples of what you might choose to add to the bottom of your wedding invitations. You can tweak these to suit your theme or be more creative.
- Dress: Black Tie
- Dress: Black Tie (not optional)
- Dress: Formal
- Dress: Smart casual
- Dress: Dress for the weather
- Dress: Dress to impress
- Dress: For dancing
- Dress: Just be yourself
- Dress: Bohemian boho chic and summer dresses
- Dress: For a festival. Welly boots optional!
Choosing the wording for your RSVP cards
Along with your invitations you’ll also need to include RSVP cards so your guests can let you know if they’re able to make it to your big day. Many also use the RSVP to find out which meal their guests would like (if there’s an option) and if they have any dietary requirements.
Just as with your wedding invitations, you’ll also need to put some thought into the wording of your RSVP cards and ensure you get all the information you need from your guests. It’s also a good idea to include a date in which you need your guests to reply by, to ensure you have exact numbers for who will be attending.
To help you out, we’ve put together some examples and options for your RSVP cards. These can be tailored depending on what you need to know from your guests. Check them out below.
Option one – Simple RSVP card:
Please RSVP by 15th January 2019
__ {Include blank line for guests names} __
__ Joyfully accepts
__ Regretfully declines
Option two – RSVP card and number of guests:
Please RSVP by 15th January 2019
__ {Include blank line for guests names} __
__ Will attend __ Unable to attend
___ Number of guests attending
Option three – RSVP and dinner choices:
Please RSVP by 15th January 2019
__ {Include blank line for guests names} __
__ Joyfully accepts __ Regretfully declines
Please indicate your desired meal choice:
__Chicken __Steak __Vegetarian
Any other dietary requirements? __________
Option four – RSVP and booking a room:
Please RSVP by 15th January 2019
__ {Include blank line for guests names} __
__ Joyfully accepts __ Regretfully declines
Guests will have the option to stay overnight in the hotel.
Please indicate if you’d like us to reserve you a room.
__ Please reserve a room __ No thanks
___ If yes, how many rooms do you need?
These are just a few options for you to choose from based on the information you need form your guests. You can mix and match the information as required, making it as simple or detailed as you like, depending on your style.
Choosing wording for your information cards
This part of your wedding invitation goes be several names, information card, details card or enclosure card. Despite this, they’re essentially all the same thing, their purpose is to contain more details about your ceremony and reception. As a side note, you don’t have to include one of these cards if you can fit all the important information on your invitations. This is for couples who didn’t want to go into full details or include too much text on the wedding invitation itself.
What should I include on my information cards?
What you include on your cards will depend on the details that are important to you and your guests. For example, if you’re having a buffet instead of a sit down meal, you might want to include details about what food is going to be on offer, just in case anyone has any allergies or queries. There may also be multiple details you want to communicate with your guests, so you can add as much or as little as you need. Below is a list of ideas for these cards could include:
- Directions to the venue
- Information about the dress code
- An overview of the menu
- The wedding day itinerary
- A link to the wedding website
- Transport information (if you’re providing transport)
- Numbers for local taxi services
- Information about nearby accommodation
- Ideas for gifts (or not expecting gifts if that’s the case)
- If it’s an adults only wedding
Examples of what to include on an information card
As you can see the information you include on these cards is very varied, which can make it even harder to choose the perfect wording. So to help you out, here’s a few ideas (but certainly not the only ideas) for how to relay important details to your guests.
Here’s an example below of an editorial, luxury wedding stationery, information card design. All of the information would be placed upon the reverse of the card below.
All stationery designed by Crimson Letters
Example one – If you’re offering transportation to your guests:
We will be providing a shuttle service to guests from the ceremony to the reception.
The shuttle will depart at 2:30 from the front of the church and take you to Hall Hotel for the reception.
Following the reception, we’ll also be offering a shuttle back to the church at 9:00 for those who have parked nearby.
Example two – If you’ve set up a wedding website
Visit our wedding website if you’d like more information about the day, as well as:
- How we met
- The proposal
- Who’s in the bridal party
- Who are the groomsmen
- The venue
- The itinerary for the day
- What the wedding venue has to offer in terms of activities
- Suggested arrival times / departure times
Example three – Making accommodation arrangements
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Royal Hotel where we’re having the reception, under the Baker/Smithson wedding party. Please mention our name for a discount if you wish to book a room.
Alternatively, there are a number of other hotels nearby:
Grand Hall Hotel
1 First Street
Oxford
10 minute drive from the reception
Kings Hotel
12 Cross Street
Oxford
12 minute drive from the reception
Example four – If it’s an adults only wedding
This can be a sensitive subject with some parents so you need to word this very carefully, but getting your invites out early enough gives them plenty of time to find a babysitter. An example of the wording could be:
We want all our guests (parents included) to be able to relax and join in with the celebrations with no inhibitions, that’s why we respectively ask that no children attend the reception.
Example five – When discussing food choices
You may have asked guests to pick a food option on their RSVP. Alternatively, if you’re having a buffet and a wider choice of food, it’s a good idea to check for any dietary requirements. You may wish to outline the menu in full, but at the very least you should include:
During the reception we will be serving a South African barbecue. They’ll be plenty of options available, but please do let us know if you have any allergies or special requirements so we can make sure we accommodate this.
Example six – When mentioning gifts
This again can be a sensitive subject. Gone are the days of gift registers asking for gravy boats and fruit bowls, so it can be tricky for guests to know what to gift you. But as so many want to offer a token to welcome you into married life, it can be helpful to give pointers, such as:
As you may know, we already have a home and all the things we need to fill it, and while your it’s your presence and not your presents that we really want, if you do wish to give a wedding gift a contribution towards our once in a lifetime honeymoon would be greatly appreciated.
Alternatively, if you’ve got everything you need, you may wish to ask your guests not to bring gifts or to instead donate the money to a charity close to your heart. An example of this could be:
We want your presence and not your presents, so please don’t feel obliged to give us a gift. It’s gift enough that you’re sharing our big day with us.
In summary
Getting the wedding invitation wording right is an important part of designing your perfect invitations. This is especially true if you’re having them custom made or hand painted like those we offer at Crimson Letters. You don’t want your invitations to be confusing or overcomplicated, you want them to be simple and elegant. Plus, you want them to set the tone for the wedding day and give you guests an idea of what to expect.
This may mean choosing to separate your main invitation into two, with an information card that contains more details than the invitation itself. On all wedding stationery you’re sending out, you need to make sure you’ve spent time selecting the perfect wording for your big day. This includes your RSVP card too. These may only be small, but it’s still an important detail you don’t want to miss.
For more information on beautiful handmade invites, check out the full portfolio at Crimson Letters.
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