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Evening wedding invitation wording

Write your evening invitation for guests who join you after the ceremony, with the finish time and whether there is food. Fill in your details. Free.

An evening invitation is for guests who join you on the same day, after the ceremony and the wedding breakfast. It is a different card from the main invitation, and it should read like a proper invitation, not an afterthought.

Add your details below, pick a tone, and say whether there is food. The wording says "to celebrate the marriage of", because evening guests are not at the ceremony.

Which card?

For guests who join you for the evening.

Your card

Formal wording. The date and time are spelled out where the country does that.

[name]

and

[name]

request the pleasure of your company

at a reception to celebrate their marriage

[venue], [town]

[date]

from [time]

RSVP [reply address] by [reply by date]

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Why this wording

  • When the couple host, their names open the card. The traditional order puts the bride's name first; the order is your choice.
  • In the UK, the pleasure of your company is used even for a church wedding. It is the long-standing UK form.
  • UK cards write Mr and Mrs without full stops, and "and" in full.
  • An evening invitation is for the same day. It says "to celebrate the marriage of", not "at the marriage of".
  • The UK form uses figures: weekday, day with its ending, month, year, no commas.Worth a look: this comes from one source.
  • Modern UK cards often use figures, such as 2.30pm. The words form is for the most formal cards.Worth a look: this comes from one source.
  • A gift list goes on a separate card, not the invitation itself. Day and evening guests get the same words.

A quick look

  • Worth a lookNo date yet. Add one when you have it.
  • Worth a look8 details are still to fill in.

Your details

Only what this card needs. Everything stays as you type it, accents and hyphens included.

Partner 1

The full name, middle names included. Accents and hyphens are kept.

For a formal card, such as Mr, Ms, Mx or Dr.

Partner 2

The full name, middle names included. Accents and hyphens are kept.

For a formal card, such as Mr, Ms, Mx or Dr.

Who is hosting?

Our names open the card.

Ready host lines

Etiquette sources disagree on much of this, so here are the choices. Each says what it tells your guests.

Where

Such as Bath.

The wedding breakfast and evening reception, if somewhere else
Replies

Guests can reply online or by post. The web address is always printed beside any QR code.

Only on a traditional UK card, such as midnight or 1am.

Adults only, a small ceremony, phones away. Kind and short is best.

How to word an evening wedding invitation

  1. Choose a tone. Traditional, with the hosts named, or modern, relaxed or a little funny.

  2. Say that it is the evening. "A reception to celebrate the marriage of" or "an evening of drinks and dancing". Evening guests should never wonder whether they were meant for the day.

  3. Give the start time. "From 7.30pm". If there is a timetable, such as "Dancing 8pm for 8.30pm", add it.

  4. Say whether there is food. "An evening buffet will be served." Evening guests ask about this more than anything else.

  5. Add the finish if you wish. "Carriages at midnight" on a traditional card. Many couples leave it off.

Examples, by situation

The examples for this page are being read through before we publish them. The builder, the notes and the guide on this page work now.

What an evening invitation is

It is for guests who are invited to the party but not the ceremony or the meal. It goes out at the same time as the main invitations, so evening guests can plan. It names the hosts in the same way and gives a start time, not a ceremony time.

In the US the nearest card is a reception-only invitation, which means something different: that the marriage has already happened. The UK evening invitation is for the same day.

Making evening guests feel invited

A separate card, a proper invitation, the same hosts and the same words for gifts as the day guests receive. If the ceremony is a small one, you can add a kind line saying so, and that you look forward to celebrating with everyone in the evening.

Food, drink and the finish

Say plainly whether there is food. Give a finish time on a formal card with "Carriages at". For a ceilidh or a band, a line saying no experience is needed, and that comfortable shoes are a good idea, is kind.

Questions people ask

How do you word an evening wedding invitation?
Name the hosts as on the main invitation, then "request the pleasure of your company at a reception to celebrate the marriage of", with the date, the venue and "from 7.30pm".
What time should an evening invitation say?
The time the party starts, such as "from 7.30pm". Add a timetable only if there is one.
Should an evening invitation say whether there is food?
Yes. A line such as "An evening buffet will be served" saves a great many messages.
Can evening guests be sent the gift list?
Send them the same gift card as the day guests. A different card makes evening guests feel second-tier.
When should evening invitations be sent?
At the same time as the main invitations, so that guests can plan.
What does "carriages at midnight" mean?
It gives the finish time on a formal card. Many couples leave it off.

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