What is the proper wording for a wedding invitation?

A traditional invitation names the hosts, asks for the guests' company, says whose marriage it is, then gives the date, the time and the place. For example: Mr. and Mrs. Robert Morgan request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Alexandra Jane to Mr. Samuel David Rivera. The builder above writes this from your own details.

Whose name goes first on a wedding invitation?

The hosts come first, because they are the ones inviting. Then the partner they are hosting, then the other. When two sets of parents host, the couple named first is usually yours, and for two brides or two grooms the order is the couple's choice. Names follow who is hosting, not who is paying.

Is it "honor" or "honour"?

Both are correct in the US. The spelling with a u marks a formal card, and it is a good idea to spell favour the same way on the reply card. A modern card can use honor. The builder keeps the spelling the same on every card in the set.

When do you use "the honour of your presence"?

For a ceremony in a church or another house of worship. For anywhere else, such as a vineyard, a hotel or a garden, the form is "the pleasure of your company".

How do you word an invitation when the couple is hosting?

Open with your two names and no parents: Maya Patel and Thomas Brennan request the pleasure of your company at their marriage. If both families are involved, "Together with their families" at the top names them without listing them.

Do you put the registry on the invitation?

No. Gifts are left off a traditional US invitation. Put the registry on your website or on the details card instead.

How do you say adults only politely?

Address the envelope only to the people invited, and add one kind line to the details card, such as "Adults only, please." Do not give a reason that guests can argue with.

When should save the dates go out?

Six to eight months before the wedding, and eight to twelve months for a destination wedding. Invitations follow six to eight weeks before.

Wedding invitation wording

Wording for every card you send: pick the card, say who is hosting, and see it finished with your details in it. Free, with no account.

Which card?

The wedding invitation itself.

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 their marriage

[date]

at [time]

[venue]

[city, state]

Reception to follow

Saved in this browser. Make a free account to keep it safe and share it with your partner.

Why this wording

When the couple host, their names open the card and no parents are named.
Honour of your presence is for a church or other house of worship. Pleasure of your company suits everywhere else.
The spelling with a u marks a formal card. Whichever you pick, it is the same on every card in the set.
Formal US cards write Mr., Mrs. and Ms. with full stops, and spell out Doctor.
A formal US card spells the date out, with no "and" in the year.
Formal US cards give the time in words and leave off a.m. and p.m. "Half after" is the formal form; "half past" is the everyday one.
The venue, then the city and state spelled out. A zip code belongs on the details card.
Reception to follow tells guests there is a party after the ceremony, on the same card.

A quick look

Worth a lookNo date yet. Add one when you have it.
Worth a look6 details are still to fill in.
Within rangeYour cards share one voice.

Your details

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

Partner 1

First name

Name as it is printed

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

Title

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

Partner 2

First name

Name as it is printed

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

Title

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.

The two of you hostYour names open the card. No parents are named.Together with your familiesNames both families without listing them. Safe when who pays and who hosts do not match.

Wedding date

We are still deciding the date

Ceremony time

Where

Venue

City and state

Spelled out, such as Napa, California.

A church or other house of worshipThis changes the request line to the honour of your presence.

The reception, if it is somewhere else

Venue

City and state

Replies

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

Reply by

Web address for the online reply

Address for replies by post

Dress

Pick one for a plain meaning, or type your own.

One more line, if you want one

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

How to word a wedding invitation

Pick the card. An invitation, a save the date, a reply card, a details card or a thank-you note. Each one asks only for what it needs.
Say who is hosting. The two of you, one or both sets of parents, divorced or remarried parents, a parent who has died. You get ready host lines, each with a note on what it tells guests.
Add your details. Your names as they are printed, the date, the time, the place and the reply date. Accents, hyphens and double-barrelled names stay exactly as you type them.
Choose the tone. Traditional, modern, relaxed or funny. The tone also changes how the date and time are written.
Read it, copy it, print it. Check the notes and the quick look, edit any line, then copy it, copy it as a text message or download a plain PDF.

Invitation examples, by situation

Original examples with invented names. Change the names and the date and they are yours.

Your parents host

Your parents host, a church weddingTraditional
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Morgan
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Alexandra Jane
to
Mr. Samuel David Rivera
Saturday, the twelfth of June
two thousand twenty-seven
at half after four o'clock
St. Mary's Church
Napa, California
Reception to follow
Honour of your presence is for a church or other house of worship. The hosted partner drops their surname when it matches the hosts'.
Your parents host, a vineyardTraditional
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Ortiz
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter
Marisol Anne
to
Mr. Henry James Whitfield
Saturday, the fifteenth of May
two thousand twenty-seven
at five o'clock
Larkspur Vineyard
Sonoma, California
Dinner and dancing to follow
Away from a house of worship, the form is the pleasure of your company.
One parent hosts, a motherTraditional
Mrs. Teresa Okafor
requests the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of her daughter
Adaeze Grace
to
Mr. Marcus Lee Bell
Saturday, the twenty-ninth of May
two thousand twenty-seven
at six o'clock
The Garden Room, Hotel Alder
Portland, Oregon
Reception to follow
A parent hosting alone is named on their own, and her, his or their follows.
One parent hosts, a fatherTraditional
Mr. Peter Lindqvist
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of his son
Erik Johan
to
Ms. Hannah Carter Doyle
Saturday, the twenty-sixth of June
two thousand twenty-seven
at half after two o'clock
Grace Lutheran Church
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Reception to follow
Ms. is the title used when the partner is named in full and no title is preferred otherwise.

Both sets of parents host

Both sets of parents hostTraditional
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Reyes
and
Dr. Susan and Mr. Alan Kessler
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their children
Elena Marie Reyes
to
Jonah Alan Kessler
Saturday, the tenth of July
two thousand twenty-seven
at four o'clock
The Foundry
Austin, Texas
Reception to follow
Each couple on its own line with and between them. For two partners it is the order you choose; yours first is usual.

The two of you host

The two of you hostTraditional
Maya Patel
and
Thomas Brennan
request the pleasure of your company
at their marriage
Saturday, the fourteenth of August
two thousand twenty-seven
at half after five o'clock
The Boathouse at Lake Harriet
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Dinner and dancing to follow
When the couple host, their names open the card and no parents are named.

Together with your families

Together with your familiesModern
Together with their families
Leila Haddad
and
Owen Parry
invite you to celebrate their marriage
Saturday, October 2, 2027
5:00 in the evening
Carrow House
Charleston, South Carolina
Dinner and dancing to follow
Names follow who is hosting, not who is paying. Together with their families leaves no one out.

Modern, relaxed and funny

Modern, your parents hostModern
Robert and Jane Morgan
invite you to celebrate
the marriage of their daughter
Alexandra Jane
and
Samuel David Rivera
Saturday, June 12, 2027
4:30 in the afternoon
St. Mary's Church
Napa, California
Dinner and dancing to follow
Titles are left off, the date is in figures, and invite you to celebrate replaces the request line.
Modern, the two of you hostModern
Priya Raman and Daniel Cho
request the pleasure of your company
at their wedding
Saturday, July 10, 2027
6:00 in the evening
The Old Mill
Asheville, North Carolina
Dinner and dancing to follow
Relaxed, in your own voiceRelaxed
We are getting married
Imani and Gabe
Please join us
Saturday, May 29, 2027
2:00 p.m.
The Orchard at Hollis Farm
Ithaca, New York
Dinner, drinks and dancing to follow
Kindly reply by May 1, 2027
A relaxed card is written as you would say it. It does not name hosts.
Funny, where it fitsFunny
We are getting married. Please come.
Kit and Dev
Saturday, August 14, 2027
4:00 p.m.
The Greenhouse
Madison, Wisconsin
There will be cake.
Dinner and dancing to follow. Please bring comfortable shoes.
Kindly reply by July 10, 2027
One light line is enough. The rest of the card stays clear.

Religious ceremonies

A church wedding, modernModern
Together with their families
Grace Okonkwo
and
Caleb Hart
invite you to celebrate their marriage
Saturday, October 16, 2027
1:00 in the afternoon
Trinity Baptist Church
Atlanta, Georgia
Luncheon to follow in the fellowship hall

A particular kind of day

Ceremony and reception in one placeModern
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Greer
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter
Lucy Anne
to
Mr. Marcus Ellis
Saturday, April 24, 2027
5:30 in the evening
The Wexford Hotel
Chicago, Illinois
Dinner and dancing to follow
When the ceremony and the party are in one place, one line covers both.
A destination weddingModern
Together with their families
Noor Siddiqui and Ethan Brooks
invite you to celebrate their marriage
Saturday, September 4, 2027
4:00 in the afternoon
Hotel Las Brisas
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Welcome dinner Friday evening, brunch Sunday
Please visit our website for travel details
Kindly reply by June 15, 2027
The weekend plan goes on the card in one line. Everything else is on the details card.
A second weddingModern
Marianne Cole and Peter Hanley
request the pleasure of your company
at their marriage
Saturday, May 15, 2027
3:00 in the afternoon
The Library Garden
Savannah, Georgia
Lunch to follow
When you are hosting yourselves, no parents are named and nothing else needs explaining.
A small dinner weddingRelaxed
We are getting married
Hana and Luis
Join us for a small ceremony and dinner
Saturday, November 6, 2027
5:00 p.m.
Osteria Verde
San Diego, California
Please reply by October 1, 2027. We are keeping the table to thirty.
Saying how many are invited, once and kindly, answers the plus-one question before it is asked.

The rules, at a glance

These are the rules the builder follows, with where each comes from. Where sources disagree, the builder offers both.

The request line: "The honour of your presence" for a church or other house of worship; "the pleasure of your company" everywhere else.; Emily Post, wedding planning guides
Honour and favour: "Honour" and "favour" on traditional cards, with the same spelling all through. "Honor" is accepted on modern cards.; Emily Post, card stationers
Titles: Mr., Mrs. and Ms. with full stops; "Doctor" spelled out.; Emily Post
The date: Spelled out on a formal card: "Saturday, the twelfth of June / two thousand twenty-seven", with no "and" in the year.; Emily Post
The time: In words, with no a.m. or p.m.: "at half after four o'clock".; Emily Post
The place: The venue, then the city and state, with no zip code on a traditional card.; Emily Post
What follows the ceremony: "Reception to follow" or "Dinner and dancing to follow".; Wedding planning guides
Replies: A reply card: "The favour of a reply is requested by...", the "M" line, "accepts with pleasure / declines with regret". "We have reserved __ seats in your honour" names who is invited.; Emily Post, wedding planning guides. From one source, so worth a look
Dress code: Traditionally left off an invitation, except "Black tie" at the bottom right of a reception card. Modern sites put it on a details card.; Emily Post, wedding planning guides. The sources disagree, so the builder offers both
Gifts: Never on the invitation. The registry goes on the website or the details card.; Emily Post
Adults only: "Adults only, please" at the foot of the invitation or on the details card, and the envelope addressed to the invited adults.; Wedding planning guides. The sources disagree, so the builder offers both
Later guests: A reception-only invitation celebrates a marriage that has already happened.; Wedding planning guides
One set of parents hosting: "Mr. and Mrs. Robert Morgan request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Alexandra Jane to Mr. Samuel Rivera." The partner they are hosting drops their surname when it matches.; Emily Post
Both sets of parents: Each couple on its own line with "and" between them. For a bride and groom the bride's parents come first; two brides or two grooms go alphabetically.; Emily Post, wedding planning guides
The couple hosting: "Alex Morgan and Sam Rivera request the honour of your presence at their marriage."; Emily Post
Together with their families: "Together with their families, Alex and Sam request..." The safe line when hosting and paying do not match.; Wedding planning guides, Emily Post
Divorced parents hosting together: Separate lines, the mother first, and no "and" between them: "and" would suggest they are still married.; Wedding planning guides, card stationers. The sources disagree, so the builder offers both
Divorced and remarried parents: The mother and her husband on one line, then the father and his wife on the next. The mother's side stays first.; Wedding planning guides. The sources disagree, so the builder offers both
A parent who has died: The surviving parent hosts, and the late parent is honoured in the couple's line: "daughter of Mrs. Jane Morgan and the late Mr. Robert Morgan". Some sources also allow "the late" in the host line; stricter sources do not.; Wedding planning guides, Emily Post (secondary sources). The sources disagree, so the builder offers both
One parent hosting: "Mrs. Jane Morgan requests the honour of your presence at the marriage of her daughter", with his, her or their to match.; Emily Post
Grandparents and other relatives: A relative hosts with the relationship named: "their granddaughter", "her niece".; Emily Post (examples). From one source, so worth a look
Two mums or two dads: Mr., Mrs., Ms. or Mx. each. Different surnames go alphabetically by surname; the same surname alphabetically by first name.; Wedding planning guides
Two brides or two grooms: Names in any order the couple like. If one side's parents host, their child goes first. "Child of" is an option.; Wedding planning guides
When save the dates go out: 6 to 8 months before; 8 to 12 months for a destination wedding.; Wedding planning guides
When invitations go out: 6 to 8 weeks before.; Wedding planning guides. The sources disagree, so the builder offers both
Reply by: 3 weeks to a month before the wedding, with a week's margin for the caterer.; Wedding planning guides. The sources disagree, so the builder offers both
Thank-you notes: Within 3 months of receiving each gift. Gifts that came before the wedding are thanked straight away.; Emily Post

Frequently asked questions

What is the proper wording for a wedding invitation?: A traditional invitation names the hosts, asks for the guests' company, says whose marriage it is, then gives the date, the time and the place. For example: Mr. and Mrs. Robert Morgan request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Alexandra Jane to Mr. Samuel David Rivera. The builder above writes this from your own details.
Whose name goes first on a wedding invitation?: The hosts come first, because they are the ones inviting. Then the partner they are hosting, then the other. When two sets of parents host, the couple named first is usually yours, and for two brides or two grooms the order is the couple's choice. Names follow who is hosting, not who is paying.
Is it "honor" or "honour"?: Both are correct in the US. The spelling with a u marks a formal card, and it is a good idea to spell favour the same way on the reply card. A modern card can use honor. The builder keeps the spelling the same on every card in the set.
When do you use "the honour of your presence"?: For a ceremony in a church or another house of worship. For anywhere else, such as a vineyard, a hotel or a garden, the form is "the pleasure of your company".
How do you word an invitation when the couple is hosting?: Open with your two names and no parents: Maya Patel and Thomas Brennan request the pleasure of your company at their marriage. If both families are involved, "Together with their families" at the top names them without listing them.
Do you put the registry on the invitation?: No. Gifts are left off a traditional US invitation. Put the registry on your website or on the details card instead.
How do you say adults only politely?: Address the envelope only to the people invited, and add one kind line to the details card, such as "Adults only, please." Do not give a reason that guests can argue with.
When should save the dates go out?: Six to eight months before the wedding, and eight to twelve months for a destination wedding. Invitations follow six to eight weeks before.