Wedding Invitation Wording: Examples for Every Style

Wedding invitation wording sets the tone for your entire event. Formal or casual, traditional or modern, the way you word it tells your guests what to expect. Here are examples you can use, plus guidance for the situations that trip people up.

Classic and formal

For a traditional ceremony with a more formal tone:

"Together with their families, [Name] and [Name] request the honour of your presence at their marriage."

"Mr. and Mrs. [Parents] request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter [Name] to [Name]."

"You are cordially invited to celebrate the marriage of [Name] and [Name]."

Note: "honour" with a U if you're using Canadian or British spelling. "Honor" if American. Your invitation and your RSVP wording should be consistent.

Modern and warm

For couples who want something that sounds like them, not a template:

"[Name] and [Name] are getting married! Join us to celebrate."

"We found our person. Now we're throwing a party. You're invited."

"With full hearts and excited nerves, [Name] and [Name] invite you to their wedding."

This is the style I used for my own wedding. We wanted the invitation to sound like us, not like we copied it from an etiquette book. It set the right tone and our guests knew exactly what kind of celebration to expect.

Casual and relaxed

For a backyard wedding, elopement reception, or laid-back celebration:

"We're tying the knot and would love for you to be there."

"Come eat, drink, and dance with us as we celebrate our marriage."

"No big fuss, just good people and a great party. Join us."

When parents are hosting

Traditionally, the bride's parents are named as hosts. Today, many couples host their own wedding or share hosting with both sets of parents. Word it based on who's actually hosting:

If family dynamics are complicated (divorced parents, stepparents, chosen family), go with "together with their families" or just lead with the couple's names. Nobody will be offended by simplicity.

Multicultural weddings

If your wedding blends traditions, your invitation can reflect that. Some couples include wording in two languages, reference both cultural ceremonies, or simply acknowledge both families' traditions with a line like:

"Bringing together two families and two traditions, [Name] and [Name] invite you to celebrate their union."

For weddings with multiple events (a mehendi, tea ceremony, church ceremony, and reception), the invitation can reference the main event and point guests to the wedding website for the full schedule. If you're planning a Filipino wedding with sponsors, I wrote a guide to Filipino wedding traditions that covers invitation etiquette for the entourage. That way the invitation stays elegant and the website handles the logistics.

Including the RSVP

Your invitation should tell guests how to respond. With a digital invitation, the RSVP is usually built right in. With paper, you'll need a reply card or a URL pointing to your wedding website.

"Please RSVP by [date] at [website URL]"

"Kindly respond by [date]. RSVP at [URL] or return the enclosed card."

Digital RSVPs make this so much easier. You can collect meal choices, plus-ones, and dietary restrictions all at once, and track responses in real time instead of waiting on the mail. I wrote more about how to word your RSVP and when to set the deadline.

Digital vs. paper invitations

I went fully digital for my own wedding and it was one of the best decisions we made. The invitation matched our website, guests could RSVP in seconds, and I could track everything without a spreadsheet. No stamps, no lost reply cards, no guessing who got theirs.

Paper invitations are traditional and tangible, and there's nothing wrong with that. But digital lets you link directly to your RSVP form, maps, accommodation info, and everything else on your wedding website. I wrote a full comparison of paper vs. digital invitations if you're deciding between them.

A note on tone

Match the invitation wording to your wedding's actual vibe. If your reception is at a brewery with a taco bar, "request the honour of your presence" is going to feel off. And if you're hosting a black-tie dinner at a grand ballroom, "come party with us" undersells it. The invitation is a preview of the experience. It should feel like your wedding before anyone gets there.