Wedding invitation wording examples
Who is hosting decides the first line; the setting decides “honour” or “pleasure”. Find your situation below and copy the wording, or have the writer draft a version with your details.
Formal wording by host
Traditional etiquette names the hosts first. Spell out the date, time and year.
Mr. and Mrs. David Chen request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Amara Grace to Jonah Michael Reyes Saturday, the twelfth of June two thousand twenty-seven at four o'clock in the afternoon St. Mark's Church Portland, Oregon
Together with their families Amara Grace Chen and Jonah Michael Reyes request the pleasure of your company at their wedding Saturday, the twelfth of June two thousand twenty-seven at four o'clock The Glasshouse at Fernhill Portland, Oregon Dinner and dancing to follow
Mr. and Mrs. David Chen and Mr. and Mrs. Luis Reyes request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their children Amara Grace and Jonah Michael …
Amara Chen and Jonah Reyes request the pleasure of your company at their marriage Saturday, June 12, 2027 at four o'clock in the afternoon The Glasshouse at Fernhill Portland, Oregon
Ms. Helen Park and Mr. David Chen request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Amara Grace …
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Ward request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of her daughter Amara Grace Chen …
Amara Grace Chen daughter of Helen Park and the late David Chen and Jonah Michael Reyes son of Maria and Luis Reyes invite you to celebrate their marriage …
Religious ceremonies
With joyful hearts we ask you to be present as we are united in marriage before God, family and friends Amara Chen & Jonah Reyes …
Helen and David Chen and Miriam and Aaron Levy invite you to share in their joy at the marriage of their children Amara and Noah Sunday, the fifth of September at six o'clock in the evening …
…request the honour of your presence at the Nuptial Mass uniting their daughter Amara Grace and Jonah Michael in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony …
Modern and casual
Amara & Jonah are getting married! Join us for a day of love, laughter and far too much cake June 12, 2027 · 4pm The Glasshouse, Portland
Please join us as we say I do Amara & Jonah June 12, 2027 at 4pm Fernhill Gardens
We found our person. Now we need our people. Amara & Jonah are tying the knot Saturday, June 12, 2027 Ceremony at 4, party until late
We eloped! Now let's celebrate Join Amara & Jonah for dinner and drinks Saturday, July 10 · 7pm Olive & Vine, Portland
Please join us for a reception celebrating the marriage of Amara & Jonah Saturday, June 12, 2027 seven o'clock in the evening …
Wording rules worth knowing
- “The honour of your presence” (British spelling “honour” is traditional even in the US) is used for ceremonies in a house of worship; “the pleasure of your company” for everywhere else.
- On formal invitations, spell out numbers for the date, year and time, and do not write “p.m.”: use “in the afternoon” or “in the evening”.
- Do not print registry details on the invitation. Put them on your wedding website or let family pass them on when asked.
- Dress code goes in the lower corner or on a details card: “Black tie”, “Cocktail attire”, “Garden party attire”.
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Questions people ask
What is the correct wording for a wedding invitation?
The classic structure is: hosts, request line, the couple's names, date and time, venue and city, then the reception line. Use “the honour of your presence” for a religious venue and “the pleasure of your company” for others.
Whose name goes first on a wedding invitation?
Traditionally the bride's name comes first on heterosexual wedding invitations. For same-sex couples, choose alphabetical order or whichever sounds better; there is no fixed rule.
How do you word a wedding invitation when the couple is paying?
Begin with “Together with their families” or simply the couple's names followed by “request the pleasure of your company at their marriage”.
Should I write the year on a wedding invitation?
On formal invitations, yes, written out in words (“two thousand twenty-seven”). On casual invitations the year is optional.
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