# Wedding invitation wording: examples for every host, style and situation > Copy-ready wedding invitation wording for formal and modern invitations, parents hosting, couples hosting, divorced parents, adults-only and reception-only invitations. Source: https://invitebatch.com/blog/wedding-invitation-wording · Updated 2026-10-16 · InviteBatch **The short answer:** wedding invitation wording follows one order: **who is hosting, the invitation line, the couple's names, the date and time, the venue, and what comes after** (reception or celebration). The most used version today is *"Together with their families, Emily Carter and James Smith request the pleasure of your company at their wedding."* The RSVP date goes on a separate card when you have one. Below are copy-ready examples for every kind of host and wedding. Swap in your own names, date and venue. ## What order does wedding invitation wording follow? Every wedding invitation, formal or casual, follows the same seven lines: 1. **Host line:** who is inviting (the couple, their parents, or both families) 2. **Request line:** "request the honour of your presence" or "invite you to celebrate" 3. **The couple:** traditionally the bride's name first in a heterosexual ceremony, otherwise any order you like 4. **Date:** day of the week, date, year 5. **Time:** "at four o'clock in the afternoon" or "4 PM" 6. **Venue:** name, then city and state (a full street address can go on a details card) 7. **Reception line:** "Dinner and dancing to follow" or "Reception immediately following" Keep it to these lines and the invitation stays easy to read, even on a 5x7 card. ## Formal wedding invitation wording > Mr. and Mrs. Robert Carter > request the honour of your presence > at the marriage of their daughter > Emily Rose > to > Mr. James Michael Smith > Saturday, the twelfth of June > two thousand twenty-seven > at four o'clock in the afternoon > Saint Mary's Church > Napa, California Formal rules: spell out numbers, dates and times; use "honour" with a "u" if you want the traditional look; no punctuation at the ends of lines. ## Modern wedding invitation wording > Together with their families > Emily Carter & James Smith > invite you to celebrate their wedding > Saturday, June 12, 2027 · 4 PM > Rosewood Estate · Napa, California > Dinner and dancing to follow Other modern request lines that work: - *joyfully invite you to their wedding* - *would love for you to join them as they say "I do"* - *are getting married and want you there* ## Wording when the parents are hosting **Bride's parents hosting:** > Mr. and Mrs. Robert Carter > request the pleasure of your company > at the marriage of their daughter > Emily Carter > to James Smith **Both sets of parents hosting:** > Mr. and Mrs. Robert Carter > and > Mr. and Mrs. David Smith > request the pleasure of your company > at the marriage of their children > Emily Carter and James Smith ## Wording when the couple is hosting > Emily Carter and James Smith > request the pleasure of your company > at their wedding Or simply start with *"Together with their families"*, which thanks the parents without naming them as hosts. ## Wording for divorced or remarried parents List each parent (and their spouse if they are co-hosting) on their own line: > Ms. Linda Carter > and > Mr. Robert Carter > request the pleasure of your company > at the marriage of their daughter > Emily Carter > to James Smith If a parent has remarried and the step-parent is co-hosting: *"Mr. and Mrs. Robert Carter and Ms. Linda Hayes"*. When it's complicated, "Together with their families" avoids the question entirely. ## Wording when a parent has passed away A gentle way to include them: > Emily Rose Carter > daughter of Linda Carter and the late Robert Carter > and > James Michael Smith > son of Anne and David Smith > invite you to celebrate their marriage ## Reception-only and after-party invitation wording For guests invited to the reception but not the ceremony (for example after a small ceremony or an elopement): - *Please join us for a reception celebrating the marriage of Emily Carter and James Smith* - *We eloped! Join us for dinner and dancing to celebrate* - *Emily and James were married in a private ceremony. Please join them for an evening of celebration* If some guests are invited to everything and some only to the reception, make two versions of the invitation. With InviteBatch you can add up to three events and choose which events each invitation shows. Design: https://invitebatch.com/editor/classic-gold-frame-wedding-invitation ## Lines for dress code, adults-only and gifts These go at the bottom of the invitation or on a details card: - **Dress code:** *Black tie optional* · *Cocktail attire* · *Garden party chic* - **Adults only:** *We respectfully request an adults-only celebration* - **Gifts:** keep registry details off the invitation itself. Put them on your wedding website or a details card: *Your presence is the greatest gift. For those who have asked, details are on our website.* ## Should you put the guest's name on the invitation? Traditionally the guest's name goes only on the envelope. More couples now print each guest's name on the invitation itself, as a short line above the request line: > Dear Emily Carter, > Together with their families > Sarah Miller & James Smith > invite you to celebrate their wedding It makes it clear exactly who is invited, which avoids surprise plus-ones and children, and it turns the invitation into a keepsake. Writing 120 names by hand or editing 120 files is the hard part. InviteBatch does it in one step: paste your guest list and every guest gets [an invitation with their name on it](/wedding-invitations-with-guest-names), printable and as a personal link with RSVP. For how to write each name (couples, families, plus-ones, doctors), see [how to write guest names on wedding invitations](/blog/how-to-address-wedding-invitations). ## Check your wording before you print - Read the date and the day of the week together on a calendar. A wrong weekday is the most common invitation typo. - Spell-check names with the people themselves, especially parents and step-parents. - Make sure the time is the ceremony start, not when guests should arrive. - Print one test copy at full size and read it out loud. ## Related guides - [Wedding RSVP wording examples](/blog/wedding-rsvp-wording) - [Wedding RSVP deadline: when RSVPs are due](/blog/when-to-send-wedding-invitations-and-rsvp-deadline) - [How to print 5x7 invitations at home](/blog/how-to-print-wedding-invitations-at-home) ## FAQ **What is the correct wording for a wedding invitation?** A wedding invitation names the hosts, invites the guest, names the couple, and gives the date, time and venue, in that order. For example - "Together with their families, Emily Carter and James Smith request the pleasure of your company at their wedding, Saturday, June 12, 2027, at four o'clock, Rosewood Estate, Napa, California." **When do you use "honour of your presence" vs "pleasure of your company"?** Traditionally "the honour of your presence" is used for a ceremony in a place of worship, and "the pleasure of your company" for a ceremony or reception anywhere else. Many couples now use whichever they prefer. **Do you put the guest's name on the wedding invitation?** Traditionally the guest's name goes on the envelope, but more couples now print each guest's name on the invitation itself, for example "Dear Emily Carter" or "The Johnson Family". It makes it clear exactly who is invited. **How do you write the date on a formal wedding invitation?** On a formal invitation spell everything out - "Saturday, the twelfth of June, two thousand twenty-seven, at four o'clock in the afternoon". Modern invitations use numerals - "Saturday, June 12, 2027 at 4 PM". **Should the RSVP details go on the wedding invitation?** Put the RSVP date on a separate RSVP card or details card when you have one. If you send only one card, a short line at the bottom such as "Kindly reply by May 22" is fine.