How to Word Wedding Invitations

Deciding how to word wedding invitations can be a tricky task. A general rule is to keep the wording in line with the style of your wedding. If you are planning a casual beach wedding, use casual language and consider throwing in a few nautical terms in a clever way. For a more formal ceremony, however, formal language should be used and you will probably want to steer clear from trying to incorporate witty phrases. Decide what type of tone you want to convey and go from there.

Wording Casual Wedding Invitations

For small or casual weddings you will want to let your guests know the essentials such as the date, location, and time. Casual wording does not necessarily mean slang terminology, however. Printing your wedding invitations with “We’re getting’ hitched on May 21st. Y’all come watch!” is probably not the way you want to go. A better use of words would be something more along the lines of, “John and Kelly would like to invite you to share in their special day on Saturday, May 21st at St. Simon’s beach. The ceremony will be at 6:00 p.m. with a reception after on the Pier. Feel free to wear your sandals, shorts, or swimsuits for fun afterwards.”

Using language similar to this will let your guests know that you do not expect them to dress to the nines and fight the sand. Of course, not all casual weddings are beach weddings, but this is an example of the type of language you should use when wording your wedding invitations. Other settings will require different descriptions, but the overall tone should be one that expresses the tone of the ceremony itself.

Wording Formal Wedding Invitations

A formal wedding calls for a completely different approach to phrasing. Formal wedding invitations are often worded from the parents of the bride’s perspective: “Jack and Reba Smith invite you to the marriage of their daughter, Kelly Smith, to John Jones.” This is usually followed by the specifics of the ceremony date, time, and location and details of the reception. Formal wedding invitations almost always request guests to send an RSVP as well. There is usually no need to specify a dress code for guests as the tone itself will communicate that formal attire is expected.

If the bride’s parents are no longer living or will not be a part of the wedding for any other reason, formal wedding invitations can begin by stating, “John Jones and Kelly Smith cordially request your presence on May 21st at 6:00 p.m. at St. Simon’s chapel to partake in their marriage ceremony.” Of course, this exact phrasing is not standard and can be altered based on personal preference, but the tone should remain formal, informative, and minimally personal.

Ultimately, how to word your letterpress invites is a decision you will have to make based on the tone you wish to send to your guests. If you are unsure, resources are available from wedding coordinators to specialty stationery stores who can help you decide what type of phrasing to use. For most people, this is a once in a lifetime decision, so take the time to make sure you say exactly what you want to say.