Wording for every kind of wedding, from a formal church ceremony hosted by the bride’s parents to a casual party in the backyard. Copy one, change the names, and put the details that don’t fit on the card on your wedding website.
The traditional form, for a ceremony in a place of worship. “The honour of your presence” is kept for religious ceremonies.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hale request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Emily Anne to Daniel James Ortiz Saturday, the twelfth of June two thousand twenty-seven at four o’clock in the afternoon Saint Mark’s Church Charleston, South Carolina
When both sets of parents are hosting or helping to pay. The bride’s family traditionally comes first.
Together with their families Emily Anne Hale and Daniel James Ortiz request the pleasure of your company at their marriage Saturday, June 12, 2027 at four in the afternoon Magnolia Hall Charleston, South Carolina Reception to follow
Names everyone who is hosting, each family on its own line.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hale and Mr. and Mrs. Luis Ortiz request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their children Emily and Daniel Saturday, June 12, 2027 at four o’clock Magnolia Hall, Charleston
The most common wording today, and the one to use when you are paying for the wedding yourselves.
Emily Hale and Daniel Ortiz invite you to celebrate their marriage Saturday, June 12, 2027 at 4 PM Magnolia Hall 214 King Street, Charleston Dinner and dancing to follow
For a backyard, a barn or a party more than a ceremony.
We’re getting married! Come celebrate with Emily and Daniel Saturday, June 12, 2027, at 4 PM The Hale family farm, Johns Island Food, drinks and dancing till late
Any of the forms above work. List the names in whatever order you like; alphabetical is common.
Together with their families Marcus Bell and Jordan Reyes invite you to share in their joy as they marry Saturday, September 18, 2027 at five in the evening The Glasshouse, Portland, Oregon
Address the envelope (or the personal link) only to the adults invited, and say it once, kindly, on the invitation or the website.
Emily and Daniel invite you to their wedding Saturday, June 12, 2027, at 4 PM Magnolia Hall, Charleston We love your little ones, but our celebration will be adults only.
For an elopement or a small ceremony followed by a bigger party.
Emily and Daniel were married in a private ceremony and invite you to celebrate with them at a reception in their honour Saturday, July 10, 2027, at 7 PM The Rooftop at 5 Vendue, Charleston
Send these 8 to 12 weeks ahead (save the dates 9 to 12 months ahead), and put the travel details on your website rather than the card.
Pack your bags! Emily Hale and Daniel Ortiz invite you to their wedding in Tuscany Saturday, May 22, 2027, at 5 PM Villa Cora, Florence, Italy Travel and hotel details at our website
Only living people “request” or “invite”. A parent who has died can be named with “the late”, or remembered in the ceremony instead.
Emily Anne Hale daughter of Susan Hale and the late Robert Hale and Daniel James Ortiz son of Maria and Luis Ortiz request the pleasure of your company at their marriage Saturday, June 12, 2027, at 4 PM Magnolia Hall, Charleston
Everything else, the schedule of the weekend, the hotels, the dress code and the registry, belongs on the website. Still writing the list of who gets one? The free guest list counts it by side and A and B list.
Give a reply-by date three to four weeks before the wedding. Replies online save the stamped envelopes and the chasing: guests answer for everyone on their invitation, with meal choices, and you see the count as it comes in.
Kindly reply by May 1 at thedetails.page/e/emily-and-daniel
Please reply by May 1 Scan the code or visit our website
The favour of a reply is requested by the first of May M ______________________ ___ Accepts with pleasure ___ Declines with regret
For travel, the weekend’s schedule and to reply, visit our wedding website
Answer a few questions and get a wedding website with your wording, the schedule, travel notes and a reply form where each household answers for everyone on its invitation. Share one link or a QR code on the card.
Who is hosting, the request line (“request the pleasure of your company”), the couple’s names, the date, the time, the venue and its city, then the reception line (“reception to follow”). The reply details and the website go on a separate card or at the bottom.
“The honour of your presence” is traditionally kept for a ceremony in a church or other place of worship. “The pleasure of your company” is used for every other venue. Both are correct; the difference is only tradition.
Spell everything out: “Saturday, the twelfth of June, two thousand twenty-seven, at four o’clock in the afternoon”. Don’t use “PM” or numerals on formal wording; they are fine on a casual one. For 4:30, write “half after four o’clock”.
Address the invitation only to the adults invited, then say it once on the website or a small card: “We love your little ones, but our celebration will be adults only.” Avoid putting it on the main invitation in bold. Tell close family personally before the invitations arrive.
Yes, today most couples put it on the reply card or a small details card rather than the invitation itself. The website holds what doesn’t fit: the schedule, travel and hotels, the dress code, the registry and the reply form.
Six to eight weeks before the wedding, eight to twelve weeks for a destination wedding. Set the reply-by date three to four weeks before the day, so you have time to give the caterer final numbers and make the seating plan.
Not on the invitation. Put it on the wedding website, which guests will open from the reply card or the save the date.