Wedding Invitation Wording: Examples to Copy and Adapt
You have the date, the venue, even the design — and you’ve been stuck on the invitation’s opening line for three days. That’s normal: it’s the most-read sentence of the whole wedding. The good news is you don’t have to invent anything. There are formulas that have worked for decades and only need your details. Here they are, from the most classic to the most relaxed, ready to copy.
In every example, swap in your details between brackets and soften anything that sounds stiff to you: the best invitation is the one that sounds like you two.
Classic formal wording (with parents’ names)
The traditional formula, where the parents “invite” on the couple’s behalf. Still the natural choice for religious or very formal weddings:
[Father’s name] and [mother’s name], together with [father’s name] and [mother’s name], request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their children
[Name] & [Name]
on [day], the [date] of [month], [year], at [time], at [venue], [city]. A reception will follow at [reception venue].
A modern variant that keeps the parents present but puts the couple first:
With the blessing of our parents, [all four names], we’re getting married. [Name] & [Name]. [Date] · [time] · [venue].
Formal wording without parents’ names
Increasingly common: it keeps the sense of occasion, but the couple invites in the first person:
[Name] & [Name] request the pleasure of your company at the celebration of their marriage on [day], the [date] of [month], [year], at [time], at [venue], [city].
Or a warmer plural that works beautifully:
We’re getting married, and we’d love to celebrate it with you. Join us on [date] at [time] at [venue]. [Name] & [Name]
Casual and funny wording
For relaxed weddings, a close, playful tone wins. Three openers that work:
We’re finally getting married! (Yes, really.) Save [date]: we want you with us at [venue], [city]. Expect love, music and unreasonable amounts of food.
After [X] years, [X] house moves and one dog, we’ve decided to make it official. Celebrate with us on [date] at [venue].
Our story started [where you met] and continues at [wedding venue] on [date]. Don’t miss it.
With humour there’s just one rule: the practical information must stay crystal clear. Put the joke before or after — the date, time and venue always stay clean and visible.
Got your wording? Drop it into a web invitation with Enlázate today — creating and previewing is free, and you only pay when you publish.
Create my invitation for freeSecond marriages and non-traditional families
For second weddings the tone tends to be more intimate and direct, and acknowledging the story with a light touch works especially well:
Life gave us a second chance and we’re not letting it go to waste. [Name] & [Name] are getting married on [date] at [venue]. It would make us very happy to have you there.
If children are part of the picture, including them in the wording is a detail families remember:
[Children’s names] are delighted to announce (at last!) the wedding of [name] and [name]. Join us all on [date] at [venue].
And for couples who have been together half a lifetime:
We never needed the paperwork to know — but we do fancy the party. We’re getting married on [date] at [venue]. Come raise a glass with us.
The details no wording can leave out
Whatever the tone, check the invitation answers these questions before it goes out:
- Who: your names, clear and prominent.
- When: day of the week, full date and time.
- Where: venue with address (ceremony and reception, if they differ).
- How to reply: the RSVP link or phone number, with a deadline.
- Extras if relevant: dress code, transport, kids, accommodation.
If your invitation is digital, the beautiful wording goes up top and the rest unfolds in sections without crowding it. And when you send it by WhatsApp, the message around the link matters too: there are ready examples in our digital invitation etiquette guide, and the ideal sending calendar in when to send wedding invitations.
One last tip: read the final wording out loud, the two of you together. If it sounds like you, it’s the one.
Creating and previewing your invitation with RSVP is free — no card, no time limit. You only pay a one-time €49 when you publish.
Create my invitation for free