You've chosen the style of wedding invitation you think best complements your wedding. Now you need to think about what to say!

The wording may vary according to taste, and depending on how formal your celebration will be. But, whatever the format, the wedding invitation should state the following:

You might also wish to include

Wedding Invitations always go out from whoever is hosting the wedding - often the bride's parents. The wording becomes more complicated if parents are divorced or if the couple are holding the event themselves. The usual wording for a traditional wedding invitation is:

Mr & Mrs James Jones request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter Susan to Mr Neil Wood at St Mary's Church, Milton, on (date), (month), (year), at, (time) and afterwards at (reception venue). RSVP: (host's address).

The traditional approach

if you want to follow a traditional wedding invitation style, there are a few rules to follow:

The wording for a wedding invitation can be adapted to accommodate a change in circumstances due to death, divorce and re-marriage on the bride's side

For example:

If either parent is widowed

Mr Nathan Andrews/ Mrs Paula Andrews, requests the pleasure…

Parents are divorced

Mr Nathan Andrews and Mrs Paula Andrews request the pleasure…

Parents divorced, mother remarried

Mr James Jones and Mrs Paula Matthews request…

Including children

If children are invited to the wedding, this can be made clear by including their name on their parents' wedding invitation. Parents should assume that the wedding invitation is for them alone if their children's names are not specified.

It can be tactful to include a short note to parents, such as 'Much as we would like to invite all the children of our friends, it is only possible to accommodate the children of close family', or 'We are sorry we are unable to accommodate children'. If you are inviting children, let parents know if you have made special childcare arrangements: 'We have arranged child-minding facilities for the duration of the service and/or reception'.

Invitations to the wedding reception or an evening party

If space is limited at your ceremony venue, you may wish to invite more guests along to the reception afterwards. Equally, you may then decide to invite even more guests for a party in the evening.

A wedding reception invitation will 'request the pleasure of your company' to the wedding reception. An evening party invite could be equally formal, or informal depending on the style of your wedding.

More wording examples

Who is hosting your wedding?

The bride's parents?
Both sets of parents?
You're hosting your own wedding?
You with both sets of parents?
A single parent?
A divorced parent with their spouse/bride or groom's step parent?
Jointly hosted by divorced parents?
Someone other than the bride's parents?
The wedding's going to be a joint one?

The bride's parents

Mr & Mrs Andrews
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Ashley Jane
to Peter John Henderson
son of
Mr & Mrs Henderson
on date, month, year
at, time
St George's Church, Barton-in-Fabis,
Nottingham

Both sets of parents

Mr & Mrs Wakefield
and
Mr & Mrs Austin
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter
Laura-Jayne Elizabeth
to Adam Brook
on date, month, year
at, time
St George's Church, Barton-in-Fabis,
Nottingham

You're hosting your own

Ms Laura-Jayne Elizabeth Wakefield
and
Mr Adam Brook Austin
request the pleasure of your company
at their marriage
on date, month, year
at, time
St George's Church, Barton-in-Fabis,
Nottingham

You with both sets of parents

Mr & Mrs Wakefield
and their daughter
Laura-Jayne Elizabeth
together with
Mr & Mrs Austin
and their son
Adam Brook
request the honour of your presence
at the wedding of
Laura-Jayne Elizabeth
and
Adam Brook
on date, month, year
at, time
St George's Church, Barton-in-Fabis,
Nottingham

Single parent

Mr Wakefield
requests the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of his daughter
Laura-Jayne Elizabeth
to
Adam Brook Austin
on date, month, year
at, time
St George's Church, Barton-in-Fabis,
Nottingham

A divorced parent with their spouse bride or groom's step parent

Jane & Tom Brown
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of Jane Brown's daughter
Laura-Jayne Elizabeth Wakefield
to
Adam Brook Austin
son of Mr & Mrs Austin
on date, month, year
at, time
St George's Church, Barton-in-Fabis,
Nottingham

Jointly hosted by divorced parents

Mr Wakefield
and
Mrs Brown
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter
Laura-Jayne Elizabeth Wakefield
to
Adam Brook Austin
son of
Mr & Mrs Austin
on date, month, year
at, time
St George's Church, Barton-in-Fabis,
Nottingham

Someone other than the bride's parents

If the host of the wedding is neither the bride nor the groom's parents, but another relation, you should word the invitation submitting the word daughter/son and adding the hosts' relationship.

The wedding's going to be a joint one

If two sisters are getting married, the name of the older sister and her future husband should go first.