How do you properly craft formal wedding invitation wording? With examples, of course! Read on to see samples of formal invitations so you know exactly how to word yours. Be sure to subscribe for the latest to your inbox!
Your wedding invitation will set the tone for your entire event. If you’re planning a classic and traditional wedding, you need to include wording that reflects the formality and tone of the event. If you’re wondering how to word a formal wedding invitation, you’re in luck: we have formal wedding invitation wording examples in seven different scenarios to guide you.
How to Word Formal Wedding Invitations
The wording may seem overwhelming, but once you read this article you’ll see how easy it is to do with the proper scenario in place. Typically, the wording revolves around who is hosting the event, so let’s start there. Here’s how to word invitations and craft the perfect formal invitation when parents are hosting, our first example.
Formal Wedding Invitation Wording: Parents Hosting
When the bride’s parents are hosting the wedding, traditional wording dictates the following:
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Blanton
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Rebecca Ann
to
Mr. Jonathan Smith
on
Saturday, the twenty-sixth of August
two thousand and twenty-three
at half past four o’clock
The Garden Room
Versailles Place, North Carolina
Formal Wedding Invitation Wording: Both Parents’ Names
If both of the couple’s parents are hosting, or you simply wish to include both parents’ names on the invitations, utilize the formal wording as follows:
Thomas and Theresa Blanton
and
Roger and Jennifer Smith
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their children
Rebecca Ann
to
Jonathan
on
Saturday, the twenty-sixth of August
two thousand and twenty-three
at half past four o’clock
The Garden Room
Versailles Place, North Carolina
Formal Wedding Invitation Wording: Deceased Parent
When either couple’s parent(s) is/are deceased, the invitation is issued only in the name of the living parent.
Here is an example:
Thomas Blanton
and
Roger and Jennifer Smith
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their children
Rebecca Ann
to
Jonathan
on
Saturday, the twenty-sixth of August
two thousand and twenty-three
at half past four o’clock
The Garden Room
Versailles Place, North Carolina
Formal Wedding Invitation Wording: Divorced Parents
If the parents are hosting a wedding and are divorced, you’ll word the invitations including all parents hosting the event. As a rule of thumb, both parents in this scenario are never listed on the same line of the formal invitation.
For instance, if the bride’s parents are divorced and one parent is hosting the wedding, it can be read as follows:
Mrs. Theresa Wilkins
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of her daughter
Katie Marie
to
Mr. Blake Miller
on
Saturday, the twenty-sixth of August
two thousand and twenty-three
at half past four o’clock
The Garden Room
Versailles Place, North Carolina
Formal Wedding Invitation Wording: Divorced Parents, Both Hosting, Remarried
If you wish to send formal wedding invitation wording with divorced parents both hosting (perhaps remarried) it will be:
Mrs. Theresa Wilkins
and
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Sayers
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of her daughter
Katie Marie
to
Blake Miller
on
Saturday, the twenty-sixth of August
two thousand and twenty-three
at half past four o’clock
The Garden Room
Versailles Place, North Carolina
Or if you wish to send formal wedding invitation wording with both parents names and one side is divorced, here’s how to properly do so.
Mrs. Theresa Wilkins
and
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Sayers
and
Mr. and Mrs. Louis Slepler
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their children
Katie Marie
to
Blake Miller
on
Saturday, the twenty-sixth of August
two thousand and twenty-three
at half past four o’clock
The Garden Room
Versailles Place, North Carolina
Formal Wedding Invitation Wording: Couple Hosting
When the couple is hosting, the invitation wording will be a bit different. Here is how to word a formal invitation with couple hosting.
The honour of your presence
is requested
at the marriage of
Miss Rebecca Blanton
to
Mr. Jonathan Smith
on
Saturday, the twenty-sixth of August
two thousand and twenty-three
at half past four o’clock
The Garden Room
Versailles Place, North Carolina
OR
Miss Rebecca Blanton
and
Mr. Jonathan Smith
request the honour of your presence
at their marriage
on
Saturday, the twenty-sixth of August
two thousand and twenty-three
at half past four o’clock
The Garden Room
Versailles Place, North Carolina
You can also opt for no titles, i.e. “Rebecca Blanton and Jonathan Smith”, if you prefer.
If you prefer slightly less formal wording, use:
Rebecca Blanton and Jonathan Smith
invite you to attend
their marriage
on
Saturday, the twenty-sixth of August
two thousand and twenty-three
at half past four o’clock
The Garden Room
Versailles Place, North Carolina
Another option:
The pleasure of your company
is cordially requested
at the marriage of
Rebecca Blanton
and
Jonathan Smith
on
Saturday, the twenty-sixth of August
two thousand and twenty-three
at half past four o’clock
The Garden Room
Versailles Place, North Carolina
Here’s another slightly less formal alternative:
Please join us
for the wedding of
Rebecca Blanton
and
Jonathan Smith
on
Saturday, the twenty-sixth of August
two thousand and twenty-three
at half past four o’clock
The Garden Room
Versailles Place, North Carolina
Formal Wedding Invitation Wording: Including Both Families When Couple Is Hosting
It isn’t mandatory to make it known the couple is hosting. It is acceptable to formally word invitations as a joint message with both families included, as follows:
“Together with our families
we invite you to the wedding of
Rebecca Blanton
and
Jonathan Smith
on
Saturday, the twenty-sixth of August
two thousand and twenty-three
at half past four o’clock
The Garden Room
Versailles Place, North Carolina
Or, “Join us for the wedding of” is also suitable.
As well as, “Together with family”.
And there you have it: how to write a formal wedding invitation in every scenario imaginable.
I hope this helps as you word your invitations with a formal, classic tone. If you have any questions, let me know in the comment box below.
Where to Buy Formal Wedding Invites
Now that you know how to word them, it’s time to customize and order yours: click here to shop formal invitations with proper wording for your wedding!
