Invitation wording looks simple until you’re staring at the order form with three sets of parents, a divorced-and-remarried situation, and a disagreement about whether “request the honour of your presence” sounds pretentious. I’ve helped couples navigate all of it.
Here’s the truth: invitation wording follows patterns, and once you know the patterns, every situation has an answer. Below are examples for every style — formal, casual, and the tricky family dynamics — plus the etiquette rules that actually matter.
Table of Contents
- The Anatomy of an Invitation
- Formal Wording Examples
- Casual and Modern Examples
- Navigating Family Situations
- Same-Sex Couple Wording
- The Details People Get Wrong
The Anatomy of an Invitation
Every wedding invitation, regardless of style, contains the same building blocks in the same order:
- Host line — who’s inviting (traditionally whoever’s paying, modernly whoever you want)
- Request line — “request the honour of your presence” / “invite you to celebrate”
- Names — the couple
- Date and time — spelled out formally, numerals casually
- Location — venue name, city, state
- Reception line — “reception to follow” / “dinner and dancing to follow”
- Dress code / details (optional) — “black tie,” “cocktails and dancing to follow”
Get these seven right and the rest is style.
Formal Wording Examples
Traditional, elegant, full etiquette. Use “honour” (British spelling) for church weddings, “honor” for secular venues — that’s the actual rule.
Both sets of parents hosting:
Mr. and Mrs. James Harrington
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Elizabeth Anne
to
Mr. William Thomas Ashford
Saturday, the twenty-first of June
two thousand twenty-six
at half past four o’clock
St. Patrick’s Cathedral
New York, New York
Reception to follow
Bride’s parents hosting:
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Chen
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Sophia Marie
to
Mr. Daniel James Park
…
Couple hosting with parents acknowledged:
Together with their families,
Alexandra Rose Mitchell
and
Jonathan David Reeves
request the honour of your presence
at their marriage…
That last one — “together with their families” — is the modern workhorse. It sidesteps every question about who’s paying and who’s divorced. When in doubt, use it.
Casual and Modern Examples
Warm, personal, rule-breaking encouraged.
Relaxed and joyful:
We’re getting married!
Maya and Jordan
invite you to eat, drink, and dance the night away
Saturday, August 15, 2026 at 5 PM
The Barn at Willow Creek
Austin, Texas
Come hungry. Leave happy.
Short and sweet:
Sarah + Tom
are tying the knot
June 6, 2026 · 4:30 PM
Rosewood Gardens, Portland
Reception to follow — bring your dancing shoes
Playful:
Love is brewing and we’re pouring for everyone!
Emma and Liam
request your presence at their wedding celebration
October 10, 2026 at 6 o’clock
The Foundry, Chicago
Dinner, drinks, and questionable dance moves to follow
Adults-only (the polite version):
…We love your little ones, but our wedding will be an adults-only celebration. We hope you enjoy a well-deserved night off!
Put adults-only wording on the details card or wedding website — not the main invitation. And address the envelope to the invited adults by name so there’s no ambiguity.
Navigating Family Situations
This is where couples stress most, and where the patterns help most.
Divorced parents (both hosting, amicable):
Mr. David Thompson and Ms. Susan Miller
together with Mr. and Mrs. Alan Brooks
request the honour of your presence…
List the bride’s mother first, then father (if they’re the hosts), each on their own line. Never join divorced parents with “and.”
Divorced and remarried parents:
Mrs. Susan Miller-Thompson and Mr. James Thompson
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter…
Single parent hosting:
Ms. Karen Ellis
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of her daughter…
Deceased parent (honoring without hosting):
Mrs. Patricia Lane
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of her daughter
Hannah Grace
daughter of the late Mr. Thomas Lane
to…
Or include a memorial line in the program instead: “In loving memory of Thomas Lane, father of the bride.”
Blended families: When in doubt, “Together with their families” covers every configuration gracefully. Nobody audits the host line.
Same-Sex Couple Wording
The patterns are identical — just use the names as the couple prefers:
Together with their families,
Michael Chen
and
David Okafor
request the honour of your presence
at their marriage…Ms. Rachel Kim and Ms. Priya Sharma
invite you to celebrate their wedding…
Alphabetical order by last name is the standard when neither partner’s family is formally hosting. Beyond that, do whatever feels like you.
The Details People Get Wrong
Spelling out the date: Formal invitations spell everything out — “Saturday, the twenty-first of June, two thousand twenty-six, at half past four o’clock.” Casual invitations can use numerals. Pick one level of formality and stay consistent.
“Honour of your presence” vs. “pleasure of your company”: The old rule — “honour of your presence” for houses of worship, “pleasure of your company” for secular venues. Most people don’t know this rule, but the ones who do will notice. Easy to get right.
Plus-ones: Name them. “Mr. James Wilson and Guest” is correct; vague “and guest” without a name on long-term partners is how feelings get hurt. If you’re limiting plus-ones, address envelopes precisely — the invitation itself shouldn’t have to explain.
Children: If kids aren’t invited, say so clearly on the details card (see the adults-only wording above). Ambiguity here causes the most day-of drama.
RSVP deadline: Set it 3–4 weeks before the wedding — you need final numbers for the caterer 1–2 weeks out, and you’ll spend the last week chasing stragglers regardless. If you’re using digital RSVPs through your wedding website, the deadline is easier to enforce — and you can see who’s viewed it but hasn’t replied, which makes follow-ups far less awkward.
Registry info: Never on the invitation itself. Details card or wedding website only. This rule hasn’t changed.
Wording for the details card: This is where the practical info lives — reception address (if different), dress code, parking or shuttle info, hotel details, wedding website URL, and the adults-only note if applicable. Keep it clean and scannable; nobody reads a wall of text. Use bullet points or short lines rather than paragraphs — guests skim this card in seconds. If the ceremony and reception are at different locations, include the travel time between them so guests can plan.
Proofread like your relationships depend on it — because they do. Read every name aloud, check every date against a calendar (make sure “Saturday, June 21” is actually a Saturday), and have two other people proofread. I’ve seen reprints over a misspelled mother-in-law’s name. Don’t be that couple.
Once the invitations are out, you’re in the home stretch — guest logistics, the seating chart, and the day-of emergency kit. The wording was the hard part. The rest is just organization.
Frequently Asked Questions
List each parent on their own line without joining them with “and” — e.g., “Mr. David Thompson and Ms. Susan Miller” on separate lines. For complex situations, “Together with their families” gracefully covers every configuration without naming names.
Mail invitations 6-8 weeks before the wedding (8-12 weeks for destination weddings). Send save-the-dates 6-8 months ahead so guests can plan travel. Set the RSVP deadline 3-4 weeks before the wedding day.
No — never on the invitation itself. Registry details go on a separate details card or your wedding website. This is one of the few etiquette rules that hasn’t relaxed with modern times.
Put it on the details card or wedding website, not the main invitation: “We love your little ones, but our wedding will be an adults-only celebration.” Address envelopes to the invited adults by name to avoid ambiguity.
Traditional etiquette: “honour of your presence” (British spelling “honour”) is for ceremonies in houses of worship; “pleasure of your company” is for secular venues. Most guests won’t know the difference, but it’s an easy detail to get right.
Use “Together with their families” as the host line, or simply lead with the couple’s names: “Alexandra Mitchell and Jonathan Reeves request the honour of your presence…” Both are widely accepted and sidestep questions about who’s hosting.
