Invitation Wording

Language reflects your voice and the spirit of the occasion. We suggest you and your fiancé discuss the wording together. Also, to avoid offending anyone and to ensure family members are respected, consider consulting parents and/or co-hosts before composing.

Some couples are very traditional and wish to follow conventional "etiquette rules." Others are more liberal and prefer more intimate words. We're happy to offer suggestions to help you get started.

Traditional Wording

If you'd like to be very formal, here are some traditional guidelines and examples.

• Don't use punctuation, except in titles, or when separating words in the date/location
• Only use abbreviations for honorifics like "Mr.," "Mrs.," and "Mx."
• "Doctor," "The Reverend," and other titles are written out, though "Dr." may be used if the name is long
• Only use "honour of your presence" if the wedding is held in a place of worship
• The bride's name precedes the groom's
• The conjunction between the bride and groom's names is usually "to," though Jewish tradition uses "and"
• The date is written in full, without using numbers
• Half hours are indicated by "half after," not as eleven-thirty or half past eleven
• Use "in the morning" or "in the evening" when the wedding is between eight and ten
• Addresses are helpful. If your venue is easily confused with another location, include it.
• Numbers may be used for street addresses, but words like "Avenue" and "Boulevard" are written in full
• Zip codes are not typically used
• Indicate the state, except when the location is New York City or Washington, District of Columbia
• Reserve capitals for proper nouns, and if desired, the first letter of the year and/or reception line
• British spelling is used for the most formal invitations (favour of your reply, honour of your presence)
• Never allude to gifts or a registry

Contemporary Wording

Let's remember that it's 2023, not 1923, and there's plenty of room for variation and personal expression when writing your invitation. We think it's perfectly acceptable to omit titles and to use punctuation, abbreviations, numbers, and less formal language if it best fits your character. Feel free to mix and match from the examples below, or compose something wholly original.