Traditional wedding invitations have specific rules for the wording. Through the invitation, guests learn where your wedding is being held, the reception location, type of dress required and if the wedding follows a particular theme. It helps to have a few examples of traditional wording you can use for the wedding invitations.
If the Bride's Family is Hosting
If the bride's family will be paying for and hosting the wedding, the wording should go as follows:
Mr. and Mrs. John Smith
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Myrtle Marie
to
Boris Michael Harrison
on Sunday, the seventeenth of July
two thousand and four
at three o'clock
Sacred Heart Church
Mount Holly, New Jersey
Take note of a couple of things. The first is the word "honour". Notice how it uses the British spelling? This is because it's considered more formal. For wedding invitations it's proper etiquette to use formal spellings. You might also note that the date is spelled out and the town and state are not abbreviated. This too is because it's considered more formal and elegant.
If the Groom's Family is Hosting
Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Harrison
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of
Miss Myrtle Marie Smith
to their son
Mr. Boris Michael Harrison
on Sunday, the seventeenth of July
two thousand and four
at three o'clock
Sacred Heart Church
Mount Holly, New Jersey
If Hosted by the Parents of Both the Bride and Groom
Mr. and Mrs. John Smith
and
Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Harrison
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their children
Myrtle Marie and Boris Michael
on Sunday, the seventeenth of July
two thousand and four
at three o'clock
Sacred Heart Church
Mount Holly, New Jersey
If the Bride and Groom Will be Hosting
Myrtle Marie Smith
and
Boris Michael Harrison
request the honour of your presence
at their marriage
on Sunday, the seventeenth of July
two thousand and four
at three o'clock
Sacred Heart Church
Mount Holly, New Jersey
or
The honour of your presence
is requested at the marriage of
Myrtle Marie Smith
to
Boris Michael Harrison
on Sunday, the seventeenth of July
two thousand and four
at three o'clock
Sacred Heart Church
Mount Holly, New Jersey
If the Brides Parents are Hosting but Are Divorced
If the brides parents are hosting the wedding but are divorced and haven't remarried, the wedding invitation wording should read as follows:
Mrs. Lillian Rose Smith
and
Mr. John Smith
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Myrtle Marie
to
Boris Michael Harrison
on Sunday, the seventeenth of July
two thousand and four
at three o'clock
Sacred Heart Church
Mount Holly, New Jersey
Destination Wedding Invitation Wording
If you will be getting married in another location, you might try wording your wedding invitation to read as follows:
Myrtle Marie Smith and
Boris Michael Harrison
Are getting married in a sunset ceremony on the beach
in Oahu
Please join them for a
wedding celebration
Sunday, the seventeenth of July
two thousand and four
