3 Typical Invitation Wording Styles
One of the most frequent concerns my brides have is how in the world to word their wedding invitations! Do you keep it very traditional and old school, or should you add some modern flair and only include your first names? The good news is that nowadays there is not really a "right" or "wrong" way to do it - sure, there are some guidelines that can be helpful so you aren't making up all the wording yourselves, but it is your wedding day and your invitations should reflect you and your wedding style. Below are several typical wordings that can help you start dreaming up the perfect combination for your invitations!
1 | Traditional - Bride’s Family Hosting
The traditional wording is likely the most familiar to your parents and typical of more formal weddings where the bride's parents are the ones hosting the wedding:
Mr. and Mrs. David Reed Williams III request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Elizabeth Ann to Harrison Michael Vanderbilt son of Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas McVay Vanderbilt.
This structure includes the brides parents' names (Mr. and Mrs. David Reed Williams III), the bride's first and middle names (Elizabeth Ann) and the groom's full name (Harrison Michael Vanderbilt). The groom's parents' names at the end (Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas McVay Vanderbilt) are optional and you don't have to include if you don't like!
2 | Both Families Hosting
In the last ten to fifteen years there has been a trend towards including both sets of parents as hosts of the wedding, especially if the families are splitting the cost. The most used wording for this type of wedding is:
Together with their families Elizabeth Williams and Harrison Vanderbilt invite you to celebrate with them on their wedding day.
You could include full names (Elizabeth Ann Williams and Harrison Michael Vanderbilt), or you could just include first names. It's totally up to you and your personality!
3 | Modern
Modern wedding invitations are definitely more casual and get a little more creative with their wording. A typical modern wording is something like this:
Elizabeth Williams and Harrison Vanderbilt are getting married!
To go even more casual you could include solely first names (Elizabeth and Harrison) and if you want to have a different saying you could use something like "Elizabeth and Harrison are tying the knot!" or "Let's Celebrate! Elizabeth and Harrison are getting married!". There are so many fun possibilities when the wording is more modern.
When it comes down to it, the wording on the invitation should reflect your wedding day, and most importantly you as a couple! Your wedding invitation suite is the first, and likely only glimpse, into your wedding day that your guests will have until the wedding day itself, so you want it to be a reflection of what to expect.
Have questions about the best wording to use? I always guide my brides through the process and can help you figure out what works best for your custom invitations! Reach out to me through the Contact Page or if you're ready to get started on your custom invitations, fill out the Wedding Invitation Inquiry Form!
