An invitation does two jobs at once: it tells people the logistics, and it tells them what kind of wedding they're coming to. A black-tie ballroom reads differently from a pub lunch, and the invitation should too, before anyone has to ask whether there's a dress code.
Here's the wording that works, whatever yours looks like.
The essentials, in order
Every invitation needs the same six things, in this order: who is hosting (the line that says who's inviting), the couple's names, the date, the time, the venue, and how to reply. Everything else, the dress code, the website, the gift note, is secondary and goes lower down or on a separate details card.
The most common mistake is burying the date or the venue in a paragraph. People scan, so give each of the six its own line.
Formal wording
The traditional form is still the right choice for a church ceremony or a black-tie reception, and it follows a strict shape:
Mr and Mrs Robert Smith request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter, Emily Jane, to Mr Thomas Andrew Brown, on Saturday the twelfth of September, two thousand and twenty-six, at two o'clock in the afternoon, at St Mary's Church, York, followed by a reception at The Old Hall. RSVP by the first of August to [email protected].
The date is written out in words, the time in words, and the names in full. It sounds old-fashioned because it is, and that's the point.
Casual wording
For a relaxed wedding, the same six facts, in plain English:
We're getting married! Emily and Tom, Saturday 12 September 2026 at 2pm, St Mary's Church, York, with a party afterwards at The Old Hall. Let us know if you can make it by 1 August: [email protected].
Casual does not mean vague. Keep the date, time and venue as clear as they would be on the formal version, you're just allowed to sound like yourself while you do it.
Modern wording
Plenty of couples host together now, and the wording should say that:
Together with their families, Emily Smith and Tom Brown invite you to celebrate their wedding, Saturday 12 September 2026 at 2pm, St Mary's Church, York, dinner and dancing to follow at The Old Hall. Please reply by 1 August at emilyandtom.example.com.
Using the couple's full names and a shared hosting line sidesteps the question of whose parents' names go first, which is a real question when both sets of parents are equally involved.
The tricky bits
Divorced parents: list each parent on their own line rather than forcing a single awkward one, 'Emily, daughter of Jane Smith and Robert Smith, and Tom, son of...' works and keeps everyone named.
Plus-ones: name the guest, or write 'and guest' if you're extending one. If you're not extending one, say so gently on the details card rather than leaving it implied.
No children: 'Adults only, please' or 'We love your children, but this one's a grown-up party' on the details card, never on the main invitation where it reads as the headline.
Gifts: 'Your presence is present enough' or a link to your registry on the details card. Never a poem about money, however well-intentioned.
The RSVP line
Give people one clear way to reply, and a deadline. A digital RSVP on your wedding website is now the norm, and it's better than a reply card in every way: it can't be lost in the post, it collects dietary requirements as it goes, and it updates your guest list the moment someone replies. Put the address on the invitation, the deadline beside it, and let the website do the chasing.