From formal to fun, beach or mountain wedding, every invite should follow basic etiquette rules. In other words, no matter what the theme or vibe of your wedding, there are rules to follow when it comes to wedding invitation wording. First off, you must to include the ‘who’ ‘what’ ‘why’ ‘when’ and ‘where.’ In addition, adding details such as ‘reception to follow’ are equally important. Similarly, if you are having plated entrees, then be sure to add meal selections on the RSVP card! Wording your wedding invitations seem like a simple task, but it could get complicated quickly. To sum up, we’re here with the basic ‘anatomy’ of a wedding invitation and what you must absolutely include to set the stage for your big day.

main card

1. Host line

Who’s hosting the wedding? This is where most couples get stuck how to figure out wording. What if both sets of parents are hosting? What if my parents who are hosting are divorced? Get examples and etiquette tips to make your own here.  The host line also includes the “Request Line” where you formally (or informally) request your guests to come to the wedding. 

2. names of the couple

This is where you decide if you want to list your full names, your first and middle names, or just first names. It’s completely up to you!

3. the date & time

Spell out the date, ex: “Saturday, the fourth of June/two thousand twenty one.” Spell out the times instead of saying A.M. or P.M. “two o’clock in the afternoon” or “half past five o’clock in the evening.”

4. location

Spell out addresses like “Street” “Avenue” and states “Illinois” or “California.” Remove zip codes from ceremony cards. The ceremony card is a formal invitation, and should not include a zip code. If very specific directions are needed, consider including transportation info on another insert card, or link guests to your wedding website – also consider most guests nowadays have a smart phone or GPS

5. reception line

If your reception follows the ceremony, you can put “Reception to follow” at the bottom of the main wedding card 

6. Groom’s parents

This is completely optional, but you would put the groom’s parents under the name of the groom on the main invite card. 

RSVP Card

7. Respond by date

A date 4 weeks from your wedding is the perfect amount of time. For destination weddings, or if you’re inviting a lot of out of town guests, add on a few weeks to give your guests enough time to make travel plans.

8. name(s) line

Your guest will use this space to write in their name as well as the name(s) of their partner or children they’re bringing along. These names will be combined to create your final guest list and place cards for your reception.

9. response options

This wording can as formal or fun as you want it, just as long as it’s there.

10. entree options

If you’re offering plated meals at your reception, be sure to include a short and simple description and a space for guests to check or initial their selection.

This small but mighty insert is oh-so-important. This is essentially your guest list in the making so make sure you have all your details included!

For more wording options for your RSVP cards visit our How to Word Your Wedding RSVP Card guide here.