Informal Wedding Invitation Wording and Etiquette

Informal wording drops the stiff formality of traditional invitations. You can use first names, casual phrases, and a friendly tone. For example, instead of "Mr and Mrs Smith request the pleasure of your company," you might write "We're getting married and we'd love you to join us."

Keep the essential facts clear: who is marrying, when, where, and what to do next. Even in an informal invitation, guests need the date, time, venue address, and RSVP details. You can write in your own voice, but avoid slang that might confuse older guests or those less familiar with your circle.

For a civil ceremony, the wording can be simple and direct. You might say "Together with our families, we invite you to celebrate our marriage at [venue] on [date]." If you're having a humanist ceremony, you can use similar wording, but remember that in England and Wales a humanist ceremony alone is not legally binding. Many couples add a short civil ceremony to make it legal. Your invitation can mention both events if needed.

If you're in Scotland or Northern Ireland, humanist weddings are legally binding, so you can word the invitation as a single celebration. Always check the current legal position with your celebrant or on GOV.UK.

Same-sex couples can use the same wording as any other couple. There is no need to specify gender or use traditional terms like "bride and groom." Use "we" or your names. For example, "Alex and Sam invite you to their wedding." If you prefer, you can say "together with our families" or simply "we invite you."

For second weddings, you might want to acknowledge children or blended families. Wording like "We, along with our children, invite you to celebrate our marriage" is warm and inclusive. You can also choose to have no mention of previous marriages at all. The invitation is about your current celebration, not past ones.

If you're having a private ceremony and a separate reception, make it clear on the invitation. The wording could be: "We are getting married in a private ceremony, and we would love you to join us for a reception afterwards to celebrate." Include the reception venue, time, and any dress code.

This is common for couples who want a small ceremony but a larger party. It is also useful if you're having a civil ceremony to make the marriage legal and a separate celebration later. Guests invited only to the reception should not be given details of the ceremony itself, to avoid confusion.

If you have a church ceremony followed by an evening reception, you need to word the invitation carefully. Day guests are invited to both the ceremony and the reception. Evening guests are invited only to the evening party. You might send two different invitations, or one invitation with a separate evening card.

For the evening invitation, write something like: "Join us for an evening of food, dancing, and celebration to mark our marriage. [Time] at [venue]." If you're having a church ceremony, you can mention it for day guests: "We invite you to our wedding ceremony at [church] at [time], followed by a reception at [venue]."

Adults-only weddings need clear wording without being rude. On the invitation, you can write "We kindly ask that this is an adults-only celebration" or "Due to limited space, we are unable to accommodate children." If you have a separate details card, you can put this there. Avoid writing "no children" in a harsh way.

For no-gift requests, be direct but gracious. You might write "Your presence is the only gift we need" or "No gifts, please. Your presence is enough." If you have a gift list, you can mention it on a separate card, but never put it on the main invitation. For second weddings, some couples ask for no gifts because they already have everything. That is fine, but be polite.

Traditional invitations often come from the bride's parents. Modern invitations can come from both sets of parents, the couple alone, or any combination. If parents are hosting, you can write "Together with our parents, we invite you..." or "Mr and Mrs Smith and Mr and Mrs Jones invite you to the marriage of their children..." If grandparents are hosting, you can say "Mr and Mrs Brown invite you to the wedding of their granddaughter..."

If the couple and parents are all hosting, you can write "We, along with our families, invite you..." The key is to be clear who is inviting. If you are paying for the wedding yourself, you can simply write "We invite you to our wedding." There is no rule that parents must be named.