Invitations

Traditional Wedding Invitation Wording: 6 Samples (2026)

Build formal wedding invitation wording line by line, including host requests, spelled-out dates, ceremony locations and six samples.

Last updated October 2026

A formal cream invitation with an embossed border beside an envelope, flowers and a fountain pen.
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Traditional wedding invitation wording follows a clear order: hosts, request to attend, couple's names, date and time, ceremony location, then reception details. Use “the honour of your presence” for a traditional religious-location request and “the pleasure of your company” for a secular setting. Spell out the date and time for a formal style.

The short answer: build the formal card as one sentence from the host line through the couple's names, then add the date, time and venue. Match the request to the ceremony setting, use consistent names and titles, and keep travel details on a separate card. Choose the sample that fits the actual hosts instead of copying a family arrangement that is not yours.

Traditional wedding invitation wording line by line

Emily Post's formal invitation guidance explains the main wording conventions. Its host-specific samples show how the sentence changes when different people host.

The host line names who issues the invitation. The request line asks guests to attend. The couple's names identify the marriage being celebrated. The remaining lines tell guests when and where to arrive.

Read the first three parts as one sentence. “Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Rivera request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Elena to Daniel Brooks” makes sense. If you replace the host line with both partners' names, you need a request that agrees with those names.

The wedding invitation guide covers the full suite. This page focuses on the main formal card. Use the message samples when you want a warmer or shorter tone.

Write the host line

Name parents with their current names and titles. A traditional married-parent form is “Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Rivera.” A full-name version such as “Sofia and Thomas Rivera” can be clearer when the family prefers both parents named.

When both families host, name both sets above the request or use “Together with their families.” When the couple hosts, begin with both full names. Those options change the wording without changing the details guests need.

For divorced parents, keep each current name separate. Check whether stepparents will be included, and get agreement on the finished host line. Use a shared-family line if that better fits the people issuing the invitation.

Avoid describing who paid for what. The host line is a welcome from the people named, not a budget statement. If a person is being honored rather than hosting, find wording that makes that distinction clear.

Honour of your presence or pleasure of your company

“Request the honour of your presence” is the traditional religious-location form described by Emily Post. “Request the pleasure of your company” suits a secular ceremony location. Pick the request from the ceremony setting, not from whether the reception feels formal.

“Honour” uses the traditional British spelling often seen on formal invitations. “Honor” is the familiar US spelling. Keep the chosen spelling consistent across the suite, especially if the response card uses a matching formal phrase.

A religious phrase can identify a particular service. For a Catholic wedding, “at their Nuptial Mass” should match the parish's plan. See the Catholic invitation wording guide before printing that line.

You can also use “invite you to celebrate their marriage” if you prefer direct modern language. Formal presentation doesn't require every traditional phrase. The invitation's tone should feel natural to the couple and hosts.

Spell out dates and times clearly

Traditional layouts spell out the weekday, date, month and year. For a fictional wedding on June 19, 2027, the date can read “Saturday, the nineteenth of June / two thousand twenty-seven.” Check the weekday against a calendar before approving the proof.

Use “at two o'clock in the afternoon” for 2:00 p.m. Use “half after four o'clock in the afternoon” for 4:30 p.m. Make the part of the day clear where it prevents confusion.

Emily Post's wording guide describes formal dates and times. A numerical time can still be useful on a details card, website or reply instructions. The main goal is that every version agrees.

Print the actual ceremony start time. Put an arrival request on a separate line if the venue needs guests seated earlier. Don't quietly move the printed ceremony time forward and expect guests to know why.

Traditional wedding invitation wording sample: bride's parents hosting

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Rivera
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Elena Marie
to Daniel James Brooks
Saturday, the nineteenth of June
two thousand twenty-seven
at two o'clock in the afternoon
Saint Anne Church
Asheville, North Carolina
Reception to follow

This sample uses the parents' surname to identify Elena. If she uses another surname, print her full name. Put the street address on the main card or a location enclosure so unfamiliar guests can find the church.

Sample: both families hosting at a secular venue

Sofia and Thomas Rivera
and Claire and James Brooks
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of
Elena Marie Rivera
and Daniel James Brooks
Saturday, the nineteenth of June
two thousand twenty-seven
at four o'clock in the afternoon
Cedar House
Asheville, North Carolina
Dinner and dancing to follow

The shared host line suits both families. Both partners use full names because the sentence doesn't identify only one as the child of a named host. Check that the parent lines remain readable in the chosen design.

Sample: couple hosting

Elena Marie Rivera
and Daniel James Brooks
request the pleasure of your company
at their wedding
Saturday, the nineteenth of June
two thousand twenty-seven
at four o'clock in the afternoon
Cedar House
40 Meadow Lane
Asheville, North Carolina
Reception to follow

This version places the request after the couple's names. Use either name order if you prefer modern wording. The name-order guide explains the choices.

Sample: groom's parents hosting

Claire and James Brooks
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of
Elena Marie Rivera
and their son
Daniel James Brooks
Saturday, the nineteenth of June
two thousand twenty-seven
at four o'clock in the afternoon
Cedar House, Asheville, North Carolina
Dinner and dancing to follow

The “their son” line connects Daniel to the hosts. It keeps the traditional bride-first order without making the family relationship unclear. You can also rewrite the host sentence to name the son first if that's the family's chosen style.

Sample: divorced parents hosting together

Sofia Rivera
and Thomas Rivera
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Elena Marie Rivera
to Daniel James Brooks
Saturday, the nineteenth of June
two thousand twenty-seven
at two o'clock in the afternoon
Saint Anne Church, Asheville, North Carolina

Use each parent's current name and preferred title. A separate reception card can follow when dinner is at another location. Don't copy the sample's surnames if the hosts now use different ones.

Sample: same-sex couple with families

Together with their families
Avery Chen and Jordan Lee
request the pleasure of your company
at the celebration of their marriage
Saturday, the nineteenth of June
two thousand twenty-seven
at four o'clock in the afternoon
Cedar House
40 Meadow Lane, Asheville, North Carolina
Reception to follow

Choose the couple's preferred name order and use it across the suite. This formal request doesn't depend on bride-and-groom labels. The host sentence welcomes guests just as clearly.

Finish the suite without crowding the main card

Use a details card for hotel, shuttle and website details. Use a separate reception card when the second venue needs its own address and start time. That leaves the ceremony request easy to read.

Traditional wedding invitations keep registry details off the main card, as Emily Post advises. Share a wedding website address for general details, and place gift details on the website rather than making it part of the request to attend.

Check every formal spelling and date against the website and response card. Read the final invitation aloud and have another person check the names. A printer can check layout, but the couple and hosts must verify the actual details.

Verdict on formal invitation wording

Traditional wedding invitation wording is easiest when the host line and request read as one clear sentence. Choose the sample that fits your hosts and ceremony setting, spell out dates consistently, and move longer instructions to separate cards. Accuracy and a warm welcome matter more than adding every formal convention.

Questions people also ask

When do you use honour of your presence?

Traditional wording uses that request for a religious ceremony location, while pleasure of your company suits a secular setting. Emily Post explains the convention. Choose the spelling and tone consistently, and confirm any service-specific wording with your officiant.

Do formal dates and times need to be spelled out?

Spelled-out dates and times are part of the traditional formal style. A modern card can use clear numerical forms. Whichever style you choose, verify the weekday, date, year and actual ceremony start time against the venue schedule.

How do both families host a formal invitation?

Name both sets of hosts above the request, or use Together with their families. Give both partners full names when that makes the sentence clearer. Read the whole host and request sentence aloud before approving the layout.

Can a formal invitation name a same-sex couple?

Yes. Use both partners' names and the formal request that fits the ceremony setting. Choose the couple's preferred name order. A shared-family host line can work without bride-and-groom labels, while keeping the date, time and venue clear.

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