Christian Wedding Invitation Wording: Traditional, Modern and Catholic Examples

Invitation wording follows a handful of old conventions, and once you know them the rest falls into place. Below are complete examples for the most common situations, from a traditional church invitation hosted by the bride’s parents to a simple invitation from the two of you, plus the small lines that trip people up: the reception, a dry celebration and the RSVP.

The conventions worth knowing

“Honour of your presence” or “pleasure of your company”

Traditionally, “request the honour of your presence” is used when the ceremony takes place in a church or other house of worship. “Request the pleasure of your company” is used for other venues, such as a garden, a hotel or a family home, and it is also the usual phrase for a reception card. Formal American invitations keep the British spelling “honour”; it is the traditional convention, not a typo.

Dates and times written out

On a formal invitation, everything is spelled out: the day, the date, the year and the time. No numerals, no “p.m.” and no abbreviations. “Half after four o’clock” is the formal way to say 4:30. The year may be left off, but if you include it, write it in words too.

Name order

When the bride’s parents host, the bride is listed by her first and middle names only, because her surname is already on the line above, and the groom is listed with his full name. When the couple hosts, or both families host, both names usually appear in full. The bride’s name traditionally comes first. Parents who are married are usually written “Mr. and Mrs. John Smith” or, more often today, “John and Mary Smith”.

Traditional: the bride’s parents hosting, in a church

Street addresses are traditionally left off the invitation itself unless guests would otherwise struggle to find the venue. Today most couples put the full address on their wedding website instead.

Both sets of parents hosting

“Together with their families”

This is the most common modern wording. It honors both families without naming everyone, and works well when parents are divorced, remarried, or contributing in different ways.

The couple hosting

Less formal wording like this can use numerals for the date. Just stay consistent within one invitation.

With a Bible verse

A short verse usually sits at the top, above the hosts, set in a smaller or italic line. Keep it to one or two lines so it does not crowd the names.

Other short verses that fit well: “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 (KJV), and “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 (KJV).

Catholic wedding: Nuptial Mass

A Catholic wedding follows the Church’s rite and is often celebrated within a Nuptial Mass. Many couples say so on the invitation so guests know to expect a longer liturgy. Either of these lines is widely used.

The reception line

If the reception is at the same place, or close by and easy to find, one line at the bottom is enough.

If it is at a separate venue, give it its own lines, or a separate reception card. Use “pleasure of your company” here, since the reception is not in the church.

A dry reception

You don’t have to mention it at all. If you’d like guests to know ahead of time, keep it light and positive, and put it on the website or reception line rather than in the main wording.

RSVP lines for a digital invitation

With a digital invitation there is no reply card. A single line with the deadline and where to reply does the job.

Give yourself at least three to four weeks between the RSVP deadline and the wedding so you can confirm final numbers with your caterer.