Wedding Invitation Wording
Paperia | March 2015
While there are several exceptions to the rule, the following is the standard order of verse for traditional wedding invitation wording. Note that this applies only to situations when the bride’s parents are married and are hosting the affair.
Below is the invitation wording,.
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Williams
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Jennifer Marie
to
Mr. Timothy Alan Spencer
Saturday, the first of March
Two thousand fifteen
at six o’clock in the evening
Saint Matthew’s Roman Catholic Church
123 Cherry Lane
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The following is a line-by-line breakdown.
The Invitational Line
This is where the bride’s parents’ names are listed. For example, if their names are Joseph and Mary Williams, the line would read:
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Williams
Note that titles, such as “Doctor,” “The Honorable,” or “The Reverend” should be spelled out.
The use of “junior” or “II / III” should be used if part of the father’s official title. A comma always precedes them. Junior may be spelled out or abbreviated. For example:
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Williams, junior
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Williams, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Williams, III
The Request Line
If the wedding ceremony is being held in a place of worship, the line: “requests the honour of your presence” should be used. If the wedding is being held in any other location, the line: “requests the pleasure of your company” should be used.
This will be followed by:
at the marriage of their daughter
The Bride’s Name
The bride’s first and middle name should be used. For example, if Joseph and Mary Williams’ daughter is named Jennifer Marie Williams, this line would read:
Jennifer Marie
Joining Word
For a traditional invitation where the bride’s parents are hosting, the word “to” is used.
The Groom’s Name
The groom’s full name (first, middle, and last) and title should be listed. For example:
Mr. Timothy Alan Spencer
Titles, such as “Doctor,” “The Honorable,” or “The Reverend” should be spelled out.
The use of “junior” or “II / III” should be used if part of the groom’s official title. A comma always precedes them. Junior may be spelled out or abbreviated. For example:
Mr. Timothy Alan Spencer, junior
Mr. Timothy Alan Spencer, Jr.
Mr. Timothy Alan Spencer, III
The Date & Year
The full date and year should be completely spelled out on two lines. Only the day of the week and month are capitalized. For example:
Saturday, the first of March
Two thousand fifteen
Saturday, the twenty-eighth of June
Two thousand sixteen
The Time
The time should be listed on one line and in lower case letters. For example:
at six o’clock in the evening
at half after eleven o’clock in the morning
The Location
List the full name of the facility or house of worship with no abbreviations. For example:
Saint Matthew’s Roman Catholic Church
Society Hill Synagogue
The Ballroom at Hillshire Estate
The Street Address
Include the street address with no abbreviations. For example:
123 Cherry Lane
The City & State
The full city and state, with no abbreviations, should be spelled out. For example:
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
For more tips on traditional wedding invitation wording, visit: http://www.crane.com/etiquette/wedding/wedding-invitations#personalized-invitations.
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