I’m Kayla. I wrote our invites, then helped three friends write theirs. I used Minted, Canva, an Etsy template, and a local stationer. I messed up. Then I fixed it. Here’s what actually worked for us. For the full story of my trials (and errors), you can read my extended test drive in I tested wedding invitation wording so you don’t have to.
Honestly, wording is weird. It’s fancy, but it still needs to be clear. You want heart, but also the facts. Name, date, place. No fuss. But you know what? The little lines matter. For a traditional etiquette refresher, the classic rundown from Brides covers the nuts and bolts of invitation wording.
What’s inside this review
- What I tried (and why)
- A quick map for wording
- Real examples you can copy
- What went wrong for me
- Tools I used, with pros and cons
- Fast checks before you hit print
What I tried (yes, I used all of these)
- Minted: I used their etiquette tips and a clean serif font. Looked classic. The price… not tiny.
- Canva: I built a custom layout. Fun. But I had to mind margins and bleeds.
- An Etsy template: Pretty and cheap. I had to do my own wording and spacing.
- Local stationer: One meeting. He saved me from a comma mess and fixed my RSVP line.
Tiny note: we married in June. Garden venue. Chicago. We had 92 guests. That shaped the tone.
The anatomy (the bones of the invite)
Keep it simple:
- Host line (who’s inviting)
- Request line (what’s happening)
- Names
- Date and time
- Venue and city
- Reception note
- Dress code (if any)
- Website and RSVP info (on a card or the site)
I learned this the hard way. I once left off the city. My aunt called. “Kayla, where am I flying?”
Real examples you can copy
Use these as-is, or tweak a word or two. I’ve used all of them in real invites. Need even more samples? I pulled together a gallery of twelve real invitation texts that nailed it in I tried wedding invitation wording so you don’t have to — real examples that actually worked.
1) Classic, parents hosting, church ceremony
Mr. and Mrs. David Carter
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Emma Rose
to
Liam Andrew Wilson
Saturday, the eighth of June
two thousand twenty-five
at four o’clock in the afternoon
Saint Mark’s Church
Boston, Massachusetts
Reception to follow
Black-tie optional
Note: “honor” (no u) is common in the U.S. for church weddings.
2) Modern, couple hosting, simple tone
Together with their families
Ava Kim and Jordan Lee
invite you to celebrate their wedding
Saturday, June 8, 2025
at 5:00 pm
The Greenhouse at Ellis
Nashville, Tennessee
Dinner and dancing to follow
Dressy cocktail
3) Blended families hosting
With joy, their families
invite you to the wedding of
Sofia Martinez and Riley Bennett
Sunday, May 18, 2025
at three in the afternoon
The Terrace at Harbor Point
San Diego, California
Reception to follow
4) Second wedding, warm and low-key
Please join us
as we exchange vows
Maya Patel and Chris Nolan
Saturday, September 20, 2025
at half past two in the afternoon
Cedar Grove
Portland, Oregon
Cake, champagne, and good company to follow
5) Same-sex couple, gender-neutral, chic
You are joyfully invited
to the wedding of
Noah James & Eli Carter
Saturday, October 11, 2025
at 4:30 pm
The Foundry
Long Island City, New York
Reception immediately following
6) Adults-only note (polite and clear)
Kindly note: an adults-only celebration
You can place that as a single line near the bottom, or on the details card.
7) Micro-wedding + brunch
We’re getting married
with a small ceremony
and we’d love you at brunch
after we say “I do”
Harper Quinn & Drew Miles
Sunday, April 6, 2025
ceremony at 10:00 am (family only)
brunch reception at noon (all invited)
The Sunroom
Savannah, Georgia
8) Destination weekend (keep it tidy)
Pack your bags
for the wedding of
Lucía Alvarez and Theo Grant
Saturday, March 22, 2025
at five o’clock
Casa Mar Azul
Tulum, Mexico
Reception on the beach
See our website for events and travel
On the details card, list welcome drinks, beach day, and Sunday brunch.
9) Elopement + later party
We tied the knot!
Please join us for a reception
celebrating
Priya and Daniel
Saturday, July 19, 2025
at 6:00 pm
The Skylight Room
Denver, Colorado
Cocktails, small bites, and music
10) Bilingual line (English + Spanish)
You are invited / Estás invitado
to celebrate the wedding of / a celebrar la boda de
María López y Ben Carter
Saturday, June 14, 2025 / Sábado, 14 de junio de 2025
4:00 pm
Jardín del Lago
Austin, Texas
Reception to follow / Recepción a continuación
Tip: Keep each language grouped. Don’t mix line by line too much. It’s easier to read.
11) Formal with spelled-out date (my stationer’s favorite)
The pleasure of your company is requested
at the wedding of
Charlotte Anne Morgan
and
Henry Thomas Blake
Saturday, the seventeenth of May
two thousand twenty-five
at half after five o’clock
The Peabody Library
Baltimore, Maryland
Reception to follow
12) Casual, funny-ish, still neat
Come for the vows, stay for the tacos
Tess + Marco
are getting married
Friday, August 8, 2025
6:30 pm
The Courtyard at Oak & Vine
Santa Barbara, California
Party to follow
Funny works. Just keep the facts crystal clear.
What went wrong for me (so you can skip the hassle)
- I put our registry on the invite. My grandma was not pleased. Move it to the website or a small enclosure card.
- I wrote “4pm” and forgot the city. People asked. Spell the time and list the city, always.
- I used commas after every line. It looked busy. Most invites drop commas and periods.
- I said “semi-formal.” Folks guessed. “Cocktail,” “black-tie optional,” or “garden party” is clearer.
- I buried the RSVP date on the back. People missed it. Put it on the RSVP card or website line.
A small digression: I once spelled a cousin’s last name wrong. I triple check names now—out loud.
Tools I used (quick take)
- Minted
- What I loved: built-in wording prompts, nice paper, easy proofing.
- What bugged me: cost. Also, some fonts looked light on textured stock.
- Their online guide to wedding invitation wording also helped me nail the order of lines.
- Canva
- What I loved: full control, quick edits, handy brand colors.
- What bugged me: I had to set safe margins and export with bleed. Also, font licenses can be tricky for print shops.
- Etsy template
- What I loved: pretty layouts for less money. Instant download.
- What bugged me: I owned the edits. Typos were on me. Printer asked for a high-res PDF with crop marks.
- Local stationer
- What I loved: a real human checked etiquette and spacing. Paper felt luxe.
- What bugged me: longer timeline. Two proof rounds. Worth it, though.
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