Wedding invitation wording can be traditional, modern, relaxed, romantic or very simple. What matters most is that your guests can quickly understand who is getting married, when and where the wedding is taking place, who is invited and how to respond.
This Australian guide gives you more than 60 original wedding invitation wording examples that you can copy, adapt and combine. Replace the bracketed details with your own names, dates, venues and RSVP information, and choose a tone that sounds like you rather than trying to imitate a style that does not suit your wedding.
Quick answer: A clear wedding invitation usually needs a host or opening line, the couple’s names, an invitation to attend, the wedding date and time, the ceremony location, reception information where required and an RSVP direction. Formal invitations may use traditional language, but modern Australian couples can use straightforward conversational wording. There is no single correct script.
What Should a Wedding Invitation Say?
Before choosing between formal and modern wording, make sure the invitation communicates the essentials. Decorative language is optional. Clear information is not.
| Invitation element | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Opening or host line | Introduces the invitation or hosts | Together with their families |
| Couple’s names | Identifies who is marrying | Amelia Chen & Daniel Rossi |
| Request line | Invites the guest | invite you to celebrate their marriage |
| Date and time | Tells guests when to arrive | Saturday, 14 November 2026 at 4 pm |
| Venue | Identifies the ceremony location | [Venue Name], [Suburb], Victoria |
| Reception | Explains what follows | Dinner and dancing to follow |
| RSVP | Tells guests how and when to respond | Please RSVP by [date] at [website] |
A Simple Australian Wedding Invitation Formula
Example 1: Simple all-purpose wording
Together with their families
[Name] & [Name]
invite you to celebrate their marriage
on Saturday, [date] at [time]
at [Venue], [Suburb], Victoria.
Reception to follow.
Please RSVP by [date] at [website].
You can make that formula more formal, warmer or more relaxed without changing the essential information.
If you are still deciding what belongs on the invitation rather than how to phrase it, read our Wedding Invitation Etiquette Australia guide. For stationery styles, printing and suppliers, see Wedding Invitations & Stationery Melbourne.
Formal Wedding Invitation Wording Examples
Formal wording suits black-tie weddings, ballroom receptions, religious ceremonies and couples who simply prefer traditional language. You can be formal without using archaic conventions that do not fit your family.
Example 2: Classic formal
[Host Names]
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of
[Name]
and
[Name]
on Saturday, [date] at [time]
[Venue]
[Suburb], Victoria.
Reception to follow.
Example 3: Formal, couple-led
[Name] & [Name]
request the pleasure of your company
as they celebrate their marriage
on [date] at [time]
[Venue], [Suburb].
Dinner and dancing to follow.
Example 4: Formal with families
Together with their families,
[Name] & [Name]
request the pleasure of your company
at their wedding celebration
on [date] at [time]
[Venue], [Location].
Example 5: Black-tie wedding
[Name] & [Name]
invite you to join them
for the celebration of their marriage
Saturday, [date] at [time]
[Venue], Melbourne.
Dinner and dancing to follow.
Black tie.
Example 6: Formal religious ceremony
[Host Names]
invite you to witness and celebrate
the marriage of
[Name] & [Name]
on [date] at [time]
[Place of Worship], [Suburb].
Reception to follow at [Reception Venue].
Example 7: Elegant evening wedding
Please join us for the marriage of
[Name] & [Name]
on the evening of [date]
at [time]
[Venue], [Location].
Dinner, drinks and dancing to follow.
Example 8: Formal ceremony and separate reception
[Name] & [Name]
request the pleasure of your company
at their wedding ceremony
on [date] at [time]
[Ceremony Venue].
Reception from [time]
at [Reception Venue].
Modern Wedding Invitation Wording Examples
Modern wording usually sounds warmer and more direct. It is particularly useful when the couple is hosting, families are contributing together or traditional host conventions feel unnecessarily complicated.
Example 9: Warm modern
We’re getting married!
Please join
[Name] & [Name]
as we celebrate with the people we love most.
[Date] at [time]
[Venue], [Location].
Dinner and dancing to follow.
Example 10: Minimalist
[Name] & [Name]
are getting married.
[Date] · [Time]
[Venue], [Location]
Celebrate with us.
RSVP by [date].
Example 11: Modern romantic
With full hearts,
[Name] & [Name]
invite you to share in the beginning
of their next chapter together.
[Date] at [time]
[Venue], [Location].
Example 12: Celebration-first
Come celebrate love, laughter
and the marriage of
[Name] & [Name].
Join us on [date] at [time]
at [Venue], [Location].
Dinner and dancing afterwards.
Example 13: Short contemporary
It’s official.
[Name] & [Name]
are tying the knot.
Join us on [date] at [time]
[Venue], [Location].
Example 14: Family-centred modern
Surrounded by our families and favourite people,
we’re making it official.
Please join [Name] & [Name]
on [date] at [time]
at [Venue].
Casual and Relaxed Wedding Invitation Wording
A relaxed invitation should still give precise information. Casual does not mean vague.
Example 15: Relaxed celebration
We’re getting hitched!
Come celebrate with [Name] & [Name]
on [date] from [time]
at [Venue], [Location].
Good food, good music and a very good reason to celebrate.
Example 16: Garden wedding
Join us in the garden
as [Name] & [Name] say “I do”.
[Date] at [time]
[Venue], [Location].
Drinks and dinner among the gardens to follow.
Example 17: Beach wedding
Meet us by the sea.
[Name] & [Name]
are getting married
on [date] at [time]
[Beach/Ceremony Location].
Celebrations continue at [Reception Venue].
Example 18: Backyard wedding
We’re keeping it close to home.
Please join [Name] & [Name]
for our backyard wedding
on [date] at [time].
Dinner, drinks and dancing under the stars to follow.
Example 19: Cocktail-style wedding
[Name] & [Name] are getting married!
Join us for cocktails, canapés and celebration
on [date] at [time]
at [Venue], [Location].
Example 20: Restaurant wedding
Please join us for dinner
as we celebrate the marriage of
[Name] & [Name].
[Date] at [time]
[Restaurant/Venue], [Location].
Wedding Invitation Wording by Who Is Hosting
You do not have to name financial contributors as hosts, and you do not have to use traditional bride’s-family wording. Choose a structure that reflects the relationships you want to acknowledge.
Example 21: Couple hosting
[Name] & [Name]
invite you to join them
as they celebrate their wedding
on [date] at [time]
[Venue], [Location].
Example 22: One set of parents hosting
[Parent Name] & [Parent Name]
invite you to celebrate the marriage of
[Name] & [Name]
on [date] at [time]
[Venue], [Location].
Example 23: Both families hosting
The families of
[Name] & [Name]
invite you to celebrate their marriage
on [date] at [time]
[Venue], [Location].
Example 24: Couple together with parents
Together with their parents,
[Name] & [Name]
invite you to share in their wedding celebration
on [date] at [time]
[Venue], [Location].
Example 25: One parent hosting
[Parent Name]
invites you to celebrate the marriage of
[Name] & [Name]
on [date] at [time]
[Venue], [Location].
Example 26: No host line
[Name] & [Name]
[Date] · [Time]
[Venue], [Location]
Please join us for our wedding
and the celebration that follows.
Separated, Remarried and Deceased Parent Wording
Family structures do not need to be squeezed into wording that implies relationships that are no longer accurate. Names can be listed separately, or the invitation can simply use “together with their families”.
Example 27: Separated parents named individually
[Parent Name]
and
[Parent Name]
together with [Other Parent Names]
invite you to celebrate the marriage of
[Name] & [Name]
on [date] at [time].
Example 28: Remarried parents, simplified
Together with their families,
[Name] & [Name]
invite you to celebrate their marriage
on [date] at [time]
[Venue], [Location].
Example 29: Honouring a deceased parent
Together with their families,
and in loving memory of [Parent Name],
[Name] & [Name]
invite you to celebrate their marriage
on [date] at [time]
[Venue], [Location].
Example 30: Family acknowledgement without naming hosts
With the love and support of our families,
we, [Name] & [Name],
invite you to celebrate our marriage
on [date] at [time]
[Venue], [Location].
There is no obligation to acknowledge a deceased parent on the invitation itself. Some couples prefer to do so in the ceremony program, speeches or another part of the wedding.
Same-Sex and Gender-Neutral Wedding Invitation Wording
Wedding wording does not need “bride” and “groom” labels at all. Names are usually enough.
Example 31: Elegant gender-neutral
Together with their families,
[Name] & [Name]
request the pleasure of your company
as they celebrate their marriage
on [date] at [time]
[Venue], [Location].
Example 32: Modern same-sex couple
We said yes to forever.
Now we’d love you there when we say “I do”.
[Name] & [Name]
[Date] at [time]
[Venue], [Location].
Example 33: Formal without gendered roles
[Host Names]
request the pleasure of your company
at the wedding of
[Name]
and
[Name]
on [date] at [time]
[Venue], [Location].
Example 34: Casual gender-neutral
Two people. One very big yes.
Join [Name] & [Name]
for their wedding celebration
on [date] at [time]
[Venue], [Location].
Adults-Only and Children Wording Examples
If attendance is restricted, clarity is kinder than making guests guess. For more context about when and where to communicate the policy, see our children and adults-only invitation etiquette.
Example 35: Direct adults-only
We respectfully ask that our wedding celebration be adults-only.
Example 36: Warm adults-only
We adore your little ones, but our wedding will be an adults-only celebration. We hope you can join us for the evening.
Example 37: Capacity-based wording
Due to venue capacity, we are only able to accommodate the guests named on this invitation.
Example 38: Adults-only reception
Children are warmly welcome at our ceremony. Our reception will be an adults-only celebration.
Example 39: Children invited
We would love [Adult Name], [Adult Name], [Child Name] and [Child Name] to celebrate with us.
Example 40: Named guests only
We have reserved [number] seats in your honour. Please RSVP for the guests named on your invitation.
Plus-One and Named-Guest Wording Examples
Plus-one wording should remove uncertainty rather than require guests to interpret an envelope.
Example 41: Named partner
[Guest Name] & [Partner Name],
we would love you both to join us for our wedding celebration.
Example 42: Open plus-one
[Guest Name] & Guest
are warmly invited to celebrate with us.
Example 43: Plus-one through RSVP
Your invitation includes one guest. Please let us know your guest’s name when you RSVP.
Example 44: No additional guest
With limited capacity, we are able to accommodate only the guests named on the invitation. Thank you for understanding.
Wedding RSVP Wording Examples
Your RSVP wording should answer two questions immediately: when do I need to respond and how do I do it? If you need dietary, transport or meal information, ask for it at the same time.
Example 45: Simple online RSVP
Please RSVP by [date] at [wedding website].
Example 46: Formal reply
The favour of your reply is requested by [date].
Please respond via [website/email].
Example 47: Warm modern RSVP
Can you make it? We hope so!
Please let us know by [date] at [website].
Example 48: RSVP with dietary requirements
Please RSVP by [date] at [website] and let us know of any dietary requirements.
Example 49: RSVP with meal selection
Please reply by [date], confirming your attendance, dietary requirements and meal selection at [website].
Example 50: Traditional reply card
Kindly reply by [date].
Name(s): __________
Joyfully accepts ___
Regretfully declines ___
Dietary requirements: __________
Example 51: RSVP with transport
Please RSVP by [date] at [website], where you can also reserve a seat on our wedding shuttle.
Wishing Well and Gift Wording Examples
Gift information is best framed as optional. For printed suites, a separate details card or wedding website keeps the main invitation focused on inviting the guest.
Example 52: Simple wishing well
Your presence is the greatest gift. For those who wish to give something more, a wishing well will be available at our reception.
Example 53: Modern wishing well
We are fortunate to have everything we need at home. If you would like to give a gift, a contribution to our wishing well would be warmly appreciated.
Example 54: Honeymoon fund
Celebrating with you is what matters most. If you would like to give a gift, we have created a honeymoon fund for our first adventure as newlyweds.
Example 55: No gifts
No gifts, please. Having you with us to celebrate is more than enough.
Example 56: Gift registry
Your presence is present enough. For those who have asked, our gift registry details are available on our wedding website.
Example 57: Short details-card wording
Gifts are never expected. For those who wish to contribute, wishing-well details are available at [website].
Wedding Dress-Code Wording Examples
A dress code is useful information, not an instruction to turn guests into matching decorations. If your request is unusual, explain enough for guests to understand it without making attendance unnecessarily difficult.
Example 58: Black tie
Dress code: Black tie.
Example 59: Formal
Dress code: Formal attire.
Example 60: Cocktail
Dress code: Cocktail.
Example 61: Garden wedding
Dress code: Garden cocktail. Our ceremony will be outdoors, so please choose footwear suitable for grass.
Example 62: Colour encouraged, not compulsory
Dress code: Cocktail. If you’d like to join our colour palette, soft spring tones are welcome but certainly not required.
Destination and Travel Wedding Wording
Destination invitations need to acknowledge that guests may need to organise travel, accommodation and leave. Keep the main invitation concise and direct guests to a website for changing logistics.
Example 63: Australian destination wedding
Pack your bags and celebrate with us.
[Name] & [Name]
are getting married in [Destination]
on [date] at [time].
Travel and accommodation details: [website].
Example 64: Overseas wedding
We’re taking our celebration abroad and would love you there.
Join [Name] & [Name]
in [Destination, Country]
on [date].
Full travel details and weekend plans are at [website].
Example 65: Wedding weekend
Join us for a wedding weekend in [Destination]
from [start date] to [end date].
Our ceremony will take place on [date] at [time].
Weekend schedule and accommodation: [website].
If guests need substantial advance notice, you may also need a save-the-date. See Save the Date vs Wedding Invitation.
Multicultural and Interfaith Wedding Invitation Wording
There is no universal “multicultural wedding wording”. Cultural and religious traditions differ enormously, and individual families observe them differently. The safest approach is to name ceremonies accurately, explain unfamiliar logistics and avoid reducing a tradition to decorative language.
Example 66: Two traditions, one celebration
Together with our families,
we invite you to celebrate our marriage
and the traditions that have shaped us.
[Name] & [Name]
[Date] at [time]
[Venue], [Location].
Ceremony and celebration details: [website].
Example 67: Interfaith ceremony
With the love of our families,
[Name] & [Name]
invite you to share in their interfaith wedding ceremony
on [date] at [time]
[Venue], [Location].
Celebration to follow.
Example 68: Multiple ceremonies
We would be honoured to celebrate with you across our wedding ceremonies.
[Ceremony One]: [date/time/location]
[Ceremony Two]: [date/time/location]
Reception: [date/time/location]
Full details: [website].
Example 69: Cultural dress welcomed
Formal attire or traditional cultural dress is warmly welcomed.
For background on traditions and contemporary Australian celebrations, explore our Multicultural Weddings Melbourne guide.
Reception-Only, Elopement and Second-Wedding Wording
Example 70: Reception only
Following a private wedding ceremony,
[Name] & [Name]
invite you to celebrate their marriage
on [date] at [time]
[Reception Venue], [Location].
Example 71: Post-elopement celebration
We eloped!
Now it’s time to celebrate with everyone we love.
Join [Name] & [Name]
on [date] at [time]
[Venue], [Location].
Example 72: Already married
We said “I do” in a private ceremony.
Please join us as we celebrate our marriage
on [date] at [time]
[Venue], [Location].
Example 73: Later-life wedding
Life brought us together, and we’d love you beside us for what comes next.
Please join [Name] & [Name]
as we celebrate our marriage
on [date] at [time]
[Venue], [Location].
Example 74: Blended-family celebration
Together with our families,
we invite you to celebrate not only our marriage
but the joining of our families.
[Name] & [Name]
[Date] at [time]
[Venue], [Location].
How to Personalise These Wedding Invitation Examples
Start with the example closest to your wedding, then rewrite any phrase you would never naturally say. The best wording sounds like the couple while remaining clear to a guest who knows nothing about the plans.
Before printing or sending, check:
- every name is spelled correctly;
- the date, day of the week and time agree;
- the venue name and location are unambiguous;
- ceremony and reception details cannot be confused;
- the RSVP deadline and method are obvious;
- the invitation makes clear who is included;
- links and QR codes work on a phone; and
- any dress, transport or accessibility information is easy to find.
Do not copy a template so literally that you accidentally retain someone else’s host structure, formality or family assumptions.
What Brighton Savoy Learned From Wedding Invitation Wording
Brighton Savoy’s family involvement in Melbourne hospitality began in 1967, and weddings formed an important part of the venue’s history. Over decades of wedding receptions, we saw that invitation wording was not merely a stationery decision. It could affect what happened at the venue.
The problems were rarely caused by whether a couple wrote “request the pleasure of your company” or “come celebrate with us”. They came from practical ambiguity.
Guests could be uncertain whether they were invited to the ceremony, reception or both. Couples could discover that a guest assumed a partner or child was included. RSVP information could arrive without dietary details. A venue name without enough location information could send guests to the wrong place. An unclear start time could lead to arrivals after the ceremony had begun.
Brighton Savoy test: Give the finished invitation to someone who has not been involved in planning the wedding. Ask them: Who is getting married? Am I invited? Is anyone invited with me? Where do I go? What time do I arrive? What happens afterwards? How and when do I RSVP? If the invitation cannot answer those questions, revise it before printing.
The physical Brighton Savoy no longer operates as a wedding venue. Our wedding guides draw on that long first-hand hospitality history alongside current research.
Wedding Invitation Wording Mistakes to Avoid
Trying Too Hard to Sound Formal
If a phrase sounds unnatural when you read it aloud, consider simplifying it. Formal wording should still be understandable.
Forgetting Who Is Actually Invited
Beautiful wording cannot compensate for ambiguity about partners, plus-ones or children. Use names or an RSVP system that makes permitted attendance clear.
Putting Every Wedding Detail on One Card
Accommodation, maps, transport, parking, extensive gift information and FAQs can live on a details card or wedding website.
Making Gifts Sound Compulsory
A wishing well or registry should remain optional. Avoid minimum amounts, payment-like language or wording that makes a gift sound like the cost of attending.
Using a Vague RSVP
“Let us know if you’re coming” is weaker than a specific deadline and response method.
Copying American Formatting Without Meaning To
For an Australian audience, familiar formats such as Saturday, 14 November 2026 are usually clearer than importing a US month-day-year style simply because a template used it.
Turning the Invitation Into a Rule Sheet
Guest restrictions sometimes need to be communicated, but the invitation should still feel like an invitation. Put lengthy explanations on the details card or website.
Wedding Invitation Wording FAQs
What Is the Correct Wording for a Wedding Invitation?
There is no single correct wording. A successful invitation clearly identifies the couple, date, time, venue and response method while using a tone appropriate to the wedding.
Whose Name Goes First on a Wedding Invitation?
There is no universal modern rule requiring one partner’s name to appear first. Traditional family-hosted formats may influence the order, but couples can choose the sequence that reads naturally to them.
Do We Have to Write Our Parents’ Names?
No. Name parents if you want to acknowledge them as hosts or as part of the occasion. “Together with their families” or a couple-led invitation is also perfectly workable.
How Do You Word an Adults-Only Wedding Invitation?
Use clear and respectful wording such as “We respectfully ask that our wedding celebration be adults-only” or state that only the guests named on the invitation can be accommodated.
How Do You Say No Plus-One?
Name only the invited guest and configure the RSVP for that person. If extra clarity is necessary, explain that venue capacity allows only the guests named on the invitation.
How Do You Word an Invitation With a Plus-One?
If you know the partner’s name, use it. For an open plus-one, “and Guest” is clear, or state in the RSVP that the invitation includes one guest.
How Do You Ask Guests to RSVP Online?
Keep it direct: “Please RSVP by [date] at [website].” Add any dietary, transport or meal questions to the online form rather than crowding the invitation.
Can You Put a QR Code on a Wedding Invitation?
Yes. It can direct guests to an RSVP form or wedding website. Include a short written web address as a backup where practical, and test the code before printing.
How Do You Mention a Wishing Well?
Keep the wording optional and gracious. A separate details card or wedding website is usually a natural place for the information, particularly with printed invitations.
How Do You Word a Wedding Invitation if You Are Already Married?
Say so plainly. For example, explain that you married privately and are now inviting guests to celebrate your marriage.
How Do You Word a Multicultural Wedding Invitation?
Name ceremonies and traditions accurately rather than relying on generic “cultural” language. If guests need to understand unfamiliar timing, dress or customs, place the explanation on a details card or wedding website.
Should Wedding Invitation Wording Be Formal?
Only if that suits the wedding. A black-tie ballroom wedding may suit formal wording, while a garden, restaurant or backyard wedding may feel more natural with conversational language.
Related Brighton Savoy Wedding Guides
- Wedding Invitations & Stationery Melbourne
- Wedding Invitation Etiquette Australia
- Save the Date vs Wedding Invitation
- Complete Australian Wedding Planning Guide
- Multicultural Weddings Melbourne
- Wedding Welcome Signs Melbourne
About This Guide
Brighton Savoy is an independent Australian information platform covering weddings, hospitality, travel and consumer topics. Our wedding content draws on more than five decades of first-hand Melbourne hospitality experience and current research.
Wedding traditions vary between families, cultures, religions and couples. These examples are starting points rather than compulsory etiquette. Adapt them so the wording accurately reflects your wedding and the people involved.
Learn more about Brighton Savoy and our publishing background →
