worth every penny honestly
Olivia F. · Portland, ORVerified couple · January 2026
Free invitation wording generator
Wedding invitation wording, formal, modern or casual
Enter your names, the date and the venue, choose who is hosting and how formal it should sound, and get three invitation wordings to copy. Free, no sign-up.
3wordings per click
3tones: formal, modern, casual
3host options
$0no sign-up
1. Your names
2. When and where
3. Who is hosting?
4. Formality
5. Dress code (optional)
Free, no sign-up. You get three versions in the style you picked.
01The short answer
What goes on a wedding invitation?
Answer
Who is hosting, your two names, a line asking guests to come, the date, the time, the venue with its city, and a reception line if the party follows. That is the whole invitation. Replies, hotels, dress code details and the registry go on separate cards or your website.
The order comes from formal etiquette, and modern invitations keep it because guests read top to bottom. Formal rules in this guide follow Emily Post, timing and practical tips follow Zola and Shutterfly, all checked October 2026.
Host lineOptional
Together with their families
CoupleMust
Emma Rose Carter and James Daniel Brooks
Request lineMust
request the pleasure of your company at their marriage
DateMust
Saturday, June 12, 2027
TimeMust
at 4:30 PM
VenueMust
Carter Family Farm, Asheville, North Carolina
ReceptionIf there is one
Reception to follow
ReplyHere or on the RSVP card
Kindly respond by May 22
01
Enter your names
Both full names, the way you want them printed. Middle names for both or for neither.
02
Add when and where
Venue and city, the date and the start time of the ceremony.
03
Pick host and tone
The couple, parents, or couple and families, then formal, modern or casual, plus a dress code if you want one.
04
Copy and fill the brackets
You get three versions. Copy one, replace anything in [brackets] and read it out loud once.
The example couple, date and venue on this page are illustrative.
SEE IT IN ACTION
Invite them on paper.
Collect their photos by QR.
The guests who get your invitation will have their phones out all day. Watch one scan the QR code on a table card and add photos from the phone browser, no app and no account. Everything lands in one album that night.
Emma & JamesScan to add your photos
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Emma & James
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02Formal, modern, casual
Same details, three different voices
Tone lives in a handful of lines. Here is how each part of the same invitation reads at each level, mostly in the generator's own phrases. Pick the column that sounds like the two of you, then keep it on every card.
FormalModernCasual
Church, ballroom, black tie. Words spelled out.Most weddings today. Clean and warm, numerals fine.Backyard, brewery, barn. Talks like you do.
| Line | Formal | Modern | Casual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Request line | request the honour of your presence at their marriage | invite you to share in their joy as they begin forever together | are so excited to invite you to their wedding celebration! |
| Names | Emma Rose Carter and James Daniel Brooks | Emma Rose Carter & James Daniel Brooks | Emma + James |
| Date | Saturday, the twelfth of June, two thousand twenty-seven | Saturday, June 12, 2027 | Date: Saturday, June 12, 2027 |
| Time | at half after four o'clock | 4:30 PM | Time: 4:30 PM |
| Reception | Reception to follow | Cocktails and celebration to follow | Dinner, drinks, and a whole lot of dancing await. |
| Reply | Kindly respond by the twenty-second of May | RSVP by May 22 | Kindly let us know if you can make it by May 22 |
Request line
Formalrequest the honour of your presence at their marriage
Moderninvite you to share in their joy as they begin forever together
Casualare so excited to invite you to their wedding celebration!
Names
FormalEmma Rose Carter and James Daniel Brooks
ModernEmma Rose Carter & James Daniel Brooks
CasualEmma + James
Date
FormalSaturday, the twelfth of June, two thousand twenty-seven
ModernSaturday, June 12, 2027
CasualDate: Saturday, June 12, 2027
Time
Formalat half after four o'clock
Modern4:30 PM
CasualTime: 4:30 PM
Reception
FormalReception to follow
ModernCocktails and celebration to follow
CasualDinner, drinks, and a whole lot of dancing await.
Reply
FormalKindly respond by the twenty-second of May
ModernRSVP by May 22
CasualKindly let us know if you can make it by May 22
03Who is hosting
The first line says who is inviting
Traditionally the hosts are whoever pays, and their names open the card. Today it is more about who you want to honor. Six common setups, written in the formal style. The dots show who is named: rose for the couple, gold for parents or other hosts.
The couple
Emma Rose Carterand James Daniel Brooksrequest the pleasure of your companyat their marriage
The usual choice when the two of you pay for most of it. Swap the request line for a softer “invite you to celebrate” on a modern card.
Host option in the generatorTogether with their families
Together with their familiesEmma Rose CarterandJames Daniel Brooksrequest the pleasure of your company
Thanks both families without naming anyone. Good when several people chip in.
Host option in the generatorBride's parents
Mr. and Mrs. David Carterrequest the honour of your presenceat the marriage of their daughterEmma RosetoMr. James Daniel Brooks
Classic form: the daughter is named without her last name and the groom gets his title. The generator writes [Parents' Last Name] and daughter/son, so fill in the name and keep the word that fits.
Host option in the generatorBoth sets of parents
Mr. and Mrs. David Carterand Mr. and Mrs. Paul Brooksrequest the honour of your presenceat the marriage of their children
Each couple gets its own line. Follow with both full names of the couple.
Adapt a generated versionDivorced parents
Ms. Laura Bennettand Mr. David Carterrequest the honour of your presenceat the marriage of their daughter
Each parent goes on a separate line, with a new spouse beside them if they are co-hosting.
Adapt a generated versionA grandparent, sibling or friend
Mrs. Helen Carterrequests the honour of your presenceat the marriage of her granddaughterEmma Rose Carter
Same structure with a singular verb. Name the relationship so guests know who is writing.
Adapt a generated versionHost line forms follow the Emily Post formal samples; the separate-line rule for divorced parents is from Shutterfly. Names are examples.
04Two formal rules
Honour or pleasure, and the spelled-out date
Only formal invitations need these two. Get them right and the card reads like it came from a stationer.
Decided by the venue
Where is the ceremony?
House of worshiprequest the honour of your presence
Any other venuerequest the pleasure of your company
The generator's formal versions use honour, so swap it for pleasure if the ceremony is in a garden, a hotel or on a farm.
Rule and British spelling from Emily Post, checked October 2026.
Numerals to words
Spell it out on a formal card
Day and dateSaturday, June 12
Saturday, the twelfth of JuneYear2027
two thousand twenty-sevenTime4:30 PM
at half after four o'clockStateAsheville, NC
Asheville, North CarolinaNo "and" in the year, "half after" instead of half past, and no "in the afternoon". The generator prints the date in numerals, so spell it out by hand on a formal card.
Per Emily Post. Modern and casual cards can keep numerals.
05Timing
When the wording needs to be final
Work back from the mailing date and give yourself a week or two for printing. Each square is one week before the wedding.
Local wedding
Invitations out 6 to 8 weeks before Reply-by date at least 3 weeks before
Destination wedding
Invitations out 3 to 4 months before Reply-by date 6 to 8 weeks before
Weeks before the wedding. Local timing from Zola (6 to 8 weeks, replies at least three weeks ahead; Emily Post says two to three weeks in her response card guide). Destination timing from Shutterfly, which also puts destination save the dates 8 to 12 months out.
6-8weeks before
Mail the invitations for a local wedding.
3weeks before
Latest reply-by date that still leaves time for the final count.
3-4months before
Mail the invitations for a destination wedding.
06The awkward bits
Adults only, plus-ones, registry and dress code
Most awkward lines get easier once they move off the invitation. This is where each detail usually lives in a paper suite.
Invitation
Host lineNamesDate and timeCeremony venueReception lineAdults only, if needed
Details card
Reception venueDress codeHotels and shuttleWedding websitePhoto QR code
RSVP card
Reply-by dateSeats heldMeal choice
Envelope
Exactly who is invitedChildren by name“and Guest” for a plus-one
Website
RegistryTravel and mapsScheduleFAQ
Bottom of the invitation and envelope
Adults only
Adults only, please
Zola suggests printing it at the bottom of the invitation. Emily Post leans on the envelope, where only the people named are invited. Doing both is the clearest.
Source: ZolaEnvelope or RSVP card
Plus-ones
Ms. Olivia Hart and Guest
Use the guest's name if you know it and “and Guest” if you don't. No plus-one means one name on the envelope and one seat on the RSVP card.
Source: Emily PostIts own invitation
Reception only
Please join us for a reception celebrating the marriage of Emma Rose Carter and James Daniel Brooks
For guests who come to the party but not the ceremony. Give them their own card so the ceremony time is not on it.
Source: ShutterflyLower right corner, or details card
Dress code
Black tie
The traditional spot is the lower right corner of the reception invitation. Anything longer than two words belongs on the details card or the website.
Source: Emily PostWebsite only
Registry and gifts
Details at emmaandjames.com
Leave gifts off the invitation. Point to the website on the details card and keep the registry there.
Source: Emily PostWebsite only
Cash fund or honeymoon fund
Your presence is the best gift. For those who asked, our website has a few ideas.
If people ask, the website answers. Our cash fund guide has more lines that do not sound like an invoice.
Cash fund wordingCutting plus-ones is the line people worry about most. Our guide on how to tell guests no plus-ones covers the envelope, the RSVP card and the follow-up conversation.
07Watch before you print
Wording the parts nobody likes to say
Emily Summer on YouTube
Kid-free, reception only, no full dinner
A walk through the uncomfortable lines: kid-free weddings, reception-only guests, a party without a full meal, dress code and plus-ones. Worth watching before you add any of them to the card.
Watch on YouTube (13 min)08Before it goes to print
Six slips worth catching on the proof
Read the card out loud once, slowly, with the person who did not write it. These are the fixes that come up most.
Kindly respond by [RSVP Date]
Kindly respond by May 22
The generator leaves brackets where it has no data. Search the text for [ before it goes to the printer.
request the honour of your presence
(ceremony at a farm)
request the pleasure of your company
“Honour” is for a house of worship. Every other venue gets “pleasure”.
at 4:30 PM
(formal card)
at half after four o'clock
A formal card spells out the time. Modern and casual cards can keep the numerals.
Registered at Crate & Barrel
Details at emmaandjames.com
Registry details go on the website, not the invitation.
Emma Rose Carter
and James Brooks
Emma Rose Carter
and James Daniel Brooks
Match the name format: middle names for both or for neither.
Reception to follow
(party at a second venue)
Reception to follow at
The Mill House, Asheville
“To follow” reads as the same place. A second venue needs its own line or a details card.
Last check: every name spelled the way its owner spells it, the day of the week matches the date, the city and state are there, and the same names appear on the invitation, the envelope and your RSVP list.
09One more line
A QR code line for the details card
Some couples add a small QR code to the details card so guests can drop their photos into one album on the day. It stays off the main invitation and needs one short line next to it. Three versions to match your wording:
Formal
We would be grateful for your photographs of the day. Kindly scan to add them to our album.
Modern
Seen it from your seat? Scan to add your photos and videos to our wedding album.
Casual
Took a great shot? Scan the code and drop it in our album. No app needed.
Wondering if it looks out of place? Read is it tacky to put a QR code on a wedding invitation, or design the code itself in the free QR sticker designer.
First dance
You guys!!
You wrote the invitation. Now catch what they see.
Put one Pix Wedding QR code on the details card or the tables. Guests add photos and videos from the phone browser, no app and no account, and you get every angle of the day in one album that night.
From Mom
Point your camera
Scan to join the album
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9:41
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Emma & James
June 21, 2026
647 photos · 95 guests
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Beach wedding, super casual. QR code on the welcome sign and on every cocktail table. Took me about ten minutes to set up. Being able to grab the whole album as a ZIP is huge
Sierra D. · Destin, FLVerified couple · May 2026
Used the free QR designer, printed the table cards at FedEx for like $20. Guests scanned without asking a single question. A few of these are framed in our apartment now
Paige U. · Raleigh, NCVerified couple · November 2025
Invitation Wording Help
Wedding Invitation Wording FAQ
What couples ask while they write the card: the correct order, couple hosting, honour or pleasure, adults only, timing, and where the registry and dress code go.
Top to bottom: who is hosting, the couple's names, a request line, the date, the time, the venue and the city, then a reception line if the party follows at the same place. Formal invitations use “request the honour of your presence” for a house of worship and “request the pleasure of your company” for any other venue, and spell out the date and time. Modern and casual invitations keep the same order with plainer words and numerals.
Put your own names first and follow with the request line: “Emma Rose Carter and James Daniel Brooks request the pleasure of your company at their marriage.” If your families are helping, open with “Together with their families” instead. Both setups are built into the generator above as the couple and the couple and families host options.
Emily Post's rule: “the honour of your presence” when the ceremony takes place in a house of worship, “the pleasure of your company” for every other venue. Honour keeps the British spelling with a u. The generator's formal versions use the honour form, so switch it if you are marrying at a farm, a hotel or a garden.
Address the envelope only to the adults who are invited, so the names show who is coming. If you want it in words too, add “Adults only, please” at the bottom of the invitation or “We have reserved two seats in your honor” on the RSVP card. A polite line on the wedding website helps parents plan childcare.
Mail invitations 6 to 8 weeks before the wedding and set the reply-by date at least three weeks before the day, which leaves time for the final count. For a destination wedding send invitations 3 to 4 months ahead and ask for replies 6 to 8 weeks before, because guests need to book travel.
Leave the registry off the invitation and put it on your wedding website. A short dress code like “Black tie” can sit in the lower right corner of a formal invitation, and anything longer belongs on the details card or the website. The generator adds the dress code you pick as one short line.