Once you’ve chosen your wedding invitation design, the next question is usually: what actually needs to go on it?
It can be tempting to try and fit every detail of the day onto the invitation itself, but you really don’t need to. In fact, we generally find that invitations look their best when the wording is kept fairly simple, with all of the practical information given its own space elsewhere in the suite.
So, if you’re starting to put your wording together, here’s what we recommend including - and what can happily live on a separate details card.
The essentials
At the very least, your wedding invitation needs to tell your guests who is getting married, when it’s happening and where they need to be.
That usually means including:
- Your names
- Your wedding date
- Ceremony start time
- Venue name
- Venue location
You don’t necessarily need the full street address on the invitation, particularly if you’re getting married at a well-known venue. Something as simple as Caversham House, Swan Valley is often enough, with the full address included on a details card or wedding website if needed.
One little tip: when listing your ceremony time, think about when you actually want guests to arrive. If your ceremony begins at 4pm, you may want to use wording such as “Please arrive from 3:30pm for a 4pm ceremony” elsewhere in your stationery. It can save a surprising amount of last-minute confusion.
Do you need to include your parents' names?
Not unless you want to.
Traditional wedding invitations were often worded as though the couple's parents were formally hosting the wedding:
Together with their families...
or
Mr and Mrs Smith request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter...
These styles are still lovely for more traditional weddings, but they're certainly not a requirement.
Many of the invitations we create simply begin with the couple's names, while others use “Together with their families” as a subtle nod to both families.
There really isn't a right or wrong choice here. The wording should suit you and the style of wedding you're planning.
What about the reception?
If your ceremony and reception are being held at the same venue, you can keep this incredibly simple.
A small line such as:
Reception to follow
is often all that's needed.
If the reception is at a different location, we'd recommend including those details separately so there's no chance of guests missing them. A details card works particularly well for this.
Where should the RSVP information go?
For a very simple invitation suite, your RSVP information can sit at the bottom of the invitation.
For example:
Kindly RSVP by 12 September 2027
via our wedding website
If you have a separate RSVP card or details card, however, we'd usually move it there. It keeps the main invitation beautifully uncluttered and gives you more room for things like dietary requirements and other guest information.
And don't forget to include an RSVP deadline. Giving guests a clear date makes life much easier when you're chasing final numbers for your venue.
What belongs on a details card?
This is where you can take all of the useful-but-not-quite-invitation-worthy information and give it somewhere to live.
Depending on your wedding, your details card might include things like accommodation recommendations, transport or shuttle information, parking, dress code, directions, RSVP instructions, dietary requirements, wishing well wording, an adults-only note or your wedding website.
You certainly don't need all of these. Some weddings need a lot of additional information; others barely need any.
A good rule is to think about the questions your guests are likely to ask you in the weeks leading up to the wedding. If you can answer those questions on your details card, you've probably got it right.
Should you include your dress code?
If you have one, yes.
It doesn't need a lengthy explanation. Cocktail, Black Tie, Formal or Smart Casual is generally enough.
For weddings where the dress code is a little more specific - perhaps you have a particular colour palette or you're planning a destination wedding - you can provide some additional guidance on your details card or wedding website.
What about wishing well or gift information?
We generally wouldn't put this on the main invitation.
Your invitation is there to invite someone to your wedding, so information about gifts can feel a little out of place amongst the main wording.
A details card is a much more natural home for a short wishing well note, gift registry information or a simple message letting guests know that their presence is all you ask.
Don't feel like you need to fill every space
This is probably one of the biggest things we tell couples when they're working on their wording.
White space is part of the design.
You don't need to add more wording simply because there appears to be room for it. Giving names, dates and important details some breathing room can make an invitation feel far more considered than trying to squeeze every piece of information onto one card.
If your wording is getting crowded, that's usually a good sign that some of it belongs on a details card instead.
Before you send your wording to your stationer
Give everything one final check - and then have someone else check it too.
Dates, spelling of names, venue details and RSVP deadlines are the big ones. We'd also recommend checking the venue's preferred name and address directly rather than relying on what happens to appear first online.
Once you've read the same wording twenty times, it's surprisingly easy to stop seeing a typo that's sitting right in front of you.
Most importantly, don't overthink it. Your invitation doesn't need to explain your entire wedding day. It simply needs to invite your guests and give them the information they need to get there.
The rest can follow.