Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Holmes

Request the honour of your presence

At the marriage of their daughter

Katie Ann Holmes

To Mr. Michael Edwards

Son of Mr. and Mrs. David Edwards

Host Line

Traditionally, the hosts are whoever is paying for your wedding. 

Bride’s parents hosting

Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan Holmes

Bride’s and groom’s parents sharing expenses

Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Holmes

Dr. and Mrs. David Edwards

Bride’s Parents hosting; want to mention groom’s parents

Divorced parents hosting (names are listed on separate lines, mother’s name first. This example also shows option if parent has remarried)

Couple hosting

Mrs. Megan Daniels

Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Holmes

Katie Holmes

And

Michael Edwards

Couple hosting; want to include both families

Parent has passed away

Together with their families

Katie Holmes

And

Michael Edwards

The pleasure of your company is requested

At the marriage of

Katie Ann Holmes

Daughter of Jonathan Holmes and the late Megan Holmes

To

Michael Edwards

Request Line

Invitations to ceremonies held in church usually follow conventional language, otherwise this is the one place on the invitation where you can be a little more creative.

Ceremony at a place of worship

Request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter

Civil Ceremony

Request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter

Informal, parents hosting (you can be more creative here!)

Would be delighted by your presence at the wedding of their children

Informal, couple hosting

Invite you to join them in celebrating their wedding

Bride and Groom Lines

Always start with the bride’s name, you can link with “to” or “and”, and always list both names on separate lines.

Traditional (The bride’s first name stands alone; the groom’s name is titled and included his surname)

Katie Ann

to

Mr. Michael Edwards

Contemporary (You may use titles or omit them entirely)

Katie Holmes

to

Michael Edwards

Date and Time Lines

You may choose to use “in the afternoon,” “noon,” or “in the evening” in place of a.m or p.m

Traditional (the day and month are capitalised; year and time are not.)

Saturday, the twentieth of June

Two thousand and nine

At half past three in the afternoon

Contemporary

Saturday, June 20th, 2009

At 3:30 p.m

Location Line

Ceremony held in a place of worship (for formal invitations spell out common abbreviations such as “saint”)

Saint Edmund Arrowsmith’s Church

Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan

Ceremony in a civil location

The Garden Room

Haydock Park Race Course

Haydock, Merseyside

Reception Line

If you’re just having a drinks reception it’s a good idea to say so on the invitation so no one arrives expecting a full dinner.  By using lines such as “and afterwards in the Hartley Suite for cocktails” will clarify the arrangements to your guests. 

Reception and ceremony at the same location

And afterwards at the reception

Reception and ceremony at a different location

Reception immediately following the ceremony

The DeVere Hotel, Warrington

Separate reception card

Reception

seven thirty in the evening

The Thistle Hotel

Liverpool Road

Haydock, Merseyside

RSVP Line or Reply Card

It is formal to include an RSVP line on the invitation but a separate reply card may encourage a more reliable head count.

On invitation

R.S.V.P.

Separate response card

The favour of a reply is requested before the first of March

Separate fill in reply card

Please respond before the first of March

M …………………………………..

Will……attend