Looking for what to put on wedding invitations? You’re in the right spot!
Wedding invitations are a critical piece of your wedding planning journey. They are typically the main source of communication between you, the one getting married, and your guests. Knowing what to put on wedding invitations is crucial. Too little information, and your guests may not be fully informed about your wedding. Too much, and you may create confusion or even etiquette mistakes. It’s a delicate balance.
The good news is that once you know what to put on wedding invitations, you can proceed with confidence. And, it’s not really that complicated. Yes, you may have to spend some time deciding what your invitations should look like. And you’ll have to spend time on your guest list. And also decide when to send the invites. However, you won’t have to worry too much about the content after reading this post.
What To Put On Wedding Invitations
This post is going to share with you what to put on wedding invitations. It will also inform you on what to leave off your wedding invitations. The key here is to try and keep it simple and straightforward. Having the basics of who, what, where, and when on your invitation is all your guests really need. Beyond that, and you can inform them about the details in other ways. More on that later.
Let’s get into it!
THE POINT OF WEDDING INVITATIONS
Let’s start off with the point of wedding invitations.
The whole purpose of sending out these little detailed cards is to let others know they have been invited to an event. In particular, your wedding. Telling guests what’s going on, and being clear about the details of the event, will allow them to be informed enough to commit to coming. This is what you want, because planning a wedding without knowing the guest count is very difficult.
In short, invitations may be the first introduction many of your guests have to your wedding. The details on them matter.
WHAT TO PUT ON WEDDING INVITATIONS
Now it’s time to jump right into what to put on wedding invitations. The key details. What is expected. Leave one of these items off and you’re bound to get some questions. You may even have to – gasp – resend the invites. It’s not pretty. So, to be on the safe side, include the items below, and don’t worry about adding anything else.
YOUR NAMES (AND ALSO THE NAMES OF THE HOSTS, IF DIFFERENT)
There may be a bit of back and forth about how to handle names on invitations, but let’s be clear here. You need to have your names on your invites. Your name, and your partner’s name. If you or your partner go by different names than most people know you by, you may want to put your nickname in quotes on your invite.
Additionally, you may want to lead your invitation with who is hosting the event. For example, our wedding invitations went like “Together with their families, John Kilson and Nicole Smith are inviting you to join their wedding”. Other invitations may read something like “Mr. and Mrs. Fred Baker are welcoming you to the wedding of their daughter, Anna Baker to Jackson Stead.” The variations can go on and on, but you get the picture. If you’d like a resource on how to word your names, this is a great one.
The takeaway here is that you need to let your invitees know who is getting married. Beyond that, naming the hosts is fine if they aren’t the people getting married. It’s a personal preference.
THE LOCATION OF YOUR WEDDING
Okay, people. We need to talk about location.
If you somehow leave the details of your wedding’s location off your wedding invitation, your guests will be very confused. Not only should you have the name of your venue (even if it’s your parent’s backyard), but you should have the exact address. This last part is important. For our wedding venue, there were two locations with the same name within the same city. Naming the exact address of our venue, ten minutes away from the other, was crucial to helping our guests find us.
THE DATE AND TIME OF YOUR WEDDING
On to the date and time of your wedding.
Here’s the thing. You should be very clear about the date and time of your wedding. Don’t be tempted to say “fifteen past noon on the fifth of August”. Yes, I know that it seems fancy and all, but put your date and time in plain English, or whatever language your invitations are in. I suggest saying something like “4:00pm on Saturday, August 3rd, 2024”. Being specific about the time, day of week, and day of year, and the year, will help your guests.
PUT ON YOUR WEDDING INVITATIONS IF A RECEPTION WILL FOLLOW YOUR WEDDING
Most of your wedding guests will assume that a reception will follow your ceremony, but it’s still something to put on wedding invitations.
Here’s the thing. You don’t want guests to assume anything. You want to be clear. Telling guests that a reception will follow your wedding ceremony will assure them that they don’t have to eat a big meal before your wedding. That they should anticipate spending at least the evening at your wedding. That sort of thing. And, also, side note, if your reception is at a different location than your ceremony, be clear about those details on your invite as well, especially the address.
DRESS CODE (OPTIONAL)
Have you ever been stressed out about what to wear to a wedding? Or an event in general? Yeah, me too.
The key here is to reduce stress on your guests by telling them what they should wear. Or, at least telling them the dress code. Will your wedding be black tie, or casual? Business formal? Only black attire allowed? It’s okay to name these categories right on your wedding invitation. It will help your guests decide how fancy to dress. You don’t need a lot of details on your invite, just enough to help guide your guests.
YOUR WEDDING WEBSITE (IF APPLICABLE)
Last detail to add to your wedding invitation. Your wedding website URL.
To be fair, you don’t need to put your website on the front of your wedding invitation. Putting it on the back is just fine. Having the website on the invite is a good thing because little inserts (more on those later) can get lost. And, websites have a lot of information on them. Your guests will want to reference them as you get closer to the wedding, so keep the information on how to get there handy for them. You may also want to put a QR code for your website on the back of your invitation, but only if you know how to do that and like the idea.
ADDITIONAL INSERTS TO INCLUDE WITH YOUR WEDDING INVITATION
One option to include a lot of information with your wedding invitations, without cluttering up your invites, is to add inserts.
These little cards that go right in the invitation envelop can offer your wedding invitees details that they should know. The key here is to make sure every insert has a purpose. You don’t want to weigh down your invites (postage can get steep), and you also don’t want the inserts to get lost. So, be strategic, and keep these as options in your back pocket, so to speak.
RSVP CARD (UNLESS YOUR WEBSITE IS ONLY WAY TO RSVP), WITH A DEADLINE
These days, there are multiple ways for guests to RSVP to a wedding. One way is to have all your RSVP’s be digital, directing guests to go to your wedding website if they intend to join your wedding. The other way is to have a paper option. You can literally place a small return envelop with an RSVP card in it that guests can send back to you, right with your wedding invitation. Add a return stamp to make it easy for guests, and you’re good to go.
REGISTRY INFORMATION
If you have a wedding registry, you’re going to want to tell guests about it. In particular, where you’re registered. Now, putting registry information on your actual invitation is a huge wedding no-no, so what are you supposed to do? One option is to add registry information to your wedding website. Or, you can add a little insert into your wedding invitation to get the details out there.
DIRECTIONS TO YOUR VENUE / INFORMATION ON PARKING
Not every wedding venue is easy to find. In fact, some of them are downright impossible without good directions. Add in the possibility of remote locations, poor cell signal, and new places, and your guests can get real lost, real fast. If this is the case for your wedding venue, add a little map or directions from a major freeway to your wedding invitation insert list. Your guests will arrive on time, and will appreciate it.
WHAT TO NEVER PUT ON WEDDING INVITATIONS
Last section! Even though we went on about what to put on wedding invitations, and what to include with them, it’s important to review what to never put on wedding invitations, too. Too much information is well, just too much. Include the wrong thing, and you may offend someone. It’s better to know than not know, you know?
YOUR REGISTRY INFORMATION
I know I mentioned earlier that you can put your registry information on an insert, included with your wedding invitation. This is true, and it’s a great option. However, do not put your registry information on your actual invitation. Not even on the back. Not even in small print. It’s considered pretty rude, as wedding gifts are not a requirement to attend a wedding. Just don’t do it. Pick another way to get the details out there instead.
THAT KIDS AREN’T INVITED
Look, I get it. You don’t want kids at your wedding. I didn’t either. And we told our guests. Just not on the actual invites.
The thing is, wedding invitations are about who is invited, rather than who is not. If you want to make it clear that your wedding is an adult-only affair, put some wording on your RSVP cards, or your wedding website. Make it clear how many people are invited from each party you’re inviting on those very cards or your website. There are ways to do it, without mucking up your invite.
If you want some tips on not having kids at your wedding, this is the post for you.
INFORMATION ON OTHER WEDDING EVENTS
Are you planning on having a big rehearsal dinner? A welcome party? A post-wedding brunch? Maybe an after party? If you know the plan, you may want to inform people right away!
While you don’t want to put the details of all these other wedding events on your wedding invite because it can create confusion, you will likely want to share the details somewhere. An insert or your wedding website are perfect alternatives.
THOUGHTS ON WHAT TO PUT ON WEDDING INVITATIONS
Friends, there are plenty of essential things to put on your wedding invitations. There are other things that should be included, but not on the invitation themselves. Knowing the balance is the key between a well thought out invitation and one that is confusing or offensive. Remember at the end of the day to look up examples, ask for second opinions, and do what feels right. Happy wedding planning!
More On Wedding Invitations From Hummingbird Wedding Advice
Wedding Invitations: What You Should Know
How To Tell Someone They Aren’t Invited To Your Wedding
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