Wedding Invitation Wording Without Bride and Groom

Your wedding invitation can begin with the names of the people celebrating. It does not need bride and groom labels to feel complete, formal or personal.

Use those titles when you love them. Use different titles or none when they fit better. The important work is explaining who is inviting guests, what the event is, when and where it happens, and how to respond.

Build the invitation in six parts

Start with an optional host line, the invitation itself, names, date and time, venue, and response instructions. If the card is getting crowded, move transport and accommodation information to a details card or website.

A flexible base is:

[Names]
invite you to celebrate their wedding
[written date] at [time]
[venue and city]
[Accurate reception information]
Please reply by [date] at [website].

All examples here are original sample wording. They are not testimonials or examples attributed to real customers.

Formal without gendered roles

Together with their families,
[Full name] and [Full name]
request the pleasure of your company at their wedding
[written date] at [time]
[venue and location]
Reception to follow.
Kindly reply by [date].

Use the family host line only when it reflects the invitation you want to issue. Formal wording does not require a particular gender combination.

Two brides or two grooms

You can explicitly use the titles in a personal sentence, or let the names do the work:

[Name] and [Name] are getting married!
Join us for vows, dinner and dancing
[date] at [time], [venue].
Details and RSVP: [website].

The same wording works without identifying either person as bride or groom. The tone should match the celebration, not a stereotype about the people hosting it.

One title, different titles or no titles

Titles need not be symmetrical. One person can use bride and another partner, or both can use their names alone. Avoid a template that changes one person's label automatically when you choose the other's.

For a website introduction:

We are [names], and we are looking forward to celebrating with you. Here you will find the plans for our wedding, including travel and RSVP information.

Our titles and pronouns guide covers the introductions beyond the invitation.

Hosting yourselves

[Names]
would love you to join us as we celebrate our wedding
[date, time and place].

You do not need a family host line to make an invitation feel welcoming. You can thank supporters elsewhere in the programme or speeches.

Including chosen family

Together with the people who have supported us,
[Names]
invite you to celebrate a new chapter with us
[date, time and venue].

Ask before naming supporters or using family descriptions publicly. See our chosen-family guide for other ways to honour relationships.

More than two names

Give every person the space and ordering they have agreed on. A stacked layout can work better than shrinking the font. Describe the event accurately rather than assuming every celebration creates a legal marriage.

For multi-partner arrangements, name every partner the same way and take the same care over legal wording. An invitation template is not a legal determination about the event it describes.

Address the people you are actually inviting

Use each person's chosen name and any title they have asked you to use. Do not assume everyone uses Mx. or wants an honorific at all. For a household, naming invitees can avoid uncertainty about children and additional guests.

Keep mailing details distinct from public website information. A chosen public name, a postal name and legal documentation can involve different practical needs; ask privately rather than making an assumption.

Check clarity before printing

Read the invitation aloud. Confirm names and pronunciation separately where needed. Write the month in words when guests may use different date formats. Make the RSVP method and deadline clear, and include a written address alongside any QR code.

Then view a proof at its actual size. Long names deserve a thoughtful layout, not type too small to read. Shared Beginning's flexible conventions let you begin with your own names and wording before choosing the design.

Start planning with Shared Beginning.