Sample Wedding Invitation Wording for Non-Traditional Weddings

What to write when your wedding doesn't fit the mold

If you are having a non-traditional wedding, there's no reason to use traditional wedding invitation wording. While you should still make sure to include all the details of who, when (time and date), what, and where, you can then use your creativity to make your wedding invitation wording reflect your style and personality as well as accurately depict the wedding itself. Whether you're just looking to reflect the casualness of your wedding, or you're trying to figure out how to include your children, there is a sample wedding invitation wording here for you.

For a more casual or romantic wedding, you may want to use a line or two of poetry, or give a hint to your theme, as in these sample wedding invitation wordings:

Please join us
For a celebration of love, friendship, laughter, and family
as
Margarita Elena Ramos
and
Thomas Antoine Johnson
Join their hands in holy matrimony
Friday, June 29, 2006
8 o'clock in the evening
St. Luke's Church
Martinsberg, Virginia
Champagne and dessert reception to follow


Come Fly With Us!
Please Join
Louisa Kelly Brankowich
and
Marcos Andreas Polinopolis
As we take the trip of a lifetime
In getting married
Saturday, August 24, 2007
Lyndon Airport, Hangar B
Reception to follow

Sample Wedding Invitations for a Second Wedding
Trying to figure out how to word an invitation to a second wedding can be tricky. Should use the bride's full name, including the last name of her previous husband? The answer is to use her legal name and/or the name she is known by. However, she may want to include her family surname so as to clarify relationships.

For example, if the bride's parents are hosting:

Mr. and Mrs. Darnell Jones
Request the honor of your presence
At the marriage of their daughter
Dewanna Jones McPhereson
To
Christopher Kwame Johnson
Saturday, the fourth of June
At seven o'clock in the evening
Marquis Hotel
Terra Haute, Indiana

Or, if the bride and groom are hosting:

The honor of your presence is requested
At the marriage of
Dewanna Jones McPhereson
And
Christopher Kwame Johnson
Saturday, the fourth of June
At seven o'clock in the evening
Marquis Hotel
Terra Haute, Indiana

For a second wedding, you may also wish to reflect the nature of the event:

Please join us
As we celebrate new beginnings, new dreams, and most importantly, new love
at the marriage of
Jonathan Alex Becker
and
Morton Peter Darby
Sunday, April 4, 2008
5 o'clock in the afternoon
Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Rose Garden
Dinner and dancing to follow

Or

With joy in our hearts, we,
Ramona Lee
and
Steven Ang
Request the honor of your presence
As we exchange marriage vows
and celebrate our new life together
Thursday, September 4, 2005
Etc.

Sample wedding invitation that includes children:

While not necessary, you may want to include your children particularly if you will have a part of the ceremony devoted to them.

Please join
Janet Ana Pamilla
and
Matthew Aiden Day
as they exchange marriage vows
and together with their son, Quinn, celebrate their family
etc.

or

Please join us
At a celebration
Of the marriage of
Linda Rodriguez Winters
and
Gunther Ryder Marquez
And
The family of
Linda, Gunther, Jacob and Elise
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Etc.

Or your children could be the ones to host:

Mr. Jacob Rodriguez
Requests the honor of your presence
At the marriage of his mother
Linda Rodriguez Winters
To
Gunther Ryder Marquez
Sunday, January 1, 2009
Etc.

Or
Mrs. Alicia Wang Arnold
and her son, Jack Arnold
and
Mr. Thomas Gordon Roth
and his son, Thomas Roth, Jr.
invite you to join them
for the uniting of these two families
Saturday, May 5, 2008
Etc.

Invitation to Reception Only

It is becoming more common for a couple who eloped or had a destination wedding to have a reception later in their hometown. Be careful in the phrasing - don't make it look like there was a local wedding to which they weren't invited, or that you only want more gifts.

Mr. and Mrs. Jackson Fielding
Invite you to join us
In celebrating the recent marriage of our daughter
Alice Pearson Fielding
To
Arjun Gangadharan
Which took place March 25, 2005 in Dubai, India

Come toast the happy couple
Saturday, August 19, 2005
Grovers Country Club
Plano, Texas

Or

Mr. and Mrs. Jackson Fielding
Invite you to join them for a dinner honoring
Mr. and Mrs. Arjun and Alice Fielding Gangadharan
Saturday, August 19, 2005
Etc.

This example makes it clear that their daughter is married, yet doesn't make it look like a second wedding, thus gifts are not expected.

Whatever your situation, be it a casual wedding, a non-traditional venue, or the inclusion of children, be sure that the invitation reflects both your personality and the level of formality of the wedding. Use these sample invitation wordings as a jumping-off point, and tailor them to fit your event. As long as you speak from the heart, it will be beautiful.

Click here to read more samples of wedding invitation wording, especially for blended families