Weddings · Updated 2026-10-19
Wedding ceremony and reception invitation wording: examples for separate cards, "reception to follow" and evening-only guests
Most wedding invitations have two jobs: invite people to the ceremony and tell them what happens afterwards. When both happen in one place with one guest list, a single card and the words "reception to follow" are enough. Once the venues, the times or the guest lists differ, you need clearer wording, and sometimes a second card. This guide is written for weddings in the US, UK, Europe and Australia, with copy-ready examples for each situation. For reply cards, see wedding RSVP card wording. For a multi-day schedule, see wedding weekend itinerary for guests.
Ceremony invitation vs reception card: what goes where
The ceremony invitation is the main card. It carries the facts guests will check again and again:
- Hosting line: who is inviting (the couple, parents, or both families).
- Request line: "request the pleasure of your company", "invite you to celebrate" and so on.
- The couple's names, written the way you want them used all day.
- Date and time, with the weekday.
- Venue name, then town or city. Put the full street address on the card itself or on a separate details card.
- What happens next: "reception to follow", or a pointer to the enclosed reception card.
A reception card is a smaller enclosure with only the reception's own facts: "Reception", the start time, the venue and address, and perhaps a note about food and dancing. It doesn't need to repeat the hosting line or the couple's names.
RSVP details, gift notes, hotel blocks and maps belong on an RSVP card, a travel card or your wedding website. The more you put on the main invitation, the less anyone reads.
Formal vs casual wording
Formal invitations use the third person and often spell out dates and times. Casual ones speak in the couple's own voice. Match the tone of the day and keep the facts clear.
Formal
Mr and Mrs David Clarke
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter
Emily
to
Mr James Patel
Saturday 12 June 2027 at two o'clock
St Mary's Church, Henley-on-Thames
and afterwards at Fawley Court
Together with their families
Sofia Marino and Daniel Reyes
request the honour of your presence at their marriage
Saturday, the twelfth of June, two thousand twenty-seven
at four o'clock in the afternoon
The Grove Chapel · Napa, California
Reception to follow
Casual
We're getting married!
Maya & Jordan
Saturday 12 June 2027 · 3 pm
The Old Boathouse, Amsterdam
Drinks, dinner and dancing to follow
"Honour" or "pleasure"? Traditional American etiquette keeps "the honour of your presence" for a ceremony in a place of worship and uses "the pleasure of your company" for every other venue, including the reception. British guides generally use "the pleasure of your company" throughout. Few guests notice, but traditionally minded relatives might. Spell it "honour" or "honor" to suit your guests.
Who's hosting: couple, parents or both families
The hosting line traditionally named whoever was giving the wedding; today it often just shows who is involved. Customs vary by country, faith and family, so treat these as common patterns, not rules.
- The couple hosting: "Emily Clarke and James Patel invite you to celebrate their marriage…" or "Together with their families, Emily and James…".
- One set of parents: "Mr and Mrs David Clarke request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter Emily to Mr James Patel."
- Both families: "Mr and Mrs David Clarke and Mr and Mrs Raj Patel request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their children Emily and James."
- Divorced or remarried parents: put each household on its own line, with no "and" joining the lines, so nobody looks like a couple who isn't one.
- A parent who has died: many etiquette guides don't list a late parent as a host. Instead, they honour them in the couple's line: "Emily Clarke, daughter of Susan Clarke and the late David Clarke". Ask the family first.
Any couple can drop the "daughter of / son of" structure and simply list both names; alphabetical order is a neutral choice.
"Reception to follow" and similar lines
Use "reception to follow" when the reception is at the same venue, or very close, and starts soon after the ceremony. It goes at the bottom, under the venue.
Reception to follow
Reception immediately following the ceremony
Dinner and dancing to follow
and afterwards at The Barn, Holly Farm
"And afterwards at…" is the classic British form when the reception is elsewhere but the gap is short. If the reception starts more than an hour or so after the ceremony, say when.: "Ceremony at 1 pm · Reception from 5 pm at The Ballroom Terrace". For a planned gap, a note on a details card helps ("A café and the town gardens are a five-minute walk away").
Separate reception card wording
A separate reception card makes sense when the reception is at a different venue, the address needs room, or only some guests are invited to both parts. Keep it short:
Reception
six o'clock in the evening
The Ballroom Terrace
14 Harbour Road, Brighton
Please join us after the ceremony
for dinner, dancing and celebration
from 6 pm · The Ballroom Terrace
Sometimes it's the other way round: a small family ceremony followed by a big party. Then the reception invitation is the main card, and the ceremony gets a kind, unapologetic mention:
Following a private family ceremony,
Emily and James
invite you to celebrate their marriage
Saturday 12 June 2027 from 6 pm
Fawley Court, Henley-on-Thames
We're marrying in a small ceremony with our families
and would love you to join us for the celebration afterwards
The same works in parts of Europe where the legal civil ceremony happens at a town hall, sometimes days before the celebration: name the event guests are invited to, with its own date, time and venue.
Evening-only and reception-only invitations that don't offend
In the UK, inviting extra "evening guests" after the wedding breakfast is common and well understood. In the US and Australia, reception-only invitations are less usual and can feel second-tier if handled carelessly. Either way, the wording should describe the event, never label the guest.
- Don't print "evening only" or "evening guest". Call it an evening reception or a party, and let the time do the explaining.
- Use the same design and paper as the day invitations, and send them at the same time.
- Say what they'll get: drinks, evening food, dancing.
- Give a sensible arrival time, after the meal and speeches.
Mr and Mrs David Clarke
request the pleasure of your company
at an evening reception
to celebrate the marriage of their daughter
Emily to James Patel
Saturday 12 June 2027 from 7.30 pm
The Barn at Holly Farm, Wiltshire
Carriages at midnight
Emily & James would love you to join them
for drinks, evening food and dancing
to celebrate their wedding
Saturday 12 June · from 7.30 pm until late
"Carriages at midnight" is the traditional British way of giving an end time. If someone asks, an honest answer about numbers is kinder than going vague: "We could only fit 60 for dinner, and we really wanted you at the party."
Different venues, times and days
When the ceremony and reception are in different places, give each its own line with a time and venue:
Ceremony · 1 pm · St Mary's Church, Henley-on-Thames
Reception · 4 pm · Fawley Court (a 10-minute drive)
Mention transport if you're providing it ("A coach will leave the church at 3.15 pm"). Several events across a weekend are easier to follow on one schedule card; see our wedding weekend itinerary guide.
A bilingual, two-event example. When two families bring two languages, a morning ceremony and an evening reception can each get their own card with a bilingual heading:
Together with their families
Aanya & Rohan
request the honour of your presence at their Wedding · विवाह
Saturday 12 June 2027 · from 11 am
The Grand Pavilion
Aanya & Rohan invite you to an evening of dinner, dance & joy
at their Reception · स्वागत समारोह
Saturday 12 June 2027 · from 6 pm
The Ballroom Terrace
If you add a second language, ask a fluent family member to check names, headings and any blessing line before you print. Pre-wedding events such as a Haldi, Mehndi or Sangeet usually get their own invitations; see Haldi, Mehndi and Sangeet invitation wording.
Dress code lines
One short line saves a lot of messages. Use terms your guests recognise, and explain them for an international crowd:
- Black tie optional: "Black tie optional: dark suits welcome".
- Lounge suits (UK): business suits. American guests may not know the term, so "Lounge suits (business attire)" helps.
- Cocktail attire, smart casual, garden party ("Garden party attire: the ceremony is on the lawn, so flat or block heels are recommended").
- Cultural dress: "Traditional or formal western attire both welcome".
If day and evening dress codes differ, put each on its own card. A note on weather or terrain ("Outdoor ceremony; evenings can be cool") helps.
Adults-only and plus-one lines
The names on the envelope or digital invite show who is invited. For an adults-only day, a warm line on the details card or website beats small print: "Our celebration will be adults only. We hope you enjoy a night off." Write "and guest" only when a plus-one is genuinely offered. Our RSVP card wording guide has matching reply-card lines for seats, kids and plus-ones.
A travel and stay card for out-of-town guests
For guests flying in or staying overnight, a travel and stay card keeps the invitation from turning into a brochure. Include:
- The full venue address (both venues, if there are two).
- The nearest airport and train station, with rough transfer times.
- Hotel block details: hotel name, booking code and the date the rooms are held until.
- Parking, taxis or ride-hail, and any shuttle times.
- A contact for questions who isn't the couple.
A block of rooms is held at The Riverside Hotel under "Clarke-Patel Wedding" until 1 May 2027. Quote code CP2027 when you book.
When to send (ranges, not rules)
Save-the-dates commonly go out six to twelve months ahead, earlier for destination weddings. Many couples then send invitations about six to twelve weeks before: the shorter end for local weddings, the longer end (or earlier) for guests who need flights or visas. Set the RSVP date by your caterer's final-numbers deadline, often three to six weeks before. Send evening invitations with the day invitations.
Common mistakes
- "Reception to follow" when it doesn't. A three-hour gap or a different town needs a time and an address.
- Different times on different cards. Proofread every card against one master sheet.
- Labelling guests with "evening only", "ceremony only" or "B-list" wording, instead of naming the event.
- No weekday, or a weekday that doesn't match the date.
- Cramming everything onto the main card. Dense cards read better at A5 or 5×7 than A6.
- Hosting lines nobody agreed to. Check with the parents before you print their names.
- Unchecked second-language text.
Checklist before you print or send
- Confirm venues, start times and any transfer times with each venue.
- Agree the hosting line and the spelling of every name with both families.
- Decide your guest tiers (full day, evening, ceremony only) and which cards each tier gets.
- Write "reception to follow" only if it's true. Otherwise, give the reception its own time and place.
- Add the dress code, and a travel and stay card for anyone travelling.
- Check the RSVP deadline against your caterer's final-numbers date.
- Print one test copy at 100% scale and have someone else read it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between "the honour of your presence" and "the pleasure of your company"?
In traditional American etiquette, "the honour of your presence" is used for ceremonies in a place of worship and "the pleasure of your company" for other venues and receptions. British invitations usually use "the pleasure of your company" for both.
Do we need a separate reception card if the reception is at the same venue?
Usually not. "Reception to follow" at the bottom of the invitation is enough when the reception is at the same venue and starts soon after. Add a separate card when the venue, the address or the start time is different, or when not every guest is invited to both.
How do we invite evening-only guests without offending anyone?
Name the event rather than the guest: "an evening reception" or "drinks, evening food and dancing" from a set time. Use the same design as the day invitations and send them at the same time.
Should a reception invitation mention food?
Yes, briefly. "Dinner and dancing to follow" or "drinks and evening food" tells guests whether to eat beforehand.
When should we send ceremony and reception invitations?
Many couples send them around six to twelve weeks before the wedding, after save-the-dates six to twelve months ahead. Send earlier for destination weddings or guests travelling internationally. Send day and evening invitations together.
Can one invitation cover a ceremony and reception on different days?
Yes, if every guest is invited to both. List each event on its own line with the day, time and venue. If only some guests are invited to one of them, give that group a separate insert, so nobody reads about an event they aren't invited to.
General stationery suggestions only. Etiquette, venue rules and family customs vary by place. Related reading: Wedding RSVP card wording · Wedding weekend itinerary for guests · Haldi, Mehndi & Sangeet invitation wording · Wedding thank you card wording.