Catholic
Catholic invitations historically open with the parents' names ("Mr & Mrs Antoine Dubois request the honour of your presence..."). The phrase "the honour of your presence" specifically signals a religious ceremony — "the pleasure of your company" is reserved for civil or reception-only invitations.
Traditional
Mr & Mrs Antoine Dubois
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Camille Marie
to
Théo Lucas Bernard
on Saturday, the twelfth of September
two thousand and twenty-six
at four o'clock in the afternoon
Saint-Sulpice
Paris
and afterward at the reception
Hôtel Lutetia
Modern
Camille and Théo
are getting married
Saturday, September 12, 2026
at four in the afternoon
Saint-Sulpice, Paris
Reception to follow at Hôtel Lutetia
Black tie
Avoid: Don't write "and afterward at the reception" if there's a Mass between the ceremony and the reception — guests need to know whether to attend the religious service. Be explicit.
Protestant
Protestant invitations follow most Catholic conventions but are typically less formulaic. Many Reform Protestant couples write the invitation in first person ("We invite you to celebrate our marriage..."). Mainline Protestant denominations (Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist) retain more traditional phrasing.
Traditional
Together with their families
Emma Catherine Bennett
and
James Robert Hartley
invite you to celebrate
the union of their lives
Saturday, the sixteenth of May
two thousand and twenty-six
half past three in the afternoon
St Andrew's Church, Edinburgh
Reception immediately following
Modern
Emma & James
are getting married
May 16, 2026 · 3:30pm
St Andrew's Church, Edinburgh
Reception to follow at the Balmoral
Avoid: Skip the phrase "with God as our witness" unless your parents specifically want it — most Protestant denominations today consider the invitation a hospitality document, not a theological one.
Orthodox (Greek, Russian, Coptic)
Orthodox invitations often include the names of the couple's godparents (koumbaros / koumbara in Greek; krestnyy in Russian), who play a central role in the crowning ceremony. The phrase "with the blessing of" or "with the blessing of God" is traditional.
Traditional
With the blessing of God
Sophia Christou
daughter of Nikos and Eleni Christou
and
Dimitri Papadakis
son of Yannis and Maria Papadakis
will celebrate their marriage
Saturday, the eighteenth of July
two thousand and twenty-six
at six o'clock in the evening
Holy Trinity Cathedral
Athens
Koumbaros: Andreas Stathakis
Reception to follow at Lake Vouliagmeni
Modern
Sophia and Dimitri
With the blessing of our families
Saturday 18 July 2026
6pm · Holy Trinity Cathedral, Athens
Reception · Lake Vouliagmeni
Avoid: Don't translate Orthodox terms (koumbaros, stefana, krestnyy) into English if your guests are family — the traditional terms are part of the document's authenticity. Provide a glossary on your wedding website instead.
Jewish
Jewish invitations traditionally begin in Hebrew and Aramaic with phrases like "B'siman tov" ("with a good sign") or "B'ezrat Hashem" ("with God's help"), then continue in the local language. Both sets of parents are usually named first. The ceremony date is given in both Gregorian and Hebrew calendars.
Traditional
B'siman tov
Together with their parents
David and Sarah Cohen
Aaron and Rachel Goldberg
joyfully invite you to celebrate
the marriage of their children
Maya
&
Noah
on Sunday, the twenty-eighth of June
two thousand and twenty-six
corresponding to the 13th of Tammuz, 5786
at five o'clock in the afternoon
Park Avenue Synagogue
New York
Dinner and dancing to follow
Modern
Maya and Noah
together with our families
joyfully invite you
Sunday, June 28, 2026 · 5pm
Park Avenue Synagogue, New York
Dinner and dancing to follow
Avoid: Don't omit the Hebrew calendar date if you're holding a religious ceremony — it's traditional and signals the religious nature of the event. Even a small subtitle ("13 Tammuz 5786") matters to observant guests.
Muslim
Muslim invitations traditionally open with "Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim" ("In the name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful") or a Quranic verse (Ar-Rum 30:21 is common). The ceremony is called Nikah; the reception, Walima. Both events are usually separate invitations.
Traditional
Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim
And among His signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves,
that you may dwell in tranquility with them,
and He has put love and mercy between your hearts. — Ar-Rum 30:21
Together with their families
Layla Rahman
&
Omar Hassan
request the honour of your presence
at their Nikah ceremony
Saturday, the twenty-second of August
two thousand and twenty-six
at four o'clock in the afternoon
Regent's Park Mosque
London
Walima reception to follow at The Dorchester
6pm
Modern
Bismillah
Layla & Omar
together with our families, invite you to celebrate our Nikah and Walima
Saturday, August 22, 2026
Regent's Park Mosque, London
4pm Nikah · 6pm Walima at The Dorchester
Avoid: Don't print images of people in religious invitations sent to conservative family members — opt for typography, geometric ornament or calligraphic motifs. Keep separate visual treatments for the Walima reception invitation if guests differ.
Hindu
Hindu invitations open with "Shubh Vivah" (auspicious marriage) or with a Ganesha invocation ("Shree Ganeshay Namah"). Both parents' names appear, often with patronymics. The invitation typically lists multiple events: Mehndi, Sangeet, Haldi, Baraat, ceremony, reception — sometimes across two or three days.
Traditional
॥ श्री गणेशाय नमः ॥
Shree Ganeshay Namah
With the blessings of the Almighty
and the elders of our families
Mr & Mrs Rajesh Mehta
of New Delhi
joyfully announce the marriage of their daughter
Ananya
to
Arjun
son of Mr & Mrs Vikram Sharma
of Mumbai
You are cordially invited to bless the couple
Mehndi & Sangeet · Friday, 9 October 2026 · 6pm · The Leela
Haldi · Saturday, 10 October 2026 · 11am · The Leela
Baraat · Saturday, 10 October 2026 · 6pm · The Leela
Wedding Ceremony & Reception · Saturday, 10 October 2026 · 7:30pm · The Leela
Modern
Shree Ganeshay Namah
Ananya & Arjun
With the blessings of our families
10 October 2026 · The Leela, New Delhi
Mehndi 9 Oct · Haldi 10 Oct AM · Baraat & Wedding 10 Oct PM
Avoid: Don't list the events out of order or skip one — Hindu weddings have a precise ritual sequence (Mehndi → Sangeet → Haldi → Baraat → Ceremony). Guests memorise the order; messing it up reads as careless.
Sikh
Sikh invitations open with "Ik Onkar" (one Creator) or "Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh". The wedding ceremony is called Anand Karaj ("blissful union") and takes place in a Gurdwara during morning hours. Distinct from the reception.
Traditional
॥ ਇੱਕ ਓਅੰਕਾਰ ॥
Ik Onkar
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh
With the blessings of Waheguru
and the elders of our families
we joyfully invite you to bless
the Anand Karaj of
Simran Kaur
daughter of S. Harpreet & Mrs Gurmeet Singh
with
Karanveer Singh
son of S. Davinder & Mrs Manjit Singh
Sunday, the fifteenth of November
two thousand and twenty-six
at nine o'clock in the morning
Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib
Delhi
Reception to follow at Taj Palace · 7pm
Modern
Ik Onkar
Simran & Karanveer
With Waheguru's blessings and our families'
Anand Karaj · Sunday 15 November 2026 · 9am
Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Delhi
Reception · Taj Palace · 7pm
Avoid: Don't combine Anand Karaj and a non-Sikh ceremony on the same invitation if some guests will only attend one — issue separate invitations with clear instructions.
Buddhist
Buddhist weddings are notably less formulaic than Abrahamic traditions — Buddhism doesn't have a specific marriage rite. Invitations typically open with a simple blessing ("May you find peace and joy together") and focus on the celebration of the couple's commitment.
Traditional
With grateful hearts
and the blessings of our families
we joyfully invite you to celebrate
the marriage of
Mei Lin Chen
and
Hiroshi Tanaka
Saturday, the fourth of April
two thousand and twenty-six
at three o'clock in the afternoon
followed by a blessing ceremony with the monks of
Wat Pho
Bangkok
Reception to follow at The Siam · 7pm
Modern
Mei & Hiroshi
With our families' blessings
Saturday, April 4, 2026 · 3pm
Ceremony & blessing at Wat Pho, Bangkok
Reception · The Siam · 7pm
Avoid: Don't impose Christian or Western invitation conventions on a Buddhist ceremony — phrases like "in holy matrimony" or "with God's blessing" don't fit. Lean into the celebration angle.
Civil
Civil ceremonies (city hall, courthouse, registry office) call for the simplest invitations. The phrase is "the pleasure of your company" (not "the honour of your presence" — that's reserved for religious ceremonies). Many couples now send the civil ceremony invitation only to immediate family and a separate reception invitation to the wider guest list.
Traditional
Sophie and Marc
joyfully invite you to celebrate
the registration of their marriage
Friday, the seventeenth of April
two thousand and twenty-six
at three o'clock in the afternoon
Mairie du 6ème
Paris
followed by an apéritif at Café de Flore
Modern
Sophie & Marc
are tying the knot
Friday, April 17, 2026
3pm · Mairie du 6ème, Paris
Apéro to follow at Café de Flore
Avoid: Don't use "the honour of your presence" for a civil ceremony — it specifically signals a religious service. Civil ceremonies use "the pleasure of your company".