If you're having a typical British wedding, you probably have two guest lists. Your day guests join you for the ceremony, the drinks reception and the wedding breakfast. Your evening guests arrive later for the first dance, the buffet and the party. Both deserve a lovely invitation, but they don't need the same one.
What a day invitation should include
- Your names, and who is hosting if that matters to you ("Together with their families" is a popular, modern choice).
- The date, written out in full, and the day of the week.
- The venue name and full address, including the postcode for sat navs.
- The arrival time and the ceremony time. Give an arrival time 30 to 45 minutes before the ceremony so nobody walks in behind the bride.
- How and when to reply: an RSVP date and where to send it.
- Meal choices, if your venue needs them in advance, plus a place for dietary requirements and allergies.
Venues usually want final numbers and meal choices a few weeks before the day. Set your RSVP date a couple of weeks before your venue's deadline so you have time to chase the stragglers.
What an evening invitation should include
- Your names and a warm line such as "invite you to join them for their evening celebration".
- The date and venue, exactly as on the day invitation.
- The evening start time, and a finish time if there is one ("7pm until late" is perfectly fine).
- How and when to reply. Evening guests don't need meal choices, but you still need numbers for the evening food and the bar.
Wording the evening invitation kindly
Evening guests sometimes worry they're on the "B list". Keep the tone just as warm as the day invitation, use the same design, and avoid phrases that draw attention to it, such as "evening only". "We'd love you to join us to celebrate in the evening" says everything it needs to.
Children, plus-ones and households
Be clear about who is invited. Name every person on the invitation, including children if they are welcome. If you're having an adults-only day, say so gently on the invitation rather than leaving guests to guess. A reply form that lets one person answer for their whole household saves a lot of back and forth.
Collecting replies without the chasing
The hardest part of invitations isn't designing them, it's getting everyone to reply. Keep a guest list with every name on it, and tick people off as their replies arrive so you can see at a glance who still needs a nudge. Digital invitations make this much easier because replies arrive instantly and in one place. See how it works in our live demo.