Religious Wedding Invitation Wording: 32 Examples by Faith

Religious wedding invitation wording follows the faith's own conventions: who hosts, what the ceremony is called, and which sacred words, if any, open the invitation. A Catholic invitation names the Nuptial Mass, a Jewish one often adds the Hebrew date, a nikah invitation may begin with Bismillah, and a Sikh one with Ik Onkar.

Every verse below is quoted from a named source. The basics are in our wedding invitation wording guide.

Religious wedding invitation wording: three questions to ask first

Ask your officiant or family first:

1. What is the ceremony called, and who hosts? A Nuptial Mass, a nikah or walima, an Anand Karaj.
2. Which dates are possible? Not Shabbat for a Jewish wedding, not Great Lent for an Orthodox one; a Hindu ceremony follows the pandit's muhurat.
3. Which sacred words, in which translation and script? Or none at all.

Per the Emily Post Institute, "the honour of your presence" marks a house of worship and "the pleasure of your company" any other venue.

Catholic and Christian wedding invitation wording (6 examples)

Catholic wording names the sacrament and, at a Mass, the Nuptial Mass; Protestant wording names the church. Canon 1118 places a Catholic wedding in a parish church unless another place is permitted.

A Catholic Mass

1. Nuptial Mass, parents hosting

Mr. and Mrs. Paolo Bernardi
request the honour of your presence
at the Nuptial Mass uniting their daughter
Livia
and Matteo Rinaldi
Saturday, the ninth of October, at two o'clock
Church of the Holy Spirit, Charleston

2. Without a Mass, couple hosting

Livia Bernardi and Matteo Rinaldi
invite you to celebrate their marriage
in the Sacrament of Matrimony
Saturday, October 9, 2027, at 2 p.m.
Church of the Holy Spirit

A Protestant service

3. Parish church (formal)

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ashworth
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Eleanor Rose
to Mr. Lucien Marchetti
Saturday, the fifteenth of May, at three o'clock
Saint Mary's Church, Burford

4. Worship-led

Eleanor and Lucien invite you to worship with them
as they marry before God, family and friends
Saturday, May 15, 2027, at 3 p.m.
Grace Community Church, Austin

Scripture that sits well on an invitation

5. With Ecclesiastes 4:12

"A threefold cord is not quickly broken." Ecclesiastes 4:12 (KJV)
Grace Okafor and Daniel Mensah
invite you to their wedding
Saturday, June 26, 2027, at 1 p.m.
Bethel Methodist Church, Atlanta

6. With 1 Corinthians 13:13

"But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13 (WEB)
We're getting married, and we'd love you there
Grace and Daniel, June 26, 2027, Atlanta

More verses, quoted exactly from one translation:

Orthodox wedding invitation wording (3 examples)

Orthodox invitations name the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony or the Crowning, and often the sponsors: koumbaros or koumbara for Greeks, kum and kuma for Serbs. St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Greenville holds no weddings in Great Lent, Holy Week, August 1–15 or the Christmas fast.

7. Greek Orthodox, formal

Mr. and Mrs. Georgios Papadakis
and Mr. and Mrs. Nikolaos Vlachos
request the honour of your presence
at the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony uniting their children
Eleni and Konstantinos
Sunday, the twenty-sixth of September, at four o'clock
Saint Nicholas Church, Tarpon Springs
Koumbaros: Mr. Dimitrios Alexiou

8. Greek and English

Ο γάμος μας θα γίνει την Κυριακή 26 Σεπτεμβρίου 2027, στις 4 μ.μ.,
στον Ιερό Ναό Αγίου Νικολάου
Our wedding will take place on Sunday, September 26, 2027, at 4 p.m.,
at Saint Nicholas Church
Eleni & Konstantinos

9. Serbian Orthodox, the Crowning

Milica Petrović and Stefan Jovanović
invite you to their Betrothal and Crowning
Sunday, October 17, 2027, at 1 p.m.
Saint Sava Church, Milwaukee
Kum and kuma: Nikola and Jelena Marković

Jewish wedding invitation wording (4 examples)

Jewish wording usually names both sets of parents, joins the couple with "and" rather than "to", and adds the Hebrew date; traditional invitations also time the kabbalat panim (the reception before the ceremony) and the chuppah. No weddings fall on Shabbat or festivals, and many families avoid the Omer and the Three Weeks: in 2027, April 22 to June 11 and July 22 to August 12 (Hebcal). Customs vary: ask your rabbi.

10. Both families, formal

Sharon and Michael Gold
and Ruth and Benjamin Katz
invite you to the wedding of their children
Hannah and Eli
Sunday, the twentieth of June, two thousand twenty-seven
the fifteenth of Sivan, 5787
at five o'clock, Temple Emanu-El, Dallas

11. With Song of Songs 6:3

אני לדודי ודודי לי
"I am my beloved's / And my beloved is mine" Song of Songs 6:3 (JPS)
Hannah and Eli invite you to their wedding
Sunday, June 20, 2027, 15 Sivan 5787, 5 p.m., Dallas

Hebrew and English together

Write each language as a complete block.

12. Hebrew and English

בשעה טובה ומוצלחת
שרה ודוד אדלר · מרים ואהרן פלד
מתכבדים להזמינכם לשמחת נישואי ילדיהם
רבקה ויונה
שתתקיים אי״ה ביום ראשון, ט״ו בסיון תשפ״ז (20 ביוני 2027)
קבלת פנים 17:00 · חופה 18:00

At a good and auspicious hour
the Adler and Feld families are honored to invite you
to the marriage of their children, Rebecca and Jonah
Sunday, June 20, 2027, 15 Sivan 5787
Kabbalat Panim 5 p.m., Chuppah 6 p.m., Brooklyn

Hebrew dates

The Hebrew day begins at sunset, so a ceremony after dark takes the next day's Hebrew date, as in example 13.

13. Saturday night after Shabbat, with Jeremiah 33:11

קול ששון וקול שמחה קול חתן וקול כלה
"the sound of mirth and gladness, the voice of bridegroom and bride" Jeremiah 33:11 (JPS)
Naomi and Ari invite you to their wedding
Saturday, November 6, 2027, 7 Cheshvan 5788
Chuppah at 7:30 p.m., New York

Muslim wedding invitation wording: nikah, walima and contract ceremonies (5 examples)

The nikah is the marriage contract ceremony and the walima the wedding feast, traditionally given by the groom's family; Muslim invitations often open with Bismillah and speak in the parents' names. For Arabic phrasing, see Arabic wedding invitations.

Opening with Bismillah or a verse

14. Nikah invitation wording, parents hosting (formal)

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful
Mr. and Mrs. Karim Benali
request the honour of your presence at the Nikah of their daughter
Yasmine
with Idris, son of Mr. and Mrs. Omar Haddad
Saturday, September 18, 2027, at 11 a.m., Islamic Center, Perrysburg

15. With Quran 30:21

وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُمْ مَوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً
"and He placed between you affection and mercy" Quran 30:21 (Sahih International)
The Benali and Haddad families invite you to the marriage of Yasmine and Idris
Saturday, September 18, 2027: Nikah at 11 a.m., reception at 6 p.m.

Wording in the family's voice

16. Walima, groom's family

Mr. and Mrs. Omar Haddad
request the pleasure of your company at the Walima of their son
Idris and his bride, Yasmine
Sunday, September 19, 2027, at 7 p.m.

17. With the Hijri date

With the blessings of Hajja Fatima Benali
the Benali family invites you to the Nikah of Yasmine and Idris
insha'Allah, on Saturday, September 18, 2027 (17 Rabi' al-Thani 1449)

A moon-sighting calendar can differ by a day; check with your mosque.

Separate invitations for men and women

Where celebrations are separate, each gets its own invitation and guest list.

18. A ladies' celebration

Mrs. Layla Benali
invites you to the ladies' celebration of her daughter Yasmine's marriage
Saturday, September 18, 2027, from 8 p.m.
Ladies only, and no photographs, please.

Hindu and Sikh wedding invitation wording (5 examples)

Hindu invitations often open with an invocation to Ganesha and the elders' blessings, then list each ceremony; Sikh invitations open with Ik Onkar and name the Anand Karaj. More traditions: cultural wedding invitations.

A Ganesh invocation

19. Formal, with elders' blessings

॥ श्री गणेशाय नमः ॥
With the blessings of the late Shri Harish Mehta
Mr. and Mrs. Rajiv Mehta
cordially invite you to grace the auspicious occasion of the marriage of their daughter
Anaya
with Kabir Sethi
Saturday, December 4, 2027, Shubh Muhurat 7:42 p.m., Udaipur

20. Every ceremony, in order

Anaya and Kabir invite you to every celebration
Mehndi: Thursday, December 2, 4 p.m.
Sangeet: Friday, December 3, 8 p.m.
Baraat and Pheras: Saturday, December 4, from 6 p.m.
Reception: Sunday, December 5, 8 p.m.

Give each event its own section; see wedding weekend invitations.

21. Couple hosting (modern)

With the blessings of Lord Ganesha and our families
we invite you to our wedding
Anaya & Kabir, Saturday, December 4, 2027, Udaipur

Anand Karaj

The Anand Karaj takes place in a gurdwara before the Guru Granth Sahib and is completed by the four laavan, hymns by Guru Ram Das on Ang 773. It often follows the milni, the meeting of the two families.

22. Formal, with Ik Onkar

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
With the grace of Waheguru
Sardar and Sardarni Harjit Singh Gill
request the honour of your presence at the Anand Karaj of their daughter
Simran Kaur
with Arjun Singh Sandhu
Saturday, August 28, 2027: Milni 9 a.m., Anand Karaj 10 a.m.
Gurdwara Sahib, Fremont

23. With Gurbani

ਏਕ ਜੋਤਿ ਦੁਇ ਮੂਰਤੀ ਧਨ ਪਿਰੁ ਕਹੀਐ ਸੋਇ ॥
"They alone are called husband and wife, who have one light in two bodies." Guru Amar Das, Ang 788
Simran and Arjun invite you to their Anand Karaj
Saturday, August 28, 2027, 10 a.m., Fremont
Please bring a head covering.

Interfaith wedding invitation wording (4 examples)

Interfaith wording names both traditions or neither, and gives each equal weight.

24. Jewish and Catholic, two officiants

Rebecca Adler and Matthew Doyle invite you to their wedding
celebrated by Rabbi Dana Klein and Father Thomas Reilly
Sunday, May 23, 2027, at 4 p.m., Chicago

25. Hindu and Christian, two ceremonies

Priya Raman and James Whitfield
invite you to two ceremonies and one celebration
Hindu ceremony at 10 a.m., Christian ceremony at 3 p.m.
Saturday, April 17, 2027, Edison, New Jersey

26. Blended blessing

With the blessings of both our faiths and families
we, Leila and Tom, invite you to celebrate our marriage
Saturday, October 16, 2027, at 5 p.m., Portland

27. Both families, neutral venue

The Raman and Whitfield families
request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their children
Priya and James
Saturday, the seventeenth of April, at three o'clock

Civil and secular wedding invitation wording (5 examples)

A civil invitation uses "the pleasure of your company" or a modern line, with no sacred words. In France the town hall comes first: a minister who habitually marries couples without seeing their civil certificate commits an offense (Penal Code, art. 433-21).

28. City hall, formal

Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Reid
request the pleasure of your company at the civil marriage of their son
Callum
and Iris Weber
Friday, July 9, 2027, at eleven o'clock
San Francisco City Hall

29. Town hall, then church (France)

Aliénor and Gauthier invite you
to their civil wedding at Beaune town hall at 11 a.m.
and their church wedding at Notre-Dame at 3 p.m.
Saturday, June 12, 2027

30. Humanist celebrant

Iris and Callum invite you to a ceremony they wrote
led by their celebrant, Anna Lindqvist
Saturday, September 11, 2027, at 4 p.m., Paxos

31. Civil now, blessing later

We married quietly at the register office in March.
Now come celebrate: a blessing and a party
Saturday, June 5, 2027, at 6 p.m., Hudson, New York

32. Courthouse, then the party

Iris and Callum are getting married at the courthouse at noon
and celebrating with everyone at 7
Friday, May 7, 2027, Brooklyn

After a small ceremony, see elopement and courthouse wedding announcements.

Sacred texts on a digital invitation: placement and respect

Put one sacred line at the top, above the hosts, quoted exactly from one named translation with its reference. Keep it on a still screen, away from reply animations, and never paraphrase or trim a verse.

Some families avoid putting God's name or Quranic verses on paper that may be thrown away, and many observant Jews write בס״ד instead. Ask your officiant whether a screen changes that.

Ceremonial designs suit sacred wording, such as Enluminure, an illuminated leaf gilded at a touch. See all 43 designs.

EnluminureAn illuminated leaf, gilded and painted at a touchSee Enluminure

CathédraleSilk tulle, a single pearl, a cloister at dawnSee Cathédrale

GolestanA Persian rose garden on a scroll your guests unrollSee Golestan

JharokhaCarved jaali shutters pushed open, and mehndi that draws itselfSee Jharokha

Writing in two scripts: Hebrew, Arabic, Devanagari, Gurmukhi

Give each script its own block, checked by a native reader, and spell names the same way in both.

On a Veiloria invitation, each guest reads their own language automatically, and the layout turns right to left for Arabic, Hebrew, Farsi and Urdu. Switch our demo couple Yasmine and Idris's invitation to Arabic to see it. More layouts: bilingual wedding invitations.

Sources

All checked 19 October 2026.

• The Emily Post Institute, Formal Wedding Invitation Wording (archived copy of 1 January 2026).
• Code of Canon Law, Canon 1118.
• St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Greenville, Guidelines for Marriage.
• Hebcal: Hebrew dates and the 2027 calendar.
• Bible: KJV and WEB via bible-api.com; Hebrew and JPS via Sefaria.
• Quran 1:1 and 30:21, Sahih International, Quran.com; Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 773 and 788, BaniDB.
• Hijri date: Aladhan converter.
• French Penal Code, article 433-21.

Frequently asked questions