Wedding invitation wording: 12 templates that actually sound like you
From traditional and formal to modern and playful.
The wording on your wedding invitation is often the first real signal guests get of what kind of day to expect, and getting it right — formal or relaxed, traditional or entirely your own — sets the tone before a single RSVP comes back. It's easy to underestimate how much a few sentences can do: the same wedding, worded two different ways, can read as a black-tie occasion or a barn ceilidh with wellies optional, and guests will dress, travel and arrive with entirely different expectations depending on which impression they receive. Below are twelve templates covering the full range from properly traditional to unmistakably modern, all adaptable to Scottish weddings specifically.
Mix and match freely — most couples end up blending two or three of these to land on something that actually sounds like them, rather than adopting a single template wholesale. The goal is always the same regardless of tone: convey the facts clearly, and let a little of your actual personality come through in how you say it.
Traditional and formal
- "Mr and Mrs James Carmichael request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter Fiona to Mr Andrew Ross, on Saturday the 6th of June 2026, at St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh, followed by a reception at Prestonfield House."
- "Together with their families, Catriona MacLeod and Duncan Fraser request the honour of your presence at their marriage, on Saturday 12th September 2026, at 2 o'clock, Dunkeld Cathedral, Perthshire."
Modern and relaxed
- "We're getting married! Join us for cake, ceilidh and considerably too much whisky as Ellie and Ross tie the knot on 18th July 2026 at a coastal barn near St Andrews."
- "Ailsa & Ryan are finally making it official. Come and celebrate with us on Saturday 4th April 2026 at a country estate in Fife — kilts, confetti and dancing till late."
Playful and personal
- "After many years of arguing about who does the washing up, we've decided to make it legally binding. Please join Rachel and Tom as they get married on 22nd August 2026."
- "Two Munro-baggers are finally reaching the summit together. Please join Sophie and Callum for their wedding on 9th May 2026 at a castle on the Isle of Mull."
Blended and non-traditional families
- "With the love and support of their families, Emma Wilson and Craig Stewart invite you to celebrate their marriage on Saturday 14th November 2026 at The Balmoral, Edinburgh."
- "Lauren, together with her parents Susan and Mark, and Jack, together with his parents Helen and David, invite you to share in their wedding day, 7th June 2026, Loch Lomond."
For humanist and outdoor ceremonies
- "We're saying 'I do' under the open sky. Join Kirsty and Ben for their humanist wedding ceremony and celebration on 3rd August 2026 at a countryside farm in Perthshire — bring layers, the Scottish weather makes no promises."
- "Vows with a view: please join Hannah and Fergus as they marry on the shores of Loch Tay, 21st June 2026, followed by a barn ceilidh at Ardtalnaig."
Second weddings and elopements-turned-celebrations
- "Round two, and this time we mean it forever. Please join Morag and Steven as they celebrate their marriage with family and friends, 17th October 2026, The Cross at Kingussie."
Getting the practical details right
Whatever tone you choose, make sure the invitation clearly states the ceremony time and location, the reception venue if different, an RSVP deadline, and dress code if relevant — Highland dress requests should be stated explicitly, as "formal" alone won't prompt every guest to think of a kilt. If your ceremony is humanist or independently celebrant-led rather than in a registered venue, it's worth briefly noting the format so guests unfamiliar with Scottish marriage traditions know what to expect, particularly if they're travelling from outside Scotland and unfamiliar with how common humanist weddings have become here.
It's also worth thinking about how the wording carries through to any evening-only invitations, save-the-dates and order-of-service sheets, since a mismatch in tone between these pieces can be a little jarring — a very formal invitation followed by a jokey order of service, or vice versa, tends to read as inconsistent rather than deliberately varied.
Finally, proofread names, dates and venue spellings at least twice, and get someone outside the immediate family to check too — it's astonishingly easy to have a hundred invitations printed with the wrong date, and considerably harder to fix once they've gone out.