Eloped, married at the courthouse, or keeping the ceremony to twelve people? Twelve invitations that tell guests plainly they are invited to the celebration — and that they haven't missed anything they were meant to attend.
The past tense does the work: “were married” tells guests there is no ceremony to attend, and the invitation is for the party.
Sofia Almeida and Andrew Kealoha were married on the fourteenth of February two thousand twenty-seven and request the pleasure of your company at a reception in celebration Saturday, the fifteenth of May at half after six in the evening The Beaumont Hotel Savannah, Georgia
We eloped! Now let's have the party. Sofia & Andrew Kealoha Saturday, May 15, 2027 at 6:30pm The Beaumont Hotel Savannah, Georgia Dinner, dancing, and the photos you missed
Married quietly on February 14. Celebrating loudly on May 15. Please join Sofia and Andrew Saturday, May 15, 2027 · 6:30pm The Beaumont Hotel, Savannah GA Reception only — no ceremony, all the cake
Mr. and Mrs. Victor Almeida request the pleasure of your company at a reception in celebration of the marriage of their daughter Sofia Isabel to Mr. Andrew Kealoha Saturday, the fifteenth of May two thousand twenty-seven at half after six in the evening The Beaumont Hotel Savannah, Georgia
Miriam and Jonah are married! Come celebrate with us. Sunday, July 4, 2027 at 11:00am Ridgeway Brewing Co. Chicago, Illinois Brunch reception · No ceremony, just brunch RSVP by June 1
A wedding happened. A party is overdue. Nadia & Elias, married November 2026 Saturday, May 15, 2027 · 7pm The Fern Room, Montreal Drinks, dinner, dancing — come as you are
Set the reception field and the generator words the celebration line for you — plus a text version for the guests you'd rather message.
When a handful of guests attend the ceremony and everyone else comes to the reception, the wording has to be gracious about the split — without making anyone feel like the second tier.
Following a small family ceremony Annika Lindqvist and Samuel Cole request the pleasure of your company at their wedding reception Saturday, the third of October two thousand twenty-seven at seven o'clock in the evening Kettle Hollow Farm Asheville, North Carolina Dinner and dancing
We're saying our vows with our parents in the room, and celebrating with everyone we love that evening. Annika & Samuel Reception: Saturday, October 3, 2027 at 7pm Kettle Hollow Farm Asheville, North Carolina Please reply by September 1
Priya and Kwame invite you to their wedding reception Saturday, August 22, 2027 Doors at 6:00, dinner at 7:00 The Old Chapel at Fairmount Providence, Rhode Island A private ceremony will be held earlier that day
Marianne and Julian were married at City Hall on Friday, the second of October and request the pleasure of your company at dinner in celebration Saturday, the third of October two thousand twenty-seven at seven o'clock in the evening The Ashcroft Estate Hudson, New York
Small ceremony. Large dinner. Ana & Marcus, married at sunrise Saturday, September 18, 2027 Reception from 5:00pm Kettle Hollow Farm, Asheville NC Bring an appetite and comfortable shoes
You are invited to the wedding celebration of Rowan Avery and Devon Carrow Sunday, the sixth of June two thousand twenty-seven at half after six in the evening The Conservatory Portland, Oregon The couple were married in a private ceremony earlier this spring
Every problem with reception-only invitations comes from ambiguity. These five remove it.
“Were married on the fourteenth of February” is the clearest signal there is. Guests understand instantly that they are invited to a celebration and have not missed an invitation to a ceremony.
An invitation headed “The wedding of Sofia and Andrew” with only an evening time gets guests turning up at two o'clock looking for a ceremony. Name the event for what it is.
The only time on the card should be the time you want guests to arrive. If a private ceremony happens earlier, mention it without a time.
“Following a small family ceremony” is enough. Longer justifications read as apologies and invite guests to wonder whether they were meant to be at the ceremony.
If some guests are invited to both the ceremony and the reception, they get a full wedding invitation. Reception-only guests get this card. Never send one card that describes both and hopes people work out which applies to them.
All three end with a guest arriving at the wrong time or feeling second-choice.
Printing “ceremony 2:00pm, reception 6:00pm” on a reception-only card is unkind and confusing. If they are not invited to the ceremony, its time does not belong on their invitation.
Nobody couldn't be there — they weren't invited, which is a legitimate choice you do not owe anyone an apology for. Write the invitation forward-looking and warm.
Guests find out at the reception, and the ones who bought ceremony outfits feel foolish. The past tense at the top of the card is not a confession; it is information.
Set the reception field to how your day works, and put your celebration time in the time field — the wording follows.
A phone number, a website, or “reply to this text.”
Lead with the marriage in the past tense and invite guests to the celebration: “Sofia Almeida and Andrew Kealoha were married on the fourteenth of February and request the pleasure of your company at a reception in celebration.” The past tense is what tells guests there is no ceremony to attend.
No, and it is extremely common — small ceremonies with large parties are now the norm rather than the exception. It becomes awkward only when the invitation is vague about which event the guest is invited to, or when a ceremony time appears on a card for guests who aren't invited to it.
One short clause at most: “following a small family ceremony.” Anything longer reads as an apology and invites guests to wonder about their place on the list. Confidence in the wording sets the tone for the evening.
Many do, and gift wording stays off the invitation either way. Put registry details on your wedding website, where guests who want them will look.
All three work, and “celebration” is the most flexible when the event doesn't look like a traditional reception. What matters is that the word is not “wedding” on its own, which guests read as a ceremony they are expected to attend.
Yes — reception invitations suit text especially well, because the guest list is often friends rather than distant relatives. Our text message wording page has versions written for a phone, and Text My Wedding collects the replies for you.
Text My Wedding sends your invitation by text, collects RSVPs and addresses automatically, and chases the stragglers for you. Try it free.
