The five things every invitation must say
Guests read an invitation in a few seconds, usually on their phone, and then they come back to it twice: once to reply and once on the day to find the venue. Wording that buries the time or the address under a long poem makes both of those moments harder.
Before you think about tone, check that your draft answers these, in this order. Then add warmth around them, not instead of them.
- The host line: who is inviting. Traditionally the parents, today often the couple, or both families together.
- The couple: full first names at least. On a formal card, full names; on a casual one, the names your guests call you.
- The date and time, written out: "Saturday, 12 December 2026, at four in the afternoon". Add the weekday; people plan by weekdays.
- The venue: the name and the full address, plus a map link on an online invitation.
- The reply: by when, and how. "Please reply by 30 November" is clearer than "RSVP soon".
Formal wording
Formal wording suits a church or hotel ceremony, an older guest list, or families who expect it. It is written in the third person, spells out the date and time, and avoids abbreviations. "The honour of your presence" is traditionally used for a religious ceremony and "the pleasure of your company" for a civil ceremony or reception, though few guests will notice the difference today.
Mr and Mrs David Tran request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Linh Tran to Nam Nguyen Saturday, the twelfth of December, two thousand twenty-six at four o’clock in the afternoon Rose Garden Hotel, 8 Lake Road, Hanoi Reception to follow
Linh Tran and Nam Nguyen request the pleasure of your company at their wedding Saturday, 12 December 2026, at four in the afternoon Rose Garden Hotel, Hanoi Kindly reply by 30 November
Casual and modern wording
A relaxed invitation sounds like you. It can use first names, a joke, or a line about how you met, as long as the practical details are still easy to find. Keep the fun in the first two lines and the facts in a plain block underneath, so a guest scanning for the time does not have to read a paragraph.
If your guest list mixes close friends and older relatives, aim for warm rather than jokey. A line that makes your friends laugh can confuse an aunt reading a translation in her head.
We’re getting married! Linh & Nam would love you to celebrate with us. Saturday 12 December, 4 pm Rose Garden Hotel, Hanoi Dinner, music and too much cake to follow. Tell us you’re coming by 30 November.
After seven years, two cities and one very patient cat, Linh & Nam are making it official. Come eat, dance and witness it: Saturday 12 December, 4 pm, Rose Garden Hotel, Hanoi. Reply by 30 November so we save you a seat.
When both families host
In many families, especially Vietnamese, Chinese and Korean ones, the parents of both the bride and the groom invite together, and each family may hold its own ceremony and reception on different days or in different cities. The invitation then names both sets of parents and, often, gives separate times for each side.
This is where an online invitation is easier than paper: instead of printing two versions, you make one page with a Groom’s side tab and a Bride’s side tab. Each tab shows that family’s ceremony, venue and time. You send the groom’s relatives a link that opens on their tab and the bride’s relatives one that opens on theirs (the link ends in ?side=groom or ?side=bride), and anyone can switch tabs to see the other side.
Mr and Mrs Minh Nguyen and Mr and Mrs David Tran together with their children Nam and Linh invite you to celebrate their marriage Saturday, 12 December 2026 Groom’s family reception: 11 am, Nguyen family home, Bac Ninh Wedding dinner: 6 pm, Rose Garden Hotel, Hanoi
Bilingual wording
When half your guests read English and half read another language, put the two versions next to each other rather than translating word for word. Translate the meaning and keep each version natural: a formal Vietnamese invitation and a formal English one use different phrases to show the same respect.
Keep the facts identical. Names, the date, the time and the address should match exactly in both versions, and numbers should use one format. Write "12 December 2026" and "12/12/2026" side by side only if you are sure no guest will read it as a different day. Our guide to bilingual invitations has full examples.
RSVP lines and the small print
The reply line is the one most invitations get wrong. Give a date, about three weeks before the wedding, and tell guests what you need: whether they are coming, how many people, and anything about food. On an online invitation the reply form asks for this, so the line can simply say "Please reply below by 30 November".
Small print belongs at the end, short: dress code, parking, whether children are invited, and a gift note if you want one. Many couples now add a bank QR code for guests who cannot attend and want to send a gift. Keep it gentle: "If you would like to send a gift from afar, our details are below" reads better than a bare account number.
- Dress code: "Garden formal: light colours welcome."
- Children: "We love your little ones, but this will be an adults-only evening."
- Plus-ones: name exactly who is invited on each personal link instead of explaining rules.
- Gifts: "Your presence is our gift. If you wish to send something from afar, a QR code is below."
What changes on an online invitation
A paper card has to fit everything on one face. A link does not, so the invitation itself can stay short and the page underneath does the rest: a countdown, the schedule of the day, the venue on a map with directions, the reply form, your photos, and the gift QR code. Guests tap once to add the date to their calendar.
The opening also changes. On Perlink the invitation can be a sealed letter that each guest taps to open, greeting them by name ("For Uncle Hai") when you send them their own link. Music starts as they open it. Because the wording sits in the letter, you can fix a typo or change the time after sending, and every guest sees the new version on the same link.