Free Wedding Invitation Templates

What Is a Wedding Invitation?

A Wedding Invitation is a formal request sent by the engaged couple or wedding coordinator to the person whose presence is welcome at the wedding.

Alternate Name:

• Wedding Invite.

Making and sending invitations is one of the crucial elements of wedding planning - unless you only want to see your parents and best friends at the upcoming party, you need to specify the date and the venue of the event weeks or even months before it takes place to let the invitation recipient reschedule their plans and be free on one of the most important days of your life to share your happiness.

You may see a full list of Wedding Invitation templates by checking out our library below.

What to Say on a Wedding Invitation?

Here are the Wedding Invitation ideas you may use when composing an invite for yourself and your future spouse or for the couple that has hired you as a wedding planner or coordinator:

1. Write down the title of the invitation or say "Save the Date!" Indicate the names of the people who are about to marry. Use calligraphy fonts for these words and make them bigger in comparison with the other details on the invite.
2. Even if you are close with the invitation recipient, it is appropriate to adopt a uniform and formal Wedding Invitation wording and avoid sounding casual and vague. Refer to the addressee by their name and tell them you are kindly requesting their presence at the upcoming wedding event or that you want them to bear witness to the wedding.
3. Record the venue, date, and time of the event. If it is a remote location, provide the directions or insert a small map to ensure the guest knows how to find the venue.
4. You may briefly describe the plan of the gathering - it can a religious ceremony, a dinner, a dance party, or all of these at once. This will help the guest to decide what to wear to the wedding to feel comfortable and look proper.
5. Ask the prospective guest to reply to the invite - since you are sending it weeks in advance, they can have a week or two to determine whether it is possible for them to attend.
6. Include your contact information - the recipient can reach out to the engaged couple directly or call or write to the wedding planner and tell them they can or cannot join the celebration.

Since the average Wedding Invitation cost is between $500 and $1000 on most occasions, you should consider reducing your expenses especially if the wedding budget is limited. There are different ways to create a unique Wedding Invitation and save the money you can spend elsewhere:

1. Use traditional colors associated with the wedding for your design - white, pink, beige, gold are rarely a miss. The ornaments and patterns are usually minimal - add pictures of flowers, rings, or bells to decorate the invite.
2. Opt for a minimalistic design - the information you want the potential guest to know can be framed by the drawings and ribbons you find online and insert into the invitation using photo editing software.
3. The most common Wedding Invitation size is around 5x7 inches - if it is a rectangular card. In case you believe an invitation in the shape of the greeting card is the best option, go for it; as long as the invitation contains all the details and looks pleasing to the eye, its shape does not matter.
4. The invitation should be printed on the card stock - traditional Wedding Invitation paper. It is thicker and heavier, and the texture of the paper can be different depending on your wishes: smooth, glossy, coated.

How to Decline a Wedding Invitation?

Follow these steps to politely say no to a Wedding Invite:

1. Do not waste the time of the bride and groom - once you received the card or letter, you need to decide quickly if you are able to attend the party. Since there is usually a deadline for a reply, make sure you respond within the established time period to let the happy couple plan their event and calculate the expenses.
2. There is no need to make up an excuse if you do not have a valid reason to miss the celebration. Even if you simply do not want to join the gathering, you can always mention a previous engagement that prevents you from coming to the wedding. If you are very close with the couple and the reason for your absence is legitimate, you may state it in writing.
3. Congratulate the bride and the groom with the upcoming wedding - write down your best wishes for the couple in love. To ensure you enjoy a good relationship with these people despite your unavailability on the day of the wedding celebration, send them a gift choosing from one of the items they have listed on the wedding registry.

How to Address Wedding Invitation Envelopes?

If you are using traditional mail to send multiple Wedding Invitations, you need to address them properly:

1. It is customary to use "Mr.", "Mrs.", or "Ms." depending on the marital status of the recipient. If the guest is a female minor, use "Miss."
2. In case the guest has a distinguished title or is a doctor, use "Doctor," "Reverend," "Judge," or "Captain."
3. If you are inviting a married couple or multiple members of the same family, you can say "The Johnson Family." People that share a residence can also receive one invitation - mention all their names to show respect.

Haven't found the template you're looking for? Take a look at the related templates below:

• Invitation Templates;
• Party Invitation Templates;
• Card Templates.