Traditional Christian Wedding Invitations

The wedding invitation card can seem fraught with mystery and confusion. When do you send out invitations? What information do you need to include? How should you word your invitations?

This is true for all wedding invitations—but especially for Christian Wedding invitations. Many couples feel unsure about how to word the wedding card itself, how to incorporate their religious beliefs into their invitations, or what sort of information should be included at all, as there seem to be so many different ways to ask guests to attend your wedding. For Christian weddings, the invitation is also the first opportunity for a couple to share their religious hopes and dreams for their marriage with their guests, and let their guests know that this will be a religious event. It is both important in setting the tone for the wedding, and in preparing guests for what to expect.

It’s a lot to consider! Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about traditional Christian wedding invitations (along with Bible verses you may want to consider including on your invites):

In the Beginning Was the Word

The traditional Christian wedding invitation card can be worded in several ways. While the actual Christian wedding invitation wording usually follows the general etiquette for wedding invitations—especially when it comes to the particulars of listing the host or hosts, the venue, and reception details—the Christian wedding ceremony can be indicated in several additional ways.

Request ‘The Honour of Their Presence’

Invitations that request ‘The Honour of Your Presence’ will indicate to your guests that this will be a formal religious ceremony in a church (the British spelling of honour in a wedding invitation is used almost exclusively with this meaning).

The invitation wording may read as:

Hosts request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their children bride and groom as they seek God’s blessing on their union.

Following formal guidelines for which lines should include which details, this sort of wedding invitation would read as:

*Anne Smith Charles and David Charles
Request the honour of your presence
At the wedding ceremony in which their daughter
Mary Claire
And
David Lawrence
Will become united as one in Christ
On (date)
At (time)
(venue) *

Catholic weddings where a mass will take place should generally indicate that there will be a Nuptial Mass where the couple will be united in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. Some options include:

• (The hosts) request the honour of your presence at the Nuptial Mass at which (Bride and Groom) will be united in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.

• (The hosts) invite you to share in their joy at the Nuptial Mass uniting (Bride and Groom) in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.

• (The hosts) request the honour of your presence at the Nuptial Mass uniting their daughter to (groom) in the sacrament of holy matrimony.

Don’t Be Afraid to Use Faithful Language

The Christian wedding is not just the union of two people under a secular legal contract, but rather a religious ceremony uniting two people in Christ. These are some examples of invitation language that include traditional Christian wording:

• (Bride and Groom) together with (hosts) invite you to share in their joy as they are united in the Lord Jesus Christ on (date) at (venue).

• We invite you to worship with us as we join together in the Lord Jesus Christ and ask for His presence in our new life together in marriage on (date) at (venue).

• In the spirit of Christian joy
  (Bride and Groom)
  Will vow their lives to one another
  On (date)
  We invite you to join us in asking God’s blessing
  Upon this holy union at (time)
  (venue)

The Inclusion of Bible Verses or Religious Quotes

The inclusion of a meaningful Bible verse or other religious quote can add a personal touch to a traditional Christian wedding invitation, although the scripture should be easily grasped by someone who might not have the biblical context. While it’s tempting to include a longer passage, the ideal quote would fit elegantly on the invitation. Longer passages are often better suited for wedding vows or readings at the ceremony. (If you do want to include a longer verse—for example, one of your favorite Bible verses—consider incorporating it on a separate insert card that you send with your wedding invitations.)

There are many translations of different verses, of course, so consider several different options before choosing the translation that best captures the meaning you want to convey.

Some meaningful Bible verses for wedding include:

Verses on love

1. Psalms 118:24. “This was the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.”

2. Corinthians 13:4-8. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away."

3. Ephesians 4:2. "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."

4. Corinthians 13:13. "And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."

5. Peter 4:8. "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sin."

6. John 4:18-19. "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us."

7. Corinthians 16:14. "Do everything in love."

8. Song of Solomon 8:10. "Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away."

9. Corinthians 13:1-3. "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."

10. Song of Solomon 8:6-7 (Song of Songs 8:6-7). "Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised."

11. Romans 13:8. "Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law."

12. Proverbs 3:3-4. "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man."

13. Proverbs 10:12. "Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs."

14. Colossians 3:14-17. "And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Verses on marriage and relationships

Song of Solomon 2:16. “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.”

15. Song of Solomon 3:4. “I have found the one whom my soul loves.”

16. Psalms 126:3. “The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.”

17. Ephesians 5:25. "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her."

18. John 3:18. "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."

19. Genesis 2:18-24. "Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him." Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, 'This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.' Therefore a young man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."

20. Hebrews 10:24-25. "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

21. Genesis 1:27-28. "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'"

22. Ruth 1:16-17. "But Ruth said, 'Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.'

23. Ecclesiastes 4:12. "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

24. Ecclesiastes 4:9. "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor…"

25. Mark 10:9. "Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."

26. Psalm 143:8. "Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul."

27. John 15:12. "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."

28. Song of Solomon 4:9 (Song of Songs 4:9). "You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride; you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace."

29. Isaiah 54:10. "'For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,' says the Lord, who has compassion on you."

30. Proverbs 31:10-12. "A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life."

The Wedding Invitation Design

The wedding invitation should reflect the event and the wishes of the couple. This means that a casual, photo-laden invitation covered in polka dots might seem an odd backdrop for a formally worded wedding invitation. Make sure that the wording fits the layout of your invitation. If the invitation is all design and there won’t be space for the Bible quote you love, then it’s not the right choice for you.

• For something clean and classic, consider invitations with elegant and richly pigmented borders, such as the Blake design at Zola.

• For rustic wedding invitations, consider something floral and bold, such as our Kenton suite.

• An artistic or unusual wedding invitation can stand out in all the right ways, and one like the Larimer bright and edgy design could be right for you.

Give Your Guests All the Information They Need

The wedding invitation, for all its pomp and circumstance, is supposed to give guests the information they need about attending your wedding. For a traditional Christian wedding, it’s useful to consider if there are other aspects of attendance that your guests might need to know. For example, if modest attire is required inside the church, then indicate that to your guests. If guests will be required to participate in the religious ritual in some way, then mention that too. Some guests might not be familiar with religious weddings or religious communities, and you want them to be prepared for their role on your big day.

The traditional Christian wedding invitation is a beautiful opportunity to share the religious nature of your celebration with your guests. The wording should be faithful, informative, and reflect the spirit of the union that the couple seeks on their wedding day. The design should reflect this spirit too. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about sending out traditional Christian wedding invitations.