Writing wedding card messages that don’t sound cheesy

When someone you know gets engaged, you know it’s time to start thinking up some messages for invitations for wedding and birthday invitations that are genuine, witty and don’t sound like they came from a bad tv commercial. There are so many things to write to the bride and groom at different stages of the process, it can be hard to come up with fresh ideas for what to write in a wedding card. The difficulty of writing wedding card messages can, of course, be magnified five or ten times since wedding seem to come in waves!

We’ve got some messages lined up to help make it easy for you.

Write an engagement card

So you heard about a friends engagement! Whether you saw the hundreds of likes on Facebook, got an excited phone call, or received an engagement announcement or engagement party invites in the post, it’s a nice touch to send a card to say congratulations. It may seem a little old-fashioned, but if there’s ever a time to opt for the traditional route it’s when weddings are involved! If in doubt it’s a good idea to cover your bases and spread some love, but if they are a vague acquaintance and you think it will look like you’re angling for a wedding invite by getting in touch, trust your instincts.

On an engagement card you can keep things fairly brief (though if you want to take the opportunity to tell your friend why you adore them, I’m sure they won’t mind!), so just focus on letting them know that you are happy for them and excited about the news. Be cautious of writing anything that assumes that you will be invited to the wedding. Many people opt for family-only weddings or have to keep things smaller than they would like to cut costs, so keep that in mind when writing.

Examples of engagement card messages:

• Congratulations to an amazing friend and soon-to-be friend. Can’t wait to get to know him more.
• Can’t wait to have [fiance] join the family! You have made a wonderful choice and we couldn’t be more proud of you.
• Thank you for allowing us to share such a joyous occasion with you. Congratulations on your engagement, and all the best for the future.
• You two are perfect for one another, and it has been such a joy to watch you fall in love. We are looking forward to sharing the next stage of your journey with you. May it be full of joy and love always.
• We are absolutely delighted to hear the news! I’m sure your engagement will be just the beginning of a beautiful life together.
• Congratulations on the engagement! Your gift is that I won’t make you retell the proposal story again (but I will admire the ring!).
• I guess you could say things are getting pretty serious, then? Congrats on the engagement!
• Congrats on finally getting serious enough to have your partner mentioned in the family Christmas card.
• Congrats on the engagement! Can’t wait for wedding selfies and a quality wedding hashtag.
• Congratulations on your engagement! I will be coming up with a celeb-like couple name for the two of you, and you will be informed shortly.
• Congratulations on being the first engaged couple I haven’t blocked on Facebook.
• I’m so thrilled to hear about your engagement! You two are such wonderful people and I can’t think of a better pairing. So excited for what the coming years will bring!
• It’s about time, you two! Stoked to hear that you are tying the knot. Can’t wait to celebrate with you soon. All the love in the world.

Don’t forget to write an engagement party thank you card!

As a general rule you should always send thank you cards after somebody does something for you, and an engagement party is no exception. While it might feel like you’re the one that did something for them (by attending, and maybe giving a gift), they also organised and gave you a good time, food and drinks. It’s definitely best practice to say a quick thanks for all their hard work and let them know you had a great time.

Examples of engagement party thank you card messages:

• Thank you so much for inviting us to your engagement party. It was great to have a chance to catch up with family and friends and toast to the good times ahead. All the best with wedding planning.
• Congrats on hosting the party of the year! (Lucky your wedding isn’t until next year, or it wouldn’t have been in with a chance) Loved popping some champers and tearing up the dance floor with you guys, and can’t wait to do it all again soon.
• Thanks so much for having us at your engagement celebrations. We were so glad we could make it.
• It was such a joy to see you two so full of love at your engagement party, and I’ve no doubt it was only a small preview of how happy your wedding day will be! I can’t wait to be there to witness it.
• We just want to say thank you for letting us be part of your engagement celebrations. We had such a wonderful time! The food was delicious, the music was rocking, and most of all, the company was unbeatable.
• Wow, what a great night! Thanks so much for having me at your engagement party. I hope you had as much fun as I did!
• You threw such a great engagement party, you’ve got the wedding planning covered!
• Thank you for allowing us to toast your engagement last weekend. Good luck with all the wedding planning and preparation! Please don’t hesitate to call us if we can help with anything at all. We can’t wait to celebrate with you at the wedding.

Return your RSVP card with extra love

You shouldn’t have to worry too much about wording your RSVP cards, since the card will usually have options for you to tick. Despite this, it’s nice to include a note with the RSVP when you return it, even if it’s just written on the card itself. If you’re replying ‘yes’, just something like ‘So happy to be invited! Can’t wait to celebrate with you!’ will show you care. If you can’t attend, a more detailed note is preferable. Sometimes an RSVP date is specified but a response card is not included at all, so you may want to include these sample responses as part of a note on a blank notecard.

Examples of RSVP response card messages: 

• We are delighted to accept the invitation, and we really look forward to the big day!
• See you there! 
• Let the good times roll!
• Eep! Can’t wait to celebrate with you! xx
• Yes, yes, yes x1000!
• We will be there with bells on!
• Wouldn’t miss it for the world!
• Can’t wait!
• Excited to join the celebrations!
• Have you ever known me to turn down a party?
• It’s going to be the party of the year, wouldn’t miss it!
• So sorry we can’t make it!
• We are so sad to miss out on the celebrations!
• We’ll be thinking of you.
• I know, I know, I’m a terrible friend.
• Something better came up ;) Just kidding, of course. It kills me that I’m going to miss it!

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Say thank you for the Hens/Bucks party invite

Following the same principle as the engagement party, it’s often best to send a thank you card after the hens party, bucks party, kitchen tea or bridal shower. Whether or not this is entirely necessary depends on the formality of the event and the amount of organisation that was required to make it happen. If you’re hitting the beach or the dance floor you can probably get away without a card (though it’s always a classy touch), but if it’s a high tea or girls weekend it’s best to make your appreciation known. Remember to thank both the bride (or groom, as the case may be) and the person or people responsible for organising the event.

Examples of bachelor/bachelorette party thank you card messages:

• Wow, what an amazing weekend! Thank you so much for having me along!
• Thanks for all the organisation you put into the hens party. It was a great night and your work meant it went off without a hitch!
• The bachelorette party was the perfect practice run for the level of party we’re going to have next month at your wedding…if we recover in time!
• Thank you for such a lovely afternoon tea to celebrate your upcoming wedding. It was so great to meet so many of your friends and family members. I really enjoyed it, and I’m glad you invited me along.
• Best party ever for the best bride ever! I hope you had half as much fun as I did at your hens party.
• Thanks for having me at your bucks party! It was such a great night. Good luck with the last minute wedding prep, give me a shout if you need anything.

What to Write in a Wedding Card (if you’re going to the wedding)

Writing wedding invitation card messages can be difficult, but when it comes down to it, it really is your opportunity to get a bit sentimental and put words to feelings. The card should reflect what the couple mean to you. Since a wedding is such a watershed moment in somebody’s life, every wedding card should cover all three tenses:

• Past – Reflect on how you met your friend and their partner. You could remind them of the first time you met, or some key moments over the years that you’ve really appreciated their friendship. Whether you write about funny memories or more serious things, everyone likes to be reminded of the things they’ve experienced, enjoyed and been through together.

• Present – Let them know that you are excited to finally be at their wedding, and tell them how you are feeling (but only if that feeling is happy! This is not the place to tell them you are jealous or not sure about their choice of partner).

• Future – Give your best wishes for the future, tell them what you’re looking forward to and that you’ll be there for them. It’s also appropriate to pass on your best piece of marriage advice in the wedding card.

If you only know one of the two people getting married, it’s perfectly acceptable to address the card primarily to them and reference their partner only to tell them you’re looking forward to getting to know them more, or to let them know they got a good one.

Examples of wedding card messages:

Funny / Casual

• Wishing you love, joy and tenderness today and every day of your future.
• All the best to two wonderful people as you build your life together.
• A toast to the best pairing I’ve ever seen!
• You guys are so perfect together! Congratulations! Super happy for you both!
• It’s official! You’re stuck with one another! Congratulations on your wedding, and all the best for a future full of fun and adventures.
• Can’t wait to watch you two turn into the cutest little old married couple to ever live.
• Best wishes in your life ahead.
• Congratulations on your wedding! We are so happy for you and wish you all the love and happiness in the world. We love you both!
• Time has gone so quickly since we were silly thirteen-year-olds dreaming about our futures. It is so exciting to see some of those dreams coming to fruition today as you wed the love of your life. I think teenage you would be pretty happy. I wish I could go back and tell her it all works out okay, it would have saved you a lot of angst back then ;) All the love in the world, and may your marriage be as long and rich as our friendship has been.
• Welcome to the family [fiance]! We are overjoyed to have you join our crazy tribe. You’re just strange enough to fit right in.
• Lots of love and joy to both of you on this exciting day.
• Life will bring all sorts of things your way, but it’s all better with someone beside you to share it with. Congratulations on finding the perfect partner in crime.
• Congratulations! You’ve officially upgraded from Netflix and chill to Amazon Prime and commitment. Enjoy the ride!

Formal

• Thank you for allowing us to bear witness to your love and to this sacred moment in your lives.
• Love and marriage get better with each passing year. May all that you feel today be just the start.
• The warmest wishes and deepest congratulations on your wedding day.
• Congratulations on making this step together, and may your love see you through all life’s ups and downs.
• Wishing you both the happily-ever-after you deserve.
• Wishing you both a lifetime of shared dreams, laughter, and love. Congratulation on your wedding day.
• As you begin this new chapter together, may your love deepen and your bond strengthen. Congratulations on your wedding

What to Write in a Wedding Card (if you couldn’t attend)

Whatever the reason for not attending a wedding, it’s good etiquette to send a card of congratulations just before the wedding to make sure the couple knows you are thinking of them and celebrating with them. Being invited to the wedding in the first place is an honour, so it’s good to acknowledge that. You shouldn’t grovel or even necessarily apologise in the card, but you should let the couple know that you are disappointed to be missing out and that you love them.

Examples of wedding card messages in absentia:

• We hope you can feel our love and support even though we can’t be there.
• Congratulations on such an exciting day! We really wish we could be there to be part of it.
• With you in spirit on this special day.
• I’m sorry we couldn’t make the trip, but we are celebrating with you from afar.
• I hope you can feel that there are people across the world joining in your joy and celebrations.
• Wishing you both the best on this day. Can’t wait to see pictures and hear all about it.

What to Write in a Wedding Card (if you were not invited)

If someone you know is getting married, it’s definitely best to send a card even if you weren’t invited to the wedding. Remember that it’s extremely difficult to cut down a wedding guest list to a manageable number and weddings can be upwards of $100 per head, so if you didn’t get a wedding invitation don’t take it as a sign that the happy couple don’t care about you. They probably felt bad about not inviting you. Sending a card shows that you understand, that you are happy for them, and that you are sharing in their celebrations even though you won’t be present.

Examples of wedding card messages if you aren’t invited:

• Thinking of you both with love and joy on your wedding day.
• We hope you have a wonderful day celebrating with friends and family.
• I’m sure your wedding day will be everything you dreamed. Enjoy every moment!
• Trusting that you will make the most of every moment today, and that your future together will be a long and happy one.

Say Thank You Post-Wedding

Weddings are expensive and notoriously difficult to organise, so being invited to one is an honour and shouldn’t be taken for granted. The happy couple may be off on a honeymoon, but make sure you send a thank you card as soon as possible after the big day so you don’t forget about it.

Examples of wedding thank you card messages:

• Thank you so much for letting us share in such a joyful celebration of your love!
• Thank you for inviting me to share such an important day with you and your family. I had a wonderful time.
• It meant so much to me to be invited to your wedding, thank you.
• Thanks for inviting me to your wedding. It was an honour to witness such an important milestone.
• Your wedding was a once-in-a-lifetime day that you will remember for the rest of your life, and you sure made sure you will have something beautiful to look back on!
• It was an honour to be part of your special day. Congratulations, and I hope every day of your marriage is just as rich in love as the first one.
• Congrats on hosting the wedding of the year!
• Your wedding was such a perfect day. You both looked gorgeous, the food was delicious, and most importantly your love shone. Thank you for letting us be there to see it.
• Congratulations on finally being done with the wedding planning! It definitely paid off with a wedding day straight from the pages of Vogue. Enjoy settling back to normality.