Do you write guest names on wedding invitations?

As a wedding stationer, this is something I get asked a lot. Do you write guest names on wedding invitations? Or do you put their names on the envelope? My short answer is yes I always recommend you write guest names on wedding invitations. Writing the guest names on the wedding invitation clarifies exactly who is invited (and who isn’t!). Here’s my advice on the subject of guest names on wedding invitations.

Why is it important to write guest names on wedding invitations?

When your invitation arrives with your guest, it needs to be clear who it is addressed to. Imagine if the invitation is going to a household with several people, some of whom may be children. If the invitation does not state that only the parents are invited, then they may assume that the children can come along too. Of course, you may be welcoming little ones on your big day. Or you may not. My point is that writing the guest names on the invitation will avoid any confusion.

Are you worried that, even with guest names on the invitation, your guests will not get the message about ‘no children’.
Have a read of my blog here with some suggestions for additional wording that will clarify this.

Read my blog ‘How to say no children’

What about ‘plus ones’ where I don’t know their names?

You should always do all you can to find out the names of any ‘plus ones’ you are inviting. But, when it’s just not possible it is perfectly acceptable to add “and guest” after the guest’s name. E.g. Joanne and guest.

How do you write guest names on the invitation?

Whether you use first names, full names, or formal names and titles will depend on the formality of your invitations. You will also need to think about who the invitation is coming from (you, parents, someone else). I have talked about this at length in another blog post.

Read my blog ‘How to address your wedding invitations’

Can’t we just put the guest names on the envelope?

Yes, you can. But, what happens to the envelope when the invitation arrives and is opened? It gets recycled, and those names are no longer visible. If your guests haven’t made a note of the names on the envelope they will likely forget, or maybe didn’t even notice.

Where do you write the guest names on wedding invitations?

When I lay out the text for your wedding invitations I will leave a space in the right place for you to write the guest names in. I can print a line if you like, to help you keep it all neat and tidy. Here is an example of where you would write guest names on your wedding invitations.

Together with their families,
Joanne & Richard
would be delighted if
GUEST NAMES GO HERE
would join them to celebrate their
Marriage
at
Wedding venue, location
on
Saturday, 24th August 2025
at 12 o’clock

Read my blog ‘Ideas for wording your wedding invitations’

But my handwriting is awful, I don’t want to spoil the invitation by writing guest names on it

If you want to avoid handwritten names on your invitations, I can print them for you (and the addresses on the envelopes if you like!). I’ll just need you to send me a list, typed as you want them printed, and fully spellchecked. I’ll do the rest.

What if I don’t want to write guest names on the invitations?

It’s OK. Sending invitations without guest names is perfectly fine if you are sure the recipient will understand exactly who is invited and there will be no confusion. Most evening invitations I make do not have guest names on them. They are worded in such a way that the names will go onto the envelope only. Here’s an example.

Together with their families,
Joanne & Richard
would be delighted if you
would join them at an
Evening Reception
to celebrate their marriage
at
Wedding venue, location
on
Saturday, 24th August 2025
at 7 o’clock

In short, it’s always best to write guest names on wedding invitations

I always recommend this, to avoid any confusion about who is invited and who isn’t. You can either have your invitations printed with a space and line for you to handwrite the guest names. Or you can ask your stationer to print the names for you. If you are sure there will be no confusion caused, you can word your invitations in a way that they do not need a guest name to be written. This is the most popular option for evening reception invitations.

If you want to find out more about wedding invitation etiquette and how to word your wedding invitations, I have a whole collection of blog posts with some great advice. Why not go and have a browse?