What to Write in a Wedding Card: 50 Messages and a Formula

Wedding cards are the ones people stare at longest, usually while a pen hovers over an expensive piece of card. The pressure is unnecessary: two warm sentences and a signature is a complete wedding card. Here are 50 original messages plus what to write when you barely know the couple.

Writing before the day? Send it in a free congratulations ecard so it arrives while they are still celebrating.

The wedding card formula

1. Congratulate them both, by name. “Congratulations, Priya and Tom” beats “Congratulations to the happy couple.”
2. Say one warm thing. About the day, about them together, or about being glad you were there.
3. Wish forward. A line about the marriage rather than the wedding — that is the part that lasts.

Congratulations, Priya and Tom! It was a genuinely lovely day and you both looked completely at home in it. Wishing you a marriage as good as the party. With love, Sam

Simple wedding wishes

1. Congratulations to you both! Wishing you every happiness.
2. Wishing you a lifetime of happiness together. Congratulations!
3. Congratulations on your wedding day — enjoy every moment.
4. So happy for you both. Congratulations!
5. Congratulations! Here is to the two of you.
6. Wishing you both all the love and luck in the world.
7. Congratulations on your marriage. What a wonderful day.
8. Congratulations! Wishing you many happy years ahead.
9. So delighted for you both. Congratulations!
10. Congratulations to the newlyweds!
11. Wishing you a long and very happy marriage.
12. Congratulations! May it only get better from here.

Heartfelt wedding messages

1. Congratulations. Watching you two find each other has been one of the nicer things to witness.
2. Congratulations to you both. You make a genuinely good team, and that is the part that lasts.
3. Wishing you a marriage full of ordinary good days. They turn out to be the ones that count.
4. Congratulations! You two have something worth protecting. Enjoy every bit of it.
5. Congratulations on your wedding. Thank you for letting us be part of the day.
6. Wishing you both a life as happy as you have made each other.
7. Congratulations! Marriage is mostly small kindnesses, and you are both very good at those.
8. Congratulations to two people who clearly bring out the best in each other.
9. Wishing you patience, laughter, and a very long run of good years.
10. Congratulations! It was a privilege to watch you promise each other that.
11. Congratulations on finding each other and having the sense to make it official.
12. Wishing you a marriage that stays interesting and gets easier.

Funny wedding card messages

Gentle only — a wedding card is read aloud more often than you think:

1. Congratulations! You are now legally responsible for each other’s terrible habits.
2. Congratulations on the wedding! The hard part is over. The very long part begins.
3. Congratulations! Marriage is just arguing about the thermostat with someone you love.
4. Congratulations! Excellent choice, both of you. Genuinely.
5. Congratulations! May your Wi-Fi be strong and your in-laws be reasonable.
6. Congratulations! Remember: nobody wins the argument about the dishwasher.
7. Congratulations to you both! Officially each other’s problem now.
8. Congratulations! Here is to a lifetime of splitting the last slice.

For a couple you do not know well

Colleagues, distant relatives, plus-ones — keep it warm and general. Specificity is a compliment you have to earn:

1. Congratulations on your wedding day. Wishing you both every happiness.
2. Congratulations to you both — thank you for including us in the celebration.
3. Wishing you a wonderful day and a very happy marriage.
4. Congratulations! Best wishes for the years ahead.
5. Congratulations on your marriage. Wishing you both the very best.
6. Congratulations to the happy couple. Enjoy the day!

From parents and family

1. Congratulations. Watching you get married was one of the proudest days we have had.
2. We could not be happier for you both. Welcome to the family.
3. Congratulations! You have chosen well, and so have we.
4. Wishing you both the same happiness we have been lucky enough to find. Congratulations.
5. Congratulations! Our family is bigger and better today.
6. So proud of you both. Congratulations on your wedding.
7. Congratulations! Whatever you need, we are here — as always.
8. Welcome to the family. We are delighted to have you.

For a second marriage or later-in-life wedding

1. Congratulations! Lovely to see two people who know exactly what they want find it.
2. Congratulations on your marriage — wishing you both a wonderfully happy chapter.
3. Congratulations! Happiness at any stage is worth celebrating loudly.
4. Wishing you both every joy. Congratulations on a wonderful day.

What not to write in a wedding card

• Jokes about divorce, freedom, or “the end of your life.” Tired, and someone always reads it aloud.
• Advice about marriage. Unless asked, and usually not even then.
• Comments about children. Never card material, however affectionately meant.
• References to previous relationships. Obvious, and still it happens.

Sign-offs

• Close friends and family: With love, · All our love, · With love from us both,
• Friends: Congratulations again, · With best wishes, · Love,
• Colleagues and acquaintances: Warmest wishes, · Best wishes, · Kind regards,

Send it — and pair it with the gift

If you are giving a gift, the card is what they read first. A free congratulations ecard also works well for anyone who cannot attend:

Wedding card FAQ

What do you write in a wedding card?

Congratulate them both by name, say one warm thing, and wish them well for the marriage rather than the day. Two or three sentences is entirely sufficient.

What do you write if you do not know the couple well?

“Congratulations on your wedding day. Wishing you both every happiness.” Warm and general is exactly right when you do not have the standing to be personal.

Should you mention the gift in the card?

No. The gift speaks for itself, and mentioning it makes the card about the transaction. For money, no reference at all is the convention.

Is it okay to be funny in a wedding card?

Gently, and never about divorce or lost freedom. Wedding cards are frequently read out — write as though it will be.

What if I cannot attend the wedding?

Say so briefly and warmly: “Sorry to miss the day — thinking of you both and wishing you every happiness.” No lengthy explanation needed.

How do you sign a wedding card as a couple?

“With love from us both” or both names on one line. See wedding wishes for more phrasing.

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