LGBT Wedding Invitations: Inclusive Wording Guide

A friend sends you a screenshot of the invitation she's designing. The first line reads "Mr and Mrs Taylor". Her partner is called Sam — no Mr, no Mrs, nothing that fits. "Do I just leave it?" she asks. If you're writing an LGBT wedding invitation, that line is the first thing guests read, and it decides in three seconds whether the wording fits two people or one.

Getting it right isn't complicated. It means asking two or three questions before you open the editor, instead of guessing and hoping nobody minds. It also means keeping the same choice everywhere the names appear.

LGBT Wedding Invitations: Put Both Names First

The cleanest fix is to write both full names and join them with 'and'. Ana and Maria. Carlos and Javier. It reads as two people, it assigns nobody a role, and it looks calm on a cover. If the couple want a title, ask which one before you type it.

• Write both full names joined by 'and': Ana and Maria, Carlos and Javier. It is the most elegant option and it assumes nothing.
• If the couple want a title, ask first: Mr, Mrs, Ms, Mx, or none? Don't guess from a name, a photo or a passport.
• Different surnames? Don't merge them with a hyphen. Ana Ruiz and Maria Lopez already reads as two people, and it sounds natural out loud.
• Keep the same wording on the cover, the scenes and the RSVP. If you start with Ana and Maria, don't switch to 'the brides' halfway through.

Pronouns and Neutral Terms: Ask, Don't Guess

Send a private message before you write anything: "How do you want to be named on the invitation — grooms, brides, couple, newlyweds, engaged?" Whatever the pair answer beats any style guide, including this one.

If there is no agreed term, use 'the couple' or 'those getting married'. Skip 'the future husbands' if one person does not use the masculine. In the Send The Joy editor you change text with one field per detail — label, names, date, phrase, place — so a single word shifts without touching the rest of the scene.

The invitation sets the tone. The couple sets the words.

A Dress Code With No Gender Roles

Swap 'suit and long dress' for 'formal evening attire: a suit, a long dress or an elegant outfit'. Nobody gets pushed to the edge of the instruction. If you are reserving colours, say it plainly: white and ivory are for the couple, the rest of the palette is open. Add the practical bits too — comfortable shoes for the garden, a wrap for the terrace. Etiquette is logistics as much as tone.

An RSVP That Doesn't Force a Box

Ask for a full name instead of Mr or Mrs. A title does nothing for your headcount. For plus-ones, use 'Are you bringing someone? Add their name' rather than a number. With a digital invitation, replies arrive inside the invitation in one ordered list, and you set the form questions yourself, so you are not chasing answers on WhatsApp.

Before you publish, read the invitation out loud and ask whether that sentence actually describes the couple in front of you. If you want to change one word later, a digital invitation lets you do it without reprinting a single envelope. Try a design for free, edit the cover, and see how the names sit before you pay.