Vow renewal invitations: wording that fits

A vow renewal invitation answers six things: who is hosting, what is happening, when, where, what guests should wear or bring, and when to reply. It also carries one extra line that a wedding invitation does not: the years together. Fill in your names above, pick who hosts and how casual it is, then copy. The seven wordings below cover the common cases.

Keep it short. Guests are coming to watch two people who already know each other say it again. A card with five clear lines does that better than a paragraph of poetry.

Wording table: seven vow renewal invitation variants by host and tone

Table: seven vow renewal invitation wordings with example names and a slash for each line break (examples, swap in your own details)

Variant 1 uses digits for the date and time because the tone is casual. Variant 2 writes them in words because the tone is formal. Pick one style and keep it identical on every line and every card. If you want the full formal conventions for dates, times and line order, formal wedding invitation wording explains each.

Variants 4 and 5 ask guests to arrive early. That is a real logistics point for surprises, not decoration: the couple must walk in to a full room.

Who hosts, and what the host line looks like

The host line is the first thing a guest reads, and it changes the most between versions. Here are the four options and what each one signals.

• The couple hosts. Use “invite you” or “request the pleasure of your company.” Sound like yourselves. Variants 1, 2, 6 and 7.
• Children host. Start with the children’s names or “our parents.” Add a reply contact who is a child, not the couple. Variants 3 and 4.
• Friends host. Name the hosts at the bottom and give the address of the host’s home or the venue. Variant 5.
• Family hosts together. Use “Hosted by” followed by first names. If two households are paying, list both.

Say clearly who to reply to. If the children host, the reply goes to a child, and the couple should not receive a single RSVP. Otherwise the surprise ends in someone’s text thread.

If you also want to name parents or in-laws, look at who is named and how with a couple hosting. The same rules apply here: whoever hosts goes in the first line.

Build the years-together line

The years line is the heart of a renewal invitation. Count from the wedding date, not from when you started dating. Write it once and paste the same text on every card.

Two quick checks. A June 2012 wedding reaches fifteen years in June 2027, so a renewal in May 2027 says “after fourteen years.” And if you married before the renewal date in the same year, count the full year.

Casual or formal: pick the tone before the font

Tone is a decision about the room. Use this short list to settle it.

1. Fewer than about 40 guests, in a home or restaurant: casual. First names, digits, a plain reply line.
2. A house of worship, a hall, or a seated dinner: formal. Full names, the date and time in words.
3. A surprise: casual and clear. Put the secret line high and the arrival time higher.
4. A party after private vows: casual. Say that the vows are done, so guests do not expect a ceremony.

Not sure? Read the line out loud. If it sounds odd in your voice, it is the wrong tone.

Mail and reply dates

Two vendor guides name a 6 to 8 week window for a local wedding and a reply deadline of 2 weeks to a month before. A vow renewal is smaller, so we use the same window as our own assumption. Count back from your own date.

What to leave out

• A gift line. Guests worry less when you skip it, and you can answer the question on a website or in person. Sources disagree on whether to print one at all, so we keep it off the card.
• Registry and hotel details. One stationer’s guide puts these on the wedding website, not the card. Same logic applies here.
• A long story. The ceremony is where you tell it. The card only needs to get people to the right place on time.
• “Wedding” for a party after private vows. Say “celebrate” so guests know what to expect.
• A secret line without a reply contact. Guests need someone other than the couple to tell they are coming.

Three mistakes and how to fix them

1. Replies go to the couple on a surprise. Fix: list a child or friend as the contact, and use their phone or email only.
2. Mixed styles. One line says “June 12” and another says “the twelfth of June.” Fix: write the date once and paste it everywhere.
3. Wrong year count. The line says fifteen and the anniversary is next month. Fix: count from the wedding date and check it against the calendar before the proof goes out.

If guests are bringing their own drinks to a casual backyard version, see how to word a bring-your-own-bottle line so it does not read as a request.

Fill-in template

Replace each bracket. Delete lines you do not need. The generator above does the same with your names and years.

[Host line, for example: Partner one and Partner two, or: Our parents, or: Hosted by names] [verb, for example: invite you to, request the pleasure of your company at] the renewal of their marriage vows after [years together] [of marriage or together] [Weekday], [date] at [time] [Venue name and full address] [Short note: dinner to follow, backyard casual, please arrive early] Reply to [name and phone or email] by [date]

Where to go next

Send the wording to your spouse, or to the children hosting, before you print. If you will say vows during the event, read a ten-minute vow renewal script and fit the invitation time to it. For the vows themselves, see vow renewal vows you can borrow.

If a dinner the night before is part of the plan, rehearsal dinner invitation wording shows a separate card for it. For an overview of the whole event, start from how to plan a vow renewal, and for formats by budget see vow renewal ideas.

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Updated November 5, 2026 by bigdaydesk editorial