Pick the group that matches how you know the couple, press Copy on a wish in the length your card allows, then add one line only you could write. That last line is what turns a nice message into one they keep. Each wish shows its word count and has its own Copy button, and the Print button above prints the whole list for your card table.
Message list: thirty wedding wishes by relationship and length
Short is up to 12 words, medium is 13 to 24, long is 25 or more. Each group runs short to long. Change at least one word so it sounds like you. Want a line from a poem or a famous couple instead? Short quotes live on their own page.
The thirty split like this:
- Close friend: 5 wishes
- Family: 7 wishes, 4 for your own relative and 3 for the partner’s relative
- Coworker: 6 wishes
- Barely know them: 6 wishes
- Parent or older friend: 6 wishes
Close friend
Watching you two together is my favorite thing. Happy wedding.
Cheers to you two. I am so glad you found each other.
You make each other funnier and kinder. I cannot wait to watch the next chapter.
From the first time you mentioned them, I knew. Thank you for having me there. Love you both, and I mean it.
Choosing each other looked easy from where I stood, and I never doubted it. I am on your side, today and on the hard days too. Congratulations, and thank you for including me.
Family: your own relative
Use these when the bride or groom is your sibling, cousin, child, niece or nephew.
Proud and happy for you both. Love always.
So happy for you both. Call me when you are back from the honeymoon.
You have always taken care of everyone else. It is wonderful to see someone take care of you.
You have been sure about a lot in your life, and you were right about this one. I am proud of you, and of the two of you together. Congratulations.
Family: the partner’s relative
Use these when you are a parent, aunt, uncle or cousin of the person they are marrying, or you are the new relative yourself. “Welcome to the family” only fits this group.
Welcome to the family. We are lucky to have you.
We have loved watching you two together. Our family is better with you in it.
We know a big family can be a lot to take in, so here is the short version: you belong with us now. Congratulations to you both, and come by any time.
Coworker
Two short options, four longer ones. The longer ones suit a card the whole team signs.
Congratulations on your wedding. Wishing you both every happiness.
Happy wedding. Enjoy the time off, you have earned it.
Congratulations. It has been a pleasure working beside you, and I am glad to see you this happy.
Best wishes to you and your new spouse. We will keep things running while you are away, so enjoy every day of it.
Wishing you a marriage full of good days and very few Monday mornings. Congratulations from all of us on the team.
Thank you for sharing this day with us. Working with you has been easy to enjoy, and seeing you this happy is a good reminder of why. Congratulations to you both, from all of us.
Barely know them
Congratulations and best wishes to you both.
Wishing you a lifetime of happiness together.
It was lovely to celebrate with you. Wishing you both many good years ahead.
Thank you for including us. We wish you a marriage built on kindness and plenty of laughter.
We have only known you a short while, but the way you look at each other says plenty. Congratulations and best wishes for your life together.
What a joy to be part of this day. May the two of you keep finding new things to be glad about together. Congratulations from all of us.
Parent or older friend
May your marriage be a safe place for both of you. Congratulations.
We are so proud of you both. All our love, today and always.
Marriage is mostly kindness practiced daily. You two already do it well. Congratulations.
Seeing you both today fills our hearts. Be patient, be generous and keep talking to each other. Congratulations to you both.
We watched you grow up, and we could not ask for a better partner for you. We are so glad to have them in our lives, with all our love and very best wishes.
Whatever the years bring, you have each other, and you have us. We are grateful to share this day and send you our very best wishes for the road ahead.
Add one line only you could write
A wish on its own could be signed by anyone. One concrete detail makes it yours. Answer one of these prompts in a single sentence, then place it after the wish.
- Close friend: What is a small thing one of them does that you would notice from across a room?
- Your own relative: What do you remember about the first time you met the partner?
- The partner’s relative: What did you notice first about how they treat each other?
- Coworker: What is one thing about working beside them that you will miss while they are on a honeymoon?
- Barely know them: What did you enjoy most about the day itself, such as the ceremony, the music or the food?
- Parent or older friend: What did you hope for them when they were younger?
Keep the line true and small. A true small line reads as warm. A big claim about their love story reads as filler, and the couple will notice.
A worked example
Example, built from the close friend group:
Wish: “Cheers to you two. I am so glad you found each other.” (12 words)
Personal line: “You still laugh at each other’s worst jokes, and I hope that never changes.” (14 words)
Sign-off: “Love, Sam.” (2 words)
Total: 28 words, which is a long message. At our assumption of eight handwritten words per line, that is about four lines, so it suits a blank inside page. For a small card, keep the personal line and the sign-off and drop the stock wish. That is 16 words, about two lines, and it is the part the couple would miss.
The sample name is made up. Swap in your own wish, detail and name.
Pick the card: what changes by format
The same wish reads differently depending on where it ends up. These are our suggestions, not rules.
Card box or guest book card
Cards in a box are usually opened later, away from the party, often several at once. Keep to a short wish, both names and your own. A coworker or acquaintance can sign with how they know the couple.
Congratulations, Priya and Dan. Wishing you a lifetime of happiness together. Love, Sam, from Priya’s team.
Note tucked into a gift
Say what you hope they will do with the gift, not what it cost. One line about the gift, one wish, one name.
We hope this ends up on your table on a slow Sunday. Congratulations to you both. Love, Sam.
Text, comment or photo caption
The short wishes from the list work as they are. Pair one with a photo of the two of you. A wish set over your own photo in any phone editor is a wedding wish image that still reads as personal.
Happy wedding to my two favorite people. Cannot wait to celebrate with you.
The envelope
In our view, the wish belongs inside the card, so it survives even if the envelope does not. On the front, write both of the couple’s names the way the invitation spells them. If you are bringing a check or a gift card, put your own name on the card inside too.
Four mistakes that make a card forgettable
- Writing only “Congratulations.” It is kind, but it does not say who sent it. Add one line and your name will mean something.
- Naming only one of them. If you know one partner better, still address both. Write “you two” or use both names.
- Jokes about the past. An exes joke or a dig at an old habit can land badly in front of family. If the couple likes that kind of humor, a toast is the place for it, and our reception toast guide is there if you are giving one.
- Advice nobody asked for. A cheerful tip is fine. A lecture is not. If you cannot say it in one sentence, leave it out.
Couples where a wish needs a second look
Some situations call for a small adjustment. These are our suggestions, not rules.
- Same-sex couples: Address both names and use “you two” or “both of you”. Skip wishes that assume a husband and a wife.
- Second marriages: Focus on the present. A line such as “I am so happy to see you this happy” works for most guests, and you never need to mention the past. Avoid lines about waiting for the right person or finally finding love.
- Elopements and small weddings: If you were not at the ceremony, say you are thinking of them and mention the photos or the news you were glad to hear.
- Vow renewals: Write about the years they have built together. Our page on renewing your vows covers the day in more detail.
- Religious ceremonies: Match the tone of the invitation. If it quotes scripture, a warm blessing fits. If it does not, keep your wish secular.
After the card is signed
Write the card the week you buy the gift, so it does not sit on a table. If you are the one receiving cards, our notes on how to word your thank you notes show how to answer each one. Writing a card for a shower instead? The shower card messages are sized for that smaller occasion.
Save for later
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Questions people ask
What do you write in a wedding card?
Match the card to where it will be read. A card in a card box at the reception gets the short version, both names and your own. A card tucked into a gift can mention the gift in one line. A card handed over in person can run to a few lines. The wish itself comes from the list above, and your name goes last.
How do you write wedding wishes?
Start from the relationship, because it sets the tone. A close friend can be playful, a coworker should stay warm and brief, an older relative can be sentimental. Pick a wish in your size, change one word so it sounds like you, then add one line that only you could write. Read it aloud once. If it sounds like you, it is ready.
What if I do not know the couple well?
Name both of them, keep it short and say one thing that is true, such as how much you enjoyed the ceremony or the music. Do not hint at stories you are not part of. If you are a plus-one or a colleague of a guest, signing with how you know them (for example, "Sam, from Priya's office") saves the couple a puzzled moment later.
Which wishes suit the partner's family and which suit my own relative?
Welcome lines such as "Welcome to the family" only fit a relative of one partner, and they land best from the partner's side. If the bride or groom is your own sibling, cousin or child, write about them and their years, then add a short line for the new partner. If you are meeting the partner's relatives for the first time, one kind line to each of them is enough.
How long should a wedding card message be?
Two to four sentences fit on most cards without cramming. Each wish below shows its own word count when the page loads, so you can match it to your space. Short wishes of around ten words suit a card box or a small card, and close friends and family can go longer. Practice a long message on scrap paper first if your handwriting is large.
Updated by bigdaydesk editorial
Keep planning
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Word your thank you notes
Wording by what the guest gave, including cash and no gift, with a sending tracker you set your own deadline for.
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Word your bridal shower wishes
Short wishes for a shower card sorted by relationship, each with a prompt for one personal detail.
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Curious about invitation wording?
The master template: a live preview that reflects who hosts, the tone and the date format, plus the eight lines every invitation needs.
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Curious about ceremony script?
Tick the elements you want (readings, vows, unity ritual) and the script and its running time assemble themselves.
