What to Write in a Wedding Card: Messages from Parents, Friends, Family & Colleagues

What should you write in a wedding card?

A wedding card needs three things: congratulations, a wish for the marriage, and a sign-off that tells them who you are. If you want one message that works for any couple: "Congratulations on your wedding day. Wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness together."

The messages that get kept are the ones only you could have written: a memory of the couple, a line about the wedding itself, or a promise from you. Below you'll find wording for parents, siblings, friends, colleagues and grandparents, along with funny, formal, religious and non-religious options, what to write if you couldn't attend, and a short list of things to avoid.

Short wedding messages that suit anyone

• "Congratulations on your wedding day!"
• "Wishing you a lifetime of love, laughter and happiness."
• "To the happy couple: may today be the first of many wonderful days."
• "So happy to see two lovely people so happy together. Congratulations."
• "Here's to love, laughter and happily ever after."
• "May your love grow stronger with every year. Congratulations."
• "Best wishes for a long and happy marriage."

Wedding card messages from parents

You've earned the right to be sentimental. Write to both of them, and say the big things.

• "To our son and his beautiful bride: we've loved watching you grow into the man you are, and we love the woman you've chosen. Be happy, both of you."
• "Our darling daughter, today you begin your own family. Nothing has ever made us prouder. Welcome to the family, [name]."
• "From the day you were born we hoped you'd find someone who loves you like we do. You have. Congratulations to you both."
• "With all our love on your wedding day, and every day after. Mum and Dad."

Wedding card messages from a brother or sister

• "To my brother and my new sister-in-law: congratulations. She's far too good for you and we all know it."
• "Growing up with you was a privilege. Watching you marry [name] is a joy. Love you both."
• "Congratulations, sis. He's a lucky man and he knows it."
• "To my little sister on her wedding day: you've never looked happier. All my love."

Wedding card messages from grandparents

• "Fifty-two years ago we stood where you stand today. It's the best decision we ever made. Congratulations, darlings."
• "To our grandchild and their new husband: may your marriage be as long and happy as ours. With love and blessings."
• "Be kind to each other, laugh every day and never go to sleep on a quarrel. Congratulations from two very proud grandparents."

Wedding card messages for a close friend

• "I've known you through the good ones and the bad ones. This is the good one. Congratulations, both."
• "To my best friend and her husband: I've never seen you happier. All my love, always."
• "Congratulations! I claim godmother rights in advance."
• "You two make marriage look easy. Congratulations, and thank you for letting us be part of today."

Wedding card messages from colleagues

• "Congratulations on your wedding from all of us. Enjoy every minute of the honeymoon."
• "Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness. Best wishes from the team."
• "Warmest congratulations on your marriage."

Funny wedding card messages

• "Congratulations! May your marriage be as happy as your wedding photos."
• "Two people in love, one bathroom. Good luck."
• "Congratulations on finding someone who'll put up with you for life."
• "Marriage: the only war where you sleep with the enemy. Wishing you a lifetime of ceasefires."
• "So happy for you both. Just remember, the person who's right is whoever's holding the remote."

Formal wedding card messages

• "Please accept our warmest congratulations on your marriage and our best wishes for a long and happy life together."
• "With sincere congratulations on your wedding day."
• "May your marriage be blessed with love, joy and companionship for all the years of your lives."

Religious wedding card messages

• "May God bless your marriage and fill your home with love."
• "Love is patient, love is kind. (1 Corinthians 13:4) Congratulations on your wedding day."
• "What God has joined together, let no one separate. (Mark 10:9) With love and prayers on your wedding day."
• "Praying that your marriage is a reflection of God's love. Congratulations."

Non-religious wedding card messages

• "Love is friendship set on fire. Congratulations to two great friends."
• "May the years ahead be full of small kindnesses and big adventures."
• "To a marriage of laughter, patience and very good wine. Congratulations."
• "Wishing you a lifetime of choosing each other."

What to write if you can't attend the wedding

• "We're so sorry we can't be with you today, but we're raising a glass to you both from afar. Congratulations!"
• "Sending all our love on your wedding day. We'll be thinking of you at 2pm and can't wait to see the photos."
• "Wish we could be there. Congratulations, and we'll celebrate properly when you're back."

What not to write in a wedding card

• Anything about previous relationships, theirs or yours.
• Marriage advice unless you're a parent or grandparent, and even then, keep it to one line.
• Jokes about divorce, weight, the dress or the cost.
• "Good luck." It reads as though they'll need it.
• Questions about babies. Not today.

How to address and sign a wedding card

Address it to the couple by first names unless you know they'd prefer "Mr and Mrs [Surname]", which is traditional but increasingly rare. Sign "With love" for family and friends, "With warmest wishes" for colleagues or acquaintances. If you're giving money, don't mention the amount in the card; a simple "a little something towards your honeymoon" is enough.

Should you give a gift with the card?

If there's a gift list or a honeymoon fund, use it. If there isn't, a personalised keepsake marking the day is the gift that gets kept: an engraved photo frame with their names and wedding date, a personalised print of the venue or their first dance song, or a wedding keepsake box for the cards, the order of service and the confetti. Our personalised wedding gifts cover all of these. For the wedding party, there are dedicated ranges for bridesmaids, the best man, page boys and the mother of the groom. Then, twelve months on, our guide to 1st anniversary gifts picks the story up.

A few tips before you write

• Check the names, especially if either of them is changing theirs.
• Write to both of them, even if you only know one.
• Add the date. Wedding cards are kept for decades; a dated one becomes a small piece of family history.
• Short is fine. They'll open sixty cards. Three lines that mean something beat a page that doesn't.

However you word it, the card is your way of saying you were glad to be part of the day. That's all it needs to do.