Wedding wishes: what to write in a wedding card

Wedding wishes: what to write in a wedding card

Imagine yourself in the parking lot walking in to your friend’s wedding reception—pen in hand, necktie/pantyhose in a twist, desperately trying to think up a warm and meaningful personal message to write in your wedding card for the happy couple. One would hope you’re not really that last-minute, but even if you are, our friendly writing staff can help.

Our “What to Write in a Wedding Card” guide is full of writing tips, wedding message ideas and inspiration from Hallmark writers. We humbly offer you not only some basic go-to wedding wishes that can work for just about any couple tying the knot, but also more personalized messages and ideas based on your relationship with the couple, the amount of time you have to write and your preferred style of expression.

Just click on the appropriate category below to go straight to the wedding wishes you’re interested in, or read through the whole guide to combine ideas and create your own special wedding-message mash-up. We hope you have fun with our list, and we hope it frees you up to focus on sharing the wedding joy from this day forward!

Inspired? Create and share by tagging @hallmarkstores.

 Congratulations

“Congratulations” is often the basic message people want to express when they sign a wedding card. It’s like a supportive pat on the back, and it’s easy to say even when you’ve never met one half of the marrying couple. Here are some ideas for warming up and personalizing your congratulations.

More casual

  • “Congratulations to the wonderful two of you!”
  • “This calls for congratulations! (And probably champagne!)”
  • “Congrats, [Ethan and Erica]! It’s so great to see two awesome people like you getting married. Love and best wishes always!”
  • “So happy for you!”
  • “I predict cute babies.”
  • “It makes us so happy to see the two of you so happy. Congratulations!”
  • “Congratulations! Love you both!”
  • “You guys are great together! So happy for you!”
  • “You’ll always remember this day. Hope it’s even more beautiful and perfect than you’ve been dreaming, and hope it’s just the start of a lifetime that just gets better and better.”
  • “Prayers and blessings on your wedding and on your marriage.”
  • “‘Two become one’—what a beautiful thing. Congratulations!”
  • “You two make this ‘love and marriage’ thing almost seem worth trying. Just kidding—you look so happy, and I’m so happy for you!”
  • “Hope you’ll always find yourselves as much in love as you are today. (We suggest date nights and lots of them!)”
  • “I hope through the years you become even better friends and share every possible kind of happiness life can bring.”

 

More formal

  • “Heartfelt congratulations.”
  • “Warmest congratulations and love.”
  • “With warmest wishes and love today and always,”
  • “Congratulations on your wedding day and best wishes for a happy life together!”
  • “It means so much to witness the joy of your wedding day. Congratulations to you both on finding the perfect person to share all your days with.”
  • “Feeling so much joy for the two of you as you join your lives in marriage!”
  • “We hope you can feel all the happiness surrounding you on your wedding day!”
  • “Seeing you two make promises and step forward into the future is so inspiring and wonderful.”
  • “If ever two people deserved a sweet, meaningful, joyful wedding day, it’s the two of you.”
  • “God bless you both as you begin this wonderful journey of marriage together.”
  • “Be happy, be grateful, and love each other well!”
  • “I just know life has even more wonderful things in store than the happiness you share today. May every day be beautiful and happy for you as a couple.”

Writing tip: If the card you’ve chosen already has “congratulations” printed, you can follow it with an ellipsis […] and add to the “congratulations” message.

 Thank the Couple

It’s the biggest day of their lives, and they want you to be part of it? That deserves a callout. Expressing gratitude for the chance to share in the marriage celebration is a sweet message all on its own or in combination with a wish or a “congratulations.”

More casual

  • “Congratulations, [Carlos and Delia]! It means so much to be a part of your big day!”
  • “We’re thrilled to be celebrating with you! Let’s get this wedding party started!”

 

More formal

  • “Thanks for inviting me to your wedding. It’s an honor to share in such a beautiful and important day. Best wishes for a future filled with happiness and love.”
  • “It’s such an honor to witness your vows and be among those to wish you a beautiful beginning.”
  • “You’ll always remember this day and so will those who were there when the whole beautiful happily-ever-after started. Best wishes forever.”
  • “Watching you together is like catching a sunrise—I’m witnessing the start of something beautiful. Thanks for letting me be here with you.”

Writing tip: It may sound crass to say so, but a wish for the wedding day or a thank-you for being a part of it is also a safe way to go when you have complicated feelings about the marriage or when you simply don’t know the couple that well.

 When You Can't Make It

Even when you can’t make the destination wedding in Hawaii (bummer), you can still make your presence felt by letting the couple know you’re with them in spirit.

More casual

  • “Congratulations on your big day, [Mike and Emma]! Wish we could be there to see it.”
  • “So sorry I couldn’t be there to celebrate with you. But even though I’ll miss the dress, the bouquet and the first dance, I would never miss the chance to wish you all the very best in life as you begin this amazing journey together!”
  • “I wish I could be at your wedding to give you both a hug and tell you how happy I am for you.”

 

More formal

  • “With you in spirit as you join hands and hearts and lives for always.”
  • “As you lift your glasses to each other tonight, I lift mine to you both from afar. Here’s to a truly amazing couple and to a marriage filled with every happiness.”
  • “Thinking of you both with love on your wedding day.”
  • “Our warmest thoughts and wishes are with you as you celebrate your marriage.”

Writing tip: When you can’t make the wedding, you don’t have to include an apology in your personal message. Just the act of sending the card lets the couple know you’re thinking of them.

 Welcome Them to the Family

When it’s a family member getting married—whether it’s your sibling, your child, your dad, your cousin or even your grandma—you might want to add a welcome (or maybe a warning?) for the new spouse marrying into your family.

More casual

  • “[Maria], welcome to our big, crazy family! [Rob], what a lucky guy you are. Congratulations and lots of love to you both,”
  • “[Eric], you’ve been like family for a long time, but now it’s official. [Jenny Bean], it means so much to see you marrying the love of your life. I’m so overjoyed for both of you!”
  • “Today you officially become your very own family of [2]. So glad to have you both as part of our bigger family, too!”

 

More formal

  • “Together, you’re going to be such a blessing to our family. All our love to you both as you join your lives in marriage.”
  • “Your wedding is such a wonderful day for the two of you and for our family.”
  • “Today, our family grows by one new member and by so much love and happiness.”

 Include Them in the Community

Sometimes the “family” includes a community or congregation. These message ideas are great for when a large or diverse group of people is doing the welcoming!

More casual

  • “Can you feel the love? Our whole community is celebrating with you today!”
  • “Your marriage blesses our community. What a joy to celebrate with you today.”
  • “Your marriage makes our world a brighter, happier one with even more reasons to celebrate.”
  • “Celebrating you two and all the love you add to our community.”
  • “So happy to celebrate you two today!”
  • “Here’s to love that lasts forever, but never grows old!”
  • “May each year be sweeter than the one before it.”
  • “Let the celebration begin!”
  • “You deserve to be celebrated!”
  • “Here’s to the love you share and to the joy you bring us all!”

 

More formal

  • “When two good people fall in love and marry, the whole community has so much to celebrate.”
  • “At the heart of a joyful community, there is love. Your marriage is a happy event for us all.”
  • “You two are living proof of just how beautiful love [is/can be].”
  • “Your marriage honors God and brings so much joy to the friends and family celebrating with you!”
  • “Your [marriage/joy/love] inspires and uplifts those around you.”
  • “When God brings two people together in marriage, the world becomes a more beautiful place for everyone.”

 In a Hurry?

These sweet and simple wishes are great go-to messages—perfect for when you’re signing your card in the car on the way there (ideally, not while driving).

Examples

  • “Couldn’t be happier for you!”
  • “Wishing you every happiness together!”
  • “Congratulations on your marriage and best wishes always!”
  • “Here’s to the love that brought you together!”
  • “I knew the love you had was something special. I love being right.”
  • “I love to see two people who deserve happiness so much find it with each other. Best wishes to you both.”

 Warm Closings

A warm closing is like the bow on top! Choose one of ours, or create your own.

  • Warmly,
  • Love,
  • With love,
  • Lots of love,
  • Love always,
  • Much love to you both,
  • Best wishes!
  • Best wishes for your life together,
  • All life’s best to the two of you,
  • Congratulations!
  • Congratulations and best wishes,
  • Warmest congratulations,
  • Gratefully,
  • Blessings,
  • God bless,
  • God bless you both,
  • God bless you now and always,
  • Credits:
  • Additional contributions from Ellen Brenneman, Jeannie Hund, Melvina Young and Megan Haave.

Keely Chace is a Hallmark Master Writer who loves reading, running and spending time with her husband and daughters. She shares writing tips in her "What to Write" series on Hallmark & Community.

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