What to Write in a Wedding Card: Templates & Examples

Deciding what to write in a wedding card doesn’t have to be complex. Often you can use basic congratulatory phrases such as:

• “Wishing you a lifetime of love, laughter, and happy memories together.”
• “Watching you two together makes love look easy — so happy for you both.”
• Or even just a short and sweet “Congrats! So honored to celebrate you.”

However, if you really want to pick the perfect wedding card message, customized for either your recipient or your intended tone (such as funny wedding card messages vs. religious wedding card messages), we have you covered. Here are 21 wedding card templates and examples that you can basically copy and paste.

What to Write in a Blank Wedding Card: Choosing the Right Tone

Choose the most appropriate tone for your wedding card message by asking yourself the following questions:

1. Do You Know the Couple Well?

   If not, opt for a tone that’s more generic. If, though, you’re close friends or family, you’ll want your heartfelt wedding wishes to feel a little more thoughtful and personalized.

2. Do You Want to Specifically Include Some Funny, Casual Wedding Wishes in Your Card?

   Gauge the couple’s sense of humor and avoid any risky messaging that may come off as offensive, such as focusing on the reception’s free booze or giving funny marriage advice that makes a joke at the expense of one of the card’s recipients.

3. Is It a Religious Wedding or Is the Couple Religious?

   Incorporate religious wording related to the couple’s beliefs. For example, maybe you write that you’re hoping to see God bless them with a long and happy marriage, or that you can see God’s love reflected in their love for one another.

4. Are You Not Actually Attending the Wedding?

   Take an apologetic tone for missing the day, before getting into your well wishes.

5. Are You Including Cash in the Card or Attaching the Card to a Gift?

   Recognize the gift but don’t linger on it. Simply express that you hope the gift helps in their journey ahead.

Keeping these tone tips in mind will ensure that you write an appropriate wedding message based on your particular circumstances, even if you wing the actual wording.

The Perfect Wedding Card Message Formula

No matter if you’re wondering what to write in a friend’s wedding card or what to write in a wedding card for a casual acquaintance, you can’t go wrong with this simple formula: Congrats + warm wishes + a personal detail + sign off.

Here’s how that might look in real life:

Congrats on your wonderful union and I hope you two have a bright future of endless fun and everlasting love ahead. I can still remember how happy you were the day you told me about your engagement! Warmest wishes, [Your Name]

Congratulations on your wedding and best wishes for what I’m sure will be a beautiful journey ahead. It’s been a privilege watching your love story unfold over the years. With love, [Your Name]

So many congrats and best wishes for a future filled with joy and a lifetime of love. I can’t believe my dear friend is now my newest family member! Cheers to you both, [Your Name]

What to Write in a Card for a Wedding Based on Your Relationship with the Recipient

You may adjust your wedding card message further based on your relationship with the recipient, with warmth and inside references for a close friend, more sentimentality for a family member, professionalism and formality for a co-worker or boss, or a neutral or generic tone for an acquaintance.

Here are some examples.

What to Write in a Wedding Card for a Friend

Congratulations to my dear friend as you embark on this new journey! I’m so thrilled for you. From [shared memory/inside reference] to [shared memory/inside reference], I consider myself fortunate to have been your friend for so many years, and wish nothing but love and happiness for you both in the decades to come.

What to Write in a Wedding Card for a Family Member

Congratulations my dear [relation]. I’m so pleased to welcome [fiance’s name], our new family member, to the [last name] crew. I wish you a happy married life and can’t wait to see where the coming years take you both.

What to Write in a Wedding Card for a Boss or Co-worker

Congratulations on your wedding! Wishing you and your new spouse many years filled with happiness, love, and cherished memories.

What to Write in a Wedding Card for an Acquaintance

Congratulations on your big day! Wishing you and your new partner a beautiful marriage and many happy memories to come.

What to Write in a Wedding Card if the Card is From a Group

If a wedding card is from a group of friends or an entire family, you might simply use the plural voice and any of the above templates, like so:

Congrats on your wonderful union and we hope you two have a bright future of endless fun and everlasting love ahead. We can all still remember how happy you were the day you told us about your engagement! Warmest wishes, [All Names]

What to Write in a Wedding Card Based on Vibe and Tone

Sometimes it’s best to pick a wedding card message based on vibe and tone, such as short and sweet (keep it to 10-15 words), heartfelt (make every word of your meaningful wedding message matter), funny (stick to safe humor only), modern and casual, or religious (incorporating specific religious details if you’re sure of the couple’s beliefs, but going more vague if not).

Here are some more examples.

What to Write in a Wedding Card: Short and Sweet

Congratulations and best wedding wishes as you embark on this new chapter of your lives!

What to Write in a Heartfelt Wedding Card

Congratulations to my [best friend/relation/etc.] on this momentous day. It’s a joy to see two such amazing people come together as one, and I’m certain that the years ahead will be filled with so much happiness and fun. I count myself privileged to be a witness to your love story and am so thankful for your friendship.

What to Write in a Funny Wedding Card

Congrats on doing what we all wish we could do — find someone who’s willing to compromise on where to eat dinner, what to watch on TV, and where to set the thermostat. May we all be so lucky!

What to Write in a Wedding Card: Religious (Non-Specific)

Congratulations on your blessed marriage. May it be filled with love, faith, peace, and patience.

What to Write in a Casual Wedding Card

So happy and excited for the two of you! Congrats on the wedding and warm wishes for the years ahead.

Wedding Card Messages for Sensitive Scenarios

Some scenarios require an extra level of sensitivity when you write out your wedding message, such as if this is the couple’s second marriage (focus on joy and partnerships and leave out anything about prior marriages), it’s an elopement (celebrate the intimacy of the day, not who’s left out), the celebration was postponed (be supportive and excited), or it’s a destination wedding that you weren’t invited to (keep it positive!).

Here are some templates you can use.

What to Write in a Wedding Card for a Second Marriage and Blended Family

Congratulations on your wedding! May the coming years bring you much joy and happy memories as you continue to build your lovely family.

What to Write in a Wedding Card for an Elopement or Micro Wedding

Congratulations on your beautiful wedding. I’m so glad that you were able to celebrate with the people who really matter:  each other! Keep that focus in the years ahead and I’m sure you’ll have a fulfilling and successful marriage filled with so much love and happiness.

What to Write in a Wedding Card for a Wedding That was Postponed

Congrats on embarking on this new chapter in your life! I’m so glad we were finally able to celebrate your nuptials and give your marriage the proper recognition it deserves!

What to Write in a Wedding Card for a Destination Wedding

Thinking of you on your big day and sending you all the warmest wishes from here. I hope that it’s absolutely everything you’ve dreamed of and I can’t wait to celebrate with you both back home.

What to Write in a Wedding Card if You’re Giving a Gift

If you’re writing a message in a wedding card, and you’re including cash or you’ve attached the  card to a gift, acknowledge the cash or gift but keep it brief.

Consider one of the following messages for your card:

Not sure how much cash to give? Here’s how much to spend on a wedding gift based on factors such as your relationship to the recipient.

What Not to Write in a Wedding Card

A few things you should never mention in a wedding card include:

• Exes and past marriages
• Having kids
• Weight or appearance
• Finances
• Gender

Also avoid terminology that could come off as offensive, such as referencing a “crazy family,” or telling the couple to “not mess this up.”

How to Personalize a Wedding Card in 30 Seconds

If you’re unsure what kind of personal details you need to add to your wedding card, simply fill in the blanks in one of these statements:

• “My favorite thing about you two is ___.”
• “I still remember when ___.”
• “You make each other feel ___.”

(And if you’re looking for inspiration for further personalized wedding verbiage, get our tips on how to write your wedding vows.)

What to Write in a Wedding Card FAQs

Is it okay to write “congrats” in a wedding card?

Yes, it’s entirely okay to write “congrats” in a wedding card, unless you’re specifically sticking to formal wedding wishes, in which case you might go with “congratulations.”

How long should a wedding card message be?

A wedding card message doesn’t need to be very long, with 2-3 sentences typically sufficing.

What should you avoid writing in a wedding card?

When writing a wedding card message, avoid mentioning exes, past marriages, having kids, weight or appearances, finances, gender, and any jokes that may come off as offensive.

What do you write in a wedding card if you don’t know the couple well?

If you don’t know the couple well, stick to a very generic wedding card message, offering your congrats and well wishes, with no personal details necessary.

What do I write if I can’t attend the wedding?

If you can’t attend a wedding, when you send the card, express that you’re sorry for not being able to make it, before launching into your well wishes and congratulations.

Write Your Wedding Cards with Confidence

Write your wedding cards with confidence when you pick the correct message based on your relationship with the recipient and the appropriate vibe, and include a little personalization.

Need more wedding etiquette help? Learn more about invitation timing, what to put on a gift registry, and wedding gift-giving dos and don’ts.

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