What to write: Engagements and weddings

When a couple decides to get hitched, it’s a public declaration of their love and devotion to each other.

As the couple lays the foundation for their future, it’s an especially wonderful time—one filled with parties and pictures and lots of reasons for sending a card (or two). It’s also a wonderful time to celebrate the newly engaged and let them know you’re cheering them every step down the aisle.

Congratulations is often the basic message people want to express when they sign an engagement or 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 couple.

Read on for some ideas for adding a little more character while personalizing your congratulations.

What to write: Casual

Congratulations!
Congratulations to the two of you!
This calls for congratulations (and lots of champagne)!
It’s so great to see two awesome people like you getting married. Love and best wishes always!
So happy for you!
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.

What to write: 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.

Engagements

News of an engagement is kind of a big deal—it fills the air with hope, optimism, and love. Notes of congratulations for this wonderful moment in a couple’s life should do the same.

Whether or not you think you will be invited to the wedding, it’s always good manners to send a congratulatory card.

Try:

From the moment you first mentioned _____, we knew you two were meant for each other.
Wishing you a life full of love, luck, health, and happiness.
Here’s to true love!
Wishing you the happiest happily ever after!

Weddings

Because most cards given to newlyweds end up being saved, we recommend putting in a little extra effort to ensure yours is a keeper.

Start with a beautiful card and include a message that could only be from you.

If you’re unable to attend, send your card and gift anytime, but ideally after you have RSVP’d with regrets and before the big day.

If you are attending the wedding, it’s perfectly acceptable to send your card and gift after the event so that you can include special details.

Weddings are celebrations of love, so there’s no need to fill cards with weighty words or heavy sentiments. Be sincere without being too serious.

Try:

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.

Need stationery to help celebrate the happily hitched? Tap here.