Should a UK wedding invitation say “honour” or “honor”?

A wedding in the UK uses British spelling: “honour” and “favour”. Use American spelling for a wedding in the United States, and keep one spelling throughout.

Why do British invitations leave a blank line for the guest’s name?

Traditional British cards say “request the pleasure of the company of”, followed by the guest’s name written by hand. It makes each card personal and shows exactly who is invited.

What is an evening invitation?

In the UK, some guests are invited only to the evening reception, after the ceremony and meal. They receive a separate invitation with the evening start time.

How should dates be written for UK and US guests?

Write the month in words, for example “12 June 2027”, so nobody confuses the day and the month.

Etiquette·5 min read

UK vs US Wedding Invitation Etiquette: The Differences That Matter

UK vs US wedding invitation etiquette: spelling, dates and times, hosts, evening guests, reply cards and dress codes, for families on both sides.

By Aurelia Editorial Team · Wedding stationery & planning guides

Published 7 October 2026

A bone china teacup, a deckled ivory card and a fountain pen beside a phone showing an olive envelope invitation

If your families sit on both sides of the Atlantic, you do not have to pick one rulebook. Choose the convention of the country where the wedding takes place, keep it consistent, and make sure every guest can read the date the same way. With digital wedding invitations you can even adjust the wording for each version without reprinting.

The differences at a glance

UK and US invitation conventions
Convention	UK	US
Spelling	honour, favour, colour	honor, favor, color
Titles	Mr and Mrs (no full stops)	Mr. and Mrs.
Date	Saturday the twelfth of June	Saturday, the twelfth of June or June twelfth
Time	at half past four	at half after four o’clock
Year	often left out, or in numerals	often written in words on formal cards
Guests	day guests and evening guests are common	usually one guest list for the whole day
Replies	traditionally a written reply; now cards or online	a reply card with its own envelope, or online
Gifts	gift list	registry

Spelling and titles

A British invitation “requests the honour of your presence”; an American one “requests the honor of your presence”. Both are correct in their own country, so follow the wedding’s location and use the same spelling throughout. In the UK, titles such as Mr, Mrs, Ms and Dr have no full stop; in the US they usually do.

Dates and times

UK formal

Saturday the twelfth of June at half past four o’clock

Traditional British invitation on a deckled ivory card: Mr and Mrs Richard Moore request the pleasure of the company of Mr and Mrs Thomas Hale, handwritten, at the marriage of their daughter Charlotte to Mr Henry Whitfield, at half past four o’clock — British style: the guest’s name written in by hand, “Mr and Mrs” without full stops and “half past four”.

US formal

Saturday, the twelfth of June two thousand twenty-seven at half after four o’clock

Formal American invitation on an ivory card: Mr. and Mrs. Richard Moore request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Charlotte Elizabeth, Saturday, the twelfth of June, two thousand twenty-seven, at half after four o’clock — American style: “honor”, “Mr. and Mrs.”, the year in words and “half after four o’clock”.

On anything less formal, write the month in words. “12/06/2027” means 12 June to a British guest and December 6 to an American one, so “12 June 2027” or “June 12, 2027” is safer than numerals alone.

Who hosts and how guests are named

In both countries the hosts come first, traditionally the bride’s parents and now often the couple or both families. A traditional British card leaves a space after “request the pleasure of the company of” for the guest’s name to be written by hand; an American formal invitation addresses guests on the envelope instead. Our hosting wording examples cover both sets of parents, divorced parents and more.

Day guests and evening guests

British weddings often have a smaller day guest list and a larger evening party, with separate invitations for evening guests. American weddings usually invite everyone to the ceremony and reception. If American relatives receive an evening invitation, add a line so it does not read as a mistake.

Evening invitation

Amelia and James invite you to join them for their evening reception from 7.30pm, Saturday 12 June 2027

Replies, gifts and dress codes

Replies: American invitations traditionally include a reply card and stamped envelope; British guests once replied by letter. Online RSVP now works for both.
Gifts: the UK says “gift list”, the US “registry”. Either way, details go on the wedding website, not the invitation.
Dress codes: “Morning dress” is a British daytime formal code with no common American equivalent; “black tie optional” is far more common in the US.
The meal: a British “wedding breakfast” is the main meal after the ceremony, whatever time it is served.

Mixing both traditions

For a transatlantic family, pick the conventions of the host country, then smooth the edges: write the month in words, explain any British terms such as the evening reception or morning dress, and give both an online RSVP and a contact number. Our wedding invitation etiquette guide and formal wedding invitation wording go further, and guests flying in will appreciate the tips in inviting guests from abroad.

Questions about UK and US invitations

Should a UK wedding invitation say “honour” or “honor”?: A wedding in the UK uses British spelling: “honour” and “favour”. Use American spelling for a wedding in the United States, and keep one spelling throughout.
Why do British invitations leave a blank line for the guest’s name?: Traditional British cards say “request the pleasure of the company of”, followed by the guest’s name written by hand. It makes each card personal and shows exactly who is invited.
What is an evening invitation?: In the UK, some guests are invited only to the evening reception, after the ceremony and meal. They receive a separate invitation with the evening start time.
How should dates be written for UK and US guests?: Write the month in words, for example “12 June 2027”, so nobody confuses the day and the month.

Writing for families in two countries? Explore Aurelia’s digital wedding invitations.

Part of our etiquette guides. Start with Wedding Invitation Etiquette: The Complete Modern Guide, or see every guide on this topic.