Celebrating a wedding is one of life’s most joyous occasions, and your wedding card is a perfect opportunity to share the sentiment with the happy couple. Whether you’re attending the ceremony or sending your wishes from afar, crafting a thoughtful message can make all the difference. If there's a wedding on the horizon and you want to offer your best wishes to the happy couple with a congratulations message, we're here to help you find the perfect wedding wishes to write in a wedding card.

Wedding card content is the message of congratulations and wishes for the future that you write in the wedding congratulations card. They’ll cherish their wedding cards forever so make it special and remember to sign your name! Read on to find those perfect wedding wishes or click above to jump to exactly the words you need.

Ideally, your wedding message should be sentimental, sweet and tailored to the couple and your relationship with them. We've got dozens of examples of how to sign a wedding card with the best wedding wishes for every scenario. Try and capture the tone of their love and big day the best you can, while also showing excitement and ending your card with a sweet and simple sentiment like, "Best wishes." The most important thing when it comes to what to write in a wedding card, though, is that your note comes from the heart.

Wedding cards are an opportunity to convey your heartfelt congratulations and best wishes. Start by thinking about how you can tailor your message to the couple. Mention shared memories or inside jokes to make it special. Follow it with a wedding message or wish. Write in a tone that matches your relationship with the couple, whether that’s funny, heartfelt, formal or casual.

The wedding wishes and messages you actually include will be dependent on a few different factors that you need to take into consideration. Is the wedding formal, casual, or religious? This can guide your wedding wishes and messages. Each couple is unique, and the tone of your wedding message should reflect your relationship with them. Proper etiquette includes personalizing your message, choosing the appropriate tone and making sure that your wishes are heartfelt and sincere. You can choose the kind of tone or message based on how well you know the couple and how you might talk to them in real life.

Wedding Card Etiquette

To help you out with all your wedding card queries is Jo Bryant, a leading British etiquette consultant from The English Manner. Wedding cards are a relatively new concept in the UK and are essentially a greeting card to congratulate and send good wishes to a couple.

• Take the wedding card to the wedding. Hang onto it until the reception where there should be a dedicated table/area for cards and presents. Inside, write something congratulatory and thank the couple for a great day.
• If you are unable to attend, send a wedding card to the couple in addition to, and separately from, your invitation reply. For cards sent in advance, you can wish the couple luck and best wishes, and reiterate your disappointment at being unable to attend.
• Wedding cards can be a nice gesture for people to acknowledge a wedding even if they are not attending. They may be sent as a group card, for example from a whole team or department. We’re sure the couple will be happy to receive a lovely card anytime you want to send one!

Traditionally, you either bring the card with you to the wedding reception, or you send it to the couple a few weeks before the wedding, after the invites have gone out. It was once considered rude to write 'congratulations' in a wedding card because it was thought of as congratulating a woman for landing a husband. Nowadays, it’s totally fine to say or write congratulations as a way of celebrating the newlyweds’ union. The couple may ask for presents from a registry or a cash gift.

You can put cash or a cheque in the wedding card or a wedding money envelope if there’s somewhere secure for you to leave it at the reception venue. Otherwise, ask if they have a special fund set up and transfer the money with a note in your wedding card that that’s what you’ve done. Bought a gift from a registry? Write a card anyway and leave it on their card/gift table.

You can address the card to both the bride and groom/bride and bride/groom and groom, or write separate messages for each person.

Choosing the Right Tone

The wedding wishes and messages you actually include will be dependent on a few different factors that you need to take into consideration. A couple of risqué jokes might be great for your best friend and their partner, but will your distant second cousin appreciate them? Their personalities and interests, e.g.

Humorous Wedding Wishes

Humor is a great way to lighten the mood and bring a smile to the couple’s faces. If you have funny bones running through your body, include these funny wedding wishes in the message in the card. One of the top questions we get asked as wedding experts is "what should I write in a funny wedding card?". Go ahead and write a funny wedding card message if you're confident that it will make the happy couple laugh. Just be careful when you write humorous marriage wishes. What might easily come across as a joke in conversation could be taken the wrong way on paper.

As a rule of thumb, avoid jokes that are sarcastic or snarky. Also off-limits: Anything that could be considered insulting, imply that one of them is the "better half" or hints at the couple taking way too long (or way too little time) to get married.

Here are some examples of funny wedding wishes:

• Thanks for all the free food and drink!
• Marriage is a rollercoaster ride. May you have more ups than downs and more laughs than screams.
• Only a couple as good as you could make me throw my famous robot dance moves. It’s an honour to be able to perform for such wonderful people tonight.
• Thanks for inviting [us/me] to eat and drink while you get married.
• You did it! Now go enjoy a well-earned honeymoon.
• Glad I got to break out my dance moves in honor of such a great couple.
• Wow, you two know how to throw a party! Thanks for the free booze.
• Since when are we old enough to get married? It's still 2012 in my mind.

Funny Wedding Moments Compilation

Joyful and Celebratory Wishes

For a joyful and celebratory tone, happy wedding wishes convey your excitement for the couple’s big day. Here are a few examples:

• “So happy to celebrate this day with you both.
• Congratulations on your wedding!
• “So thrilled to see you so happy!

Heartfelt Wishes

Heartfelt wishes are perfect for close friends and family members. If you are close friends with the couple, why not personalise the content with in-jokes and use a warm, friendly tone in your message for a friend's wedding congratulations card. The messages below work for familial relationships of all kinds, so you're sure to find a winner.

• “Your love is an inspiration.
• Congratulations to a beautiful couple.
• “Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness and love.

Casual Wishes

Casual wishes are great for coworkers, acquaintances or any couple with whom you have a friendly but not too close of a relationship. If you don't feel comfortable with formal wedding sayings, then go with something short, sweet and relaxed for your wedding card wishes. It's completely fine to write a more casual wedding message in the card, no matter the recipient.

• Congratulations on your wedding!
• “Best wishes for a fun-filled future together.

Formal Wishes

Formal wishes are the way to go when the occasion calls for a more traditional and refined tone. If you've been invited to a fancy wedding or if you've selected an elegant wedding congratulations card that's timeless and romantic, a formal wedding message is always appropriate.

• “Heartfelt congratulations on your marriage.
• Congratulations on a beautiful beginning to married life.
• Congratulations on marrying the love of your life.

Religious Wishes

For couples who value their faith, religious wedding wishes add a meaningful and spiritual touch to your message. If the couple is religious, then sharing wedding blessings might be the best option. Religious wedding card messages can mention God, tell them of your prayers or relay bible verses about love and marriage. Before writing a religious message in a wedding card, consider the couple's beliefs and practices, and customize the message to them.

• “Praying for joy, love and happiness in your union.

If you are attending a Muslim wedding and want to write something heartfelt and appropriate, these Islamic wedding wishes are perfect!

• Barak Allah Iakuma. Nikah Mubarak to you both.
• O Allah, you are the loving (Al Wadud), and the merciful (Al Rehman).

Meaningful Wishes

Meaningful wishes go deeper into the essence of love and commitment beyond the wedding day itself.

• “To love, laughter and happily ever after.

Inspirational Wishes

Inspirational wishes encourage and uplift the couple as they start their new life together.

• “Believe in each other and follow your dreams.
• You've come so far and your future together is so bright.
• From "What should I text them?" to "I do," you've come so far. I can't wait to see where this journey takes you!

Personalizing Your Message

Each couple is unique, and the tone of your wedding message should reflect your relationship with them. Try and capture the tone of their love and big day the best you can, while also showing excitement and ending your card with a sweet and simple sentiment like, "Best wishes."

If you’d like to write your own original wedding wishes, try writing down the top five words that come to mind when you think of the couple, e.g. funny, committed, adventurous.

Here are some ways to personalize your message based on your relationship with the couple:

For a Friend

• “Congratulations, friend!
• It's just as good a choice to go classic with wedding wording on a friend's wedding card as it is to get specific and personal.
• I'm so happy to call you both my friends.
• Thank you for inviting me to share this day with you and your family. We've had so many laughs together!
• Watching you take this step together fills me with pride.

For a Family Member

• Family weddings are a special time to express your love and support.
• “Congratulations, my dear [son/daughter].
• “May your marriage be filled with love, laughter and endless happiness.
• “Congratulations to my wonderful sister and her new husband.
• “So happy for you, sis!
• “Congratulations, bro!
• “To my dear brother, may your marriage be as wonderful and joyful as you are.
• When writing a wedding card for a family member, you can go very general or very personal-it's completely up to you and the type of message you want to convey.
• [We're/I'm] so happy to welcome a new family member.
• [We're/I'm] so happy [name] has found the one.
• What a wonderful day for our family and especially you two.
• Today, we added one more member to our family and we couldn't be happier.
• What a wonderful addition to our family.
• [We're/I'm] so happy to share in your celebration.
• [We/I] couldn't be happier to call you both family.
• We love you both.

For a Colleague

• A wedding message to your coworker is already a very kind and personal gesture, so don't feel pressure to get too intimate with the wedding wishes you relay.
• My work [husband/wife/spouse] has the real deal now. Congratulations on your wedding!
• Who needs Jim and Pam when you two exist? I'm so happy for you, congratulations!

Wedding Card Quote Ideas

Sometimes, someone else (or a favorite book, movie or TV show) just says it better. Here are some favorite quotes for wedding cards:

• "[She's/he's/they're] your lobster. C'mon you guys." - Friends
• "Love is patient. Love is kind." - 1 Corinthians 13:4
• "People are weird. When we find someone with weirdness that is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love." - Dr. Seuss
• "Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope." - Maya Angelou

How to Sign Off Your Wedding Card

Ending your wedding card with a thoughtful sign-off is just as important as the message itself. Depending on which wedding message you choose, you may want to close with a few additional words before signing your name(s).

Here are some examples:

• Wishing you both a lifetime of love, happiness, and adventure together.
• May your marriage be a source of comfort, happiness, and fulfillment for both of you.
• May you always be each other’s best friend and support each other through the ups and downs of life.

Final Touches

Before sending your card, don't forget to spell check! The card will likely be read by a lot of people, so ask yourself again if your message is appropriate and doesn’t contain anything that the couple wouldn’t want to share. Have you thought about the wedding theme?

Writing a wedding card is a wonderful way to share your joy and well-wishes with the newlyweds. Whether you are funny, heartfelt or formal, your message will be a cherished part of their special day. Wedding wishes should reflect your relationship with the couple and deliver your heartfelt congratulations and best wishes for their future together.

A wedding message doesn’t need to be long and wordy. You can simply say, “Congratulations on your wedding!” or “Wishing you a lifetime of happiness and love.” Tailor your message to suit the couple’s personalities and your relationship with them. Write wishes that are heartfelt, meaningful and appropriate for the couple.