Wedding Title: Complete Guide

Okay So Wedding Titles Are More Important Than You Think

Look, I’m gonna be straight with you – most couples completely overlook the title of their wedding when they’re planning, and then they’re scrambling like three weeks before when they need it for the program or the website. I had this client in summer 2021 who literally texted me at 11pm asking what to call their wedding because the printer needed it by morning and I was like… we talked about this? But we hadn’t, really, because everyone assumes a wedding title is just “The Wedding of Sarah and Mike” and calls it a day.

But here’s the thing – your wedding title shows up everywhere. Your save the dates, your invitations, your wedding website header, your programs, sometimes even on signage if you’re doing a welcome sign. It sets a tone before people even get to the actual event. And honestly? It’s one of those tiny details that can either make everything feel cohesive or just sorta meh.

What Even Is a Wedding Title

So a wedding title is basically how you’re officially referring to your wedding across all your materials. It’s not just slapping your names together – though that works too, no judgment. It can be formal, casual, themed, whatever matches your vibe. Some couples go traditional with “The Marriage of Katherine Anne Morrison and James Robert Chen” and others are like “Kate & James: Finally Making It Official” depending on their whole situation.

The title usually includes your names in some format, but it can also include the date, a tagline, a theme reference, or literally nothing extra at all. I’ve seen everything from super minimalist “A & J” to full paragraph situations that were basically a mission statement about their love story which – and this annoyed me so much – didn’t fit on half the stationery we’d already ordered.

Traditional Format Options

If you’re going the classic route, here’s what most people do:

• The Marriage of [Full Name] and [Full Name]
• The Wedding of [First Name] and [First Name]
• [Full Name] & [Full Name]
• The Union of [Name] and [Name]
• [Last Name] Wedding (if you’re both taking the same name)

You’ll notice traditional formats usually put the bride’s name first, but honestly in 2024 nobody really cares about that anymore. I tell clients to go alphabetical, or whoever cares more about name order can go first, or flip a coin. One couple I worked with in spring 2023 literally could not decide and changed it four times across different materials and guess what – nobody noticed except me because I’m the one who had to keep track of which version went where.

Modern and Casual Approaches

This is where you can get more creative and let your personality show through. Some options I’ve seen work really well:

• [Name] + [Name] (the plus sign feels young and fun)
• [Name] ♥ [Name] (if you’re into the heart symbol thing)
• Finally! [Name] & [Name]
• [Name] and [Name]: A Love Story
• The [Last Name]s (works if you’re both taking the same name)
• Two Families Become One: [Name] & [Name]

The casual approach lets you add personality. I had a couple who were both really into hiking and their title was “Taking the Ultimate Hike Together: Emma & Connor” which showed up on their rustic mountain wedding invites and it just worked, you know?

Adding Dates and Locations

Sometimes your wedding title includes when and where it’s happening. This is especially common on save the dates and websites. Like:

• Sarah & Michael | June 15, 2024
• The Johnson Wedding | Napa Valley | 09.20.24
• Emma ♥ Ryan | Celebrating in Charleston

But here’s where it gets tricky – if you include the date in your “official” title, you’re kinda locked into using it everywhere or it looks inconsistent. I usually tell people to have a main title (just names) and then add date/location as a subtitle when needed. That way your branding stays flexible across different pieces.

Monogram Situations

Okay so this is related but slightly different – your wedding monogram isn’t always the same as your title, but they should coordinate. A monogram is usually just initials, like “E & J” or “EMJ” (first initial, last initial, first initial) or “EJM” if you’re going with a shared last name format.

What drives me crazy is when couples create a beautiful monogram and then their actual wedding title doesn’t match the vibe at all. Like you’ve got this elegant script monogram with flourishes and then your title is “Jake and Emma’s Big Day!!!” with multiple exclamation points. It just feels… I don’t know, pick a lane?

Theme-Based Titles

If you’re doing a themed wedding, your title can reflect that. I worked with a couple doing a vintage 1920s wedding and their title was “An Evening of Elegance: The Marriage of Dorothy & William” using their actual names but styled like a 1920s event announcement. It was on all their Art Deco invitations and it just transported you immediately.

Other theme examples:

• Fairytale weddings: “Once Upon a Time: [Names]” or “A Fairytale Beginning”
• Beach weddings: “Tying the Knot by the Sea” or “[Names] | Beachside Celebration”
• Rustic/Barn: “Love & Laughter on the Farm: [Names]”
• Garden party: “A Garden Romance: The Wedding of [Names]”

But like, don’t force a theme into your title if it feels cheesy. I’ve seen some that were just trying too hard and it’s… you can tell.

Cultural and Religious Considerations

Different cultures and religions have traditional ways of titling weddings. For Indian weddings, you might see “The Auspicious Wedding of [Names]” or titles in Hindi/other languages. Jewish weddings sometimes use Hebrew alongside English. Catholic ceremonies might reference “The Sacrament of Marriage.”

If you’re blending cultures, you can do bilingual titles or incorporate elements from both traditions. I had a couple where one family was Mexican and the other was Korean, and they created a title that included both “La Boda de” and Korean characters – it was printed beautifully on their invitations and both families felt represented.

My cat just knocked over my coffee while I’m writing this, but anyway –

What Goes on Different Wedding Materials

Here’s where you gotta think about how your title appears across everything:

Save the Dates: Usually pretty casual. “Emma & Jake | Save the Date | 6.15.24” works fine. You don’t need your full formal title here.

Invitations: This is where you might use your full formal title, especially if you’re doing traditional invitations. “Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Davies request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Emma Katherine to Jacob Michael Morrison” – you see how the couple’s names are embedded but it’s not really a “title” in the modern sense? Or you can just go with “The Wedding of Emma & Jake” at the top.

Wedding Website: Your title is probably the header/hero text. Keep it readable and not too long because it needs to look good on mobile phones too. I’ve seen couples use their monogram as the website logo and then have a simple title underneath.

Programs: Usually matches your invitation style. If you went formal there, stay formal here.

Thank You Cards: Often just “Thank you from the [Last Name]s” or “With gratitude, Emma & Jake” – doesn’t need to match your wedding title exactly.

Consistency Is Key But Also Not Really

Look, I tell clients to stay consistent but real talk? Most guests don’t notice if your save the date says “Emma + Jake” and your invitation says “The Wedding of Emma and Jacob.” They’re not comparing materials side by side unless they’re weird about it. What matters more is that each piece looks intentional on its own.

That said, if you’re using a specific hashtag for social media, try to make sure your title and hashtag coordinate. Like if your title is “The Martinez Wedding” but your hashtag is #EmmaGetsHerJake, that’s… fine but slightly confusing? Just think it through.

Common Mistakes People Make

Okay so here are things I see all the time that make my job harder:

Making it too long. Your wedding title shouldn’t be a full sentence or paragraph. “The Long-Awaited Celebration of Two Souls Finding Each Other Against All Odds and Finally Uniting in Matrimony: Sarah & Michael” is gonna look ridiculous on a save the date. Keep it under 10 words if possible.

Using fonts that are unreadable. This is more of a design thing but if your title is in some super swirly script font that nobody can actually read, what’s the point? I had a client insist on this one font and we got multiple calls from guests asking what the invitation even said.

Forgetting about divorced parents or complicated family situations. Traditional invitation wording can get really tricky when parents are divorced, remarried, deceased, or you’re paying for the wedding yourself. Your title can sidestep all that drama by just being “The Wedding of You & Partner” without bringing parents into it at all.

Not thinking about how it abbreviates. If your title is “The Wedding of Christopher and Alexander” and you try to shorten it to initials, you get… C & A? Which might not mean anything to anyone. Just consider how it’ll look in different formats.

Hashtag Coordination

Since everyone does wedding hashtags now, think about how your title relates to your hashtag. Some couples make them match:

• Title: “Emma & Jake” | Hashtag: #EmmaAndJake2024
• Title: “The Martinez Wedding” | Hashtag: #MartinezIdo
• Title: “Finally! Sarah & Mike” | Hashtag: #FinallyMrandMrsSmith

Or they can be totally different, honestly it doesn’t matter as much as people think. Your hashtag is more for social media and your title is for printed materials, so they serve slightly different purposes anyway.

When You’re Both Keeping Your Names

If neither of you is changing your name or you’re both hyphenating or whatever your situation is, your title should reflect that. Don’t default to traditional formats that assume the bride is taking the groom’s name. Go with:

• Emma Davidson & Jake Morrison
• The Wedding of Emma and Jake
• Davidson-Morrison Wedding (if you’re both hyphenating)
• Just use first names and skip last names entirely in the title

I had a situation where the couple was both keeping their names but the groom’s mom kept “correcting” everything to show the bride with the groom’s last name and it caused this whole… thing. Your title is your choice, full stop.

LGBT+ Weddings

Same-sex weddings have the same title options as any other wedding, obviously. The only difference is you’re not dealing with outdated “bride and groom” traditions about whose name goes first. Some couples go alphabetical, some go by who proposed, some just pick what sounds better.

I worked with two grooms who went with “Michael & Christopher: Two Grooms, One Love” which was a little cheesy but they owned it and it fit their fun, upbeat wedding vibe. Another couple did a super formal “The Marriage of Dr. Jennifer Collins and Ms. Rachel Martinez” because they wanted that traditional elegant feel.

Quick Practical Tips

Before you finalize anything, do this:

• Write out your title in a few different fonts and sizes to see how it looks
• Check how it fits on actual invitation dimensions (5×7 or whatever you’re using)
• Say it out loud to make sure it doesn’t sound awkward
• Run it by someone whose opinion you trust but who isn’t gonna sugarcoat it
• Make sure you’re both on board – I’ve seen couples where one person picked the title and the other hated it
• Consider how it’ll age – will you still like “Jake & Emma 4Ever” in 20 years?

Working With Your Stationer or Designer

When you’re talking to whoever is designing your invitations or website, they should ask about your title early on. If they don’t, bring it up yourself. Give them a few options you’re considering and ask how they’d incorporate it into the design. A good designer can make almost any title work, but some will fit better with certain design styles.

Also be clear about what’s flexible and what’s not. If you absolutely need your full legal names spelled out, say that upfront. If you’re open to creative interpretation, let them know that too. I’ve had clients who gave me total freedom and we created something beautiful together, and I’ve had clients who wanted exact specifications down to punctuation – both approaches work, just communicate clearly.

Digital vs Print Considerations

Your title might need to be slightly different for digital vs print materials. On a website, you have more flexibility with spacing and layout. On a printed invitation, you’re working with physical space constraints. Sometimes couples have a “formal” title for print and a “casual” version for digital, which is totally fine.

For example, print might be “The Wedding of Katherine Anne Morrison and James Robert Chen” but their website header just says “Kate & James” because the full version is too long for the banner image. Nobody cares about this kind of inconsistency – it’s practical.

Honestly I could keep going about this but you probably have enough information to make a decision. The main thing is pick something that feels like you, check that it works across your materials, and then stop overthinking it because I promise your guests are not analyzing your wedding title as much as you think they are.