Free printed proof for orders over $300 More Info Here

Adding guest’s names to wedding invitations & stationery

When planning your wedding, personalising your wedding invitations and stationery can add a special touch that makes your guests feel truly welcomed. Customising each invitation to add guest names is a thoughtful touch. In this guide, we cover everything you need to know to address your wedding invitations properly, how to customise your invites with guest names, and manage the logistics of submitting guest information for a seamless mail merge process.

Why is it Important to Write Guest Names on Wedding Invitations?

Writing your guest names on the wedding invitation clarifies exactly who is invited (...and who isn’t!). When your invitations reach your friends and family, it's essential that the recipients know who the invitation is meant for. Adding guest names to wedding invites also implies the invite is not transferable. If your friend breaks up with her boyfriend she can’t bring her hot mess workmate you’ve never met...

Consider a household with several members, some of whom might be children. If the invitation doesn't specify that only the parents are invited, they might assume that the children are welcome too. You might be including little ones in your celebration, or you might not. The key is that writing the guest names on the invitation will eliminate any confusion.

Wedding invitations with the guest names printed is also ideal if you have messy handwriting!

Printing your guest names onto your wedding invitations not only personalises each invite but also ensures that your guests feel special. At Be My Guest Design, we offer guest name printing at no extra cost for wedding invitations, helping you create a memorable introduction to your wedding festivities.

Do I have to include guest names on my wedding invitations?

It is completely your decision whether you personalise your wedding invitations with guest names. Sending your invitations without guest names is perfectly fine if you are sure the recipient will understand exactly who is invited and there will be no confusion.

Your guests names will be on the envelope, but think about what happens when the envelope is opened—it often gets discarded or recycled, and the addressed names are no longer visible. If your guests haven't noted the names on the envelope, they might forget or not notice who exactly is invited. Including guest names on the invitation itself ensures clarity and avoids any confusion.

Where to write guest names on wedding invitation

You'll want to incorporate the guest's names into your wedding invitation wording so that it sounds like a proper sentence when read out loud.

The designers at Be My Guest are experienced in wording wedding invitations. We will offer tweaks to ensure your guest names are incorporated seamlessly on your invitation cards. If you don't want your guest names printed onto the invite (or you order some spares without names) we can include a line if you like, to help you keep it all neat and tidy.

We have also included some sample wedding invitation wording here.

How much of our Wedding Guest Names should be added?

When writing guest names on the invitation, the choice between using first names, full names, or formal names and titles will depend on the formality of your wedding and your personal preference.

Coming from a recovering perfectionist, addressing via guests' first names only means half as much spell checking to do (or less chances for error!).

How to invite 'Plus Ones' when personalising wedding invitations

A 'Plus one' is where you invite someone along with an invitation to bring a guest of their choice. If a guest is single or not in a serious relationship then you may want to consider whether they will receive a “plus one”. If the bulk of your guests will be there with partners, and you have very few single friends, extending a plus one to your single guests would be a gracious thing to do. Consider how you would feel attending a wedding alone, whether your guest is friendly enough with other guests to enjoy themselves and be comfortable.

If your guest has a partner then you should be inviting both of them (except for say, work friends who will attend in a group). Your definition of a serious relationship and theirs may differ. You don't want to cause offence, so tread lightly. If they are living with someone or are engaged then I would consider that a serious relationship.

When you are extending a 'plus one' invitation, it's ideal to mention both guest names if you have them. If you suspect they have a partner then make an effort to track down their name so they feel welcome. Or if you are allowing someone to bring a casual date, the words "and partner" or "and guest" will suffice after the primary guest’s name, e.g., Stacey and guest.

These are some examples of the most common ways of extending a plus one to your guest:

  • Guest Name and partner
  • Guest Name and guest

How to submit your guest names for personalising invitations & stationery

First up: please do not send screenshots of guest lists, or photos of handwritten guest lists. There’s a high chance of error if we are trying to decipher someone else’s handwriting, or if we have to retype a list. This also slows down the design process so it will take longer for you to get your order! We also know from experience that these long lists of names are not always proofread/spellchecked correctly.

For invitations (wedding invites, save the dates, Engagement Party Invitations):

All names are to be typed as you want them printed, and fully spellchecked. Consider what joiner you want to use (e.g. and, &, +) and use it consistently. Your names should be grouped per invitation, i.e.

  • Amanda and Craig
  • Jed and Sophie
  • Henry and Dora

Where possible, we copy and paste the exact text we are supplied. This minimises any typos at this end.

For address labels:

All names and addresses are to be typed as you want them printed, and fully spellchecked. Your names and addresses should be grouped per invitation, and a comma should separate each 'line' of your address i.e.

  • Amanda and Craig Cookson, 167a Gordon Road, Mosgiel 9024
  • Jed and Sophie Riach, 50 The Octagon, City Centre, Dunedin 9053

You can also supply a spreadsheet with your names and addresses in each column:

NameAddress1Address2Address3City
Amanda and Craig Cookson167a Gordon RoadMosgiel 9024
Jed and Sophie Riach50 The OctagonCity CentreDunedin 9053

Where possible, we copy and paste the exact text we are supplied. This minimises any typos at this end.

For placecards or personalised menus:

All names are to be typed as you want them printed, and fully spellchecked. Names should be listed singularly, i.e.

  • Amanda
  • Craig
  • Jed
  • Sophie
  • Henry
  • Dora

Where possible, we copy and paste the exact text we are supplied. This minimises any typos at this end.

How to submit your seating list for your seating plan

All names are to be typed as you want them printed, and fully spellchecked. Your names should be grouped per table, using the name or number of the table as the heading, i.e.

  • Table One
  • Amanda
  • Craig
  • Jed
  • Sophie
  • Henry
  • Dora
  • Table Two
  • Aleisha
  • Jason
  • Elliot
  • Isaac
  • Harriet
  • Leah
  • Kelvin
  • Arden
  • Chloe

Many couples find it easiest to arrange seating plans in a spreadsheet. We can typically copy and paste directly from your spreadsheet which is ideal!

Table OneTable Two
AmandaAleisha
CraigJason
JedElliot
SophieIsaac
HenryHarriet
DoraLeah
Kelvin
Arden
Chloe

Where possible, we copy and paste the exact text we are supplied. This minimises any typos at this end.

From experience, seating diagrams created in Word/Google Docs typically use formatting methods columns, tabs, text boxes or spacing. These don't copy and paste well and we don't recommend them.

We are not trying to be awkward or cause any stress, I just know from experience that submitting your seating plan in a Word or similar format will slow down the design process so it will take longer for you to get your order, and that these long lists of names are not always proofread/spellchecked correctly.

More wording & etiquette posts from the Wedding Invitation Wording Series

Table of Contents

How to Apply Custom Wine Labels

Custom wine labels are a fantastic way to personalise gifts for any occasion. Here’s everything you need to know about creating, removing, and applying custom wine labels, ensuring your bottle looks perfect.

Read More »