Civil Ceremony & Courthouse Wedding Invitation Wording
By Mustafa Bilgic · Last updated 20 June 2026
A civil wedding is small, modern and refreshingly free of fuss — and the invitation should sound that way too. Here is exactly how to word an invitation for a courthouse, city hall or registry-office ceremony, how to invite people to the celebration afterward, and how to announce an elopement gracefully.
The one wording rule that matters most
Traditional etiquette uses two request lines, and they signal different settings:
- "request the honour of your presence" — only for ceremonies in a church, synagogue, temple or mosque.
- "request the pleasure of your company" — for everywhere else, including a courthouse, city hall, registry office, garden, restaurant or your own backyard.
Because a civil ceremony is, by definition, not religious, the correct phrasing is "the pleasure of your company." It's a small detail, but it's the one that etiquette-minded guests notice — and getting it right makes your invitation read as intentional rather than borrowed from a template.
Civil ceremonies come in many names
"Civil ceremony" covers a courthouse wedding, a city-hall ceremony, a registry-office wedding (common in the UK and Commonwealth), a judge- or officiant-led ceremony at a private venue, and a simple legal signing. They share one thing: no religious officiant. The wording below works for all of them — just swap in the right venue name.
Small, intimate civil ceremony wording
When only a handful of people are present, the invitation can be just as small in spirit — heartfelt, direct, and unburdened by formality. Here is wording that suits a courthouse or city-hall ceremony with close family and a few friends:
Olivia Carter & James Bennett
request the pleasure of your company
as they exchange vows
Friday, the twelfth of September, 2026
at eleven o'clock in the morning
Charleston County Courthouse
Charleston, South Carolina
Lunch to follow at The Garden Room
Notice how the wording stays personal — "with joyful hearts," "as they exchange vows" — while still using the correct "pleasure of your company." A morning courthouse slot with lunch afterward is one of the most common civil-wedding shapes, and the card handles both events on a single, uncluttered face.
City hall ceremony, hosted by the couple
For a city-hall wedding where the couple is hosting on their own, you can open directly with their names. This version leans a touch more elegant while keeping the modern, secular tone:
and
James Michael Bennett
request the pleasure of your company
at their marriage
Saturday, the twelfth of September, two thousand twenty-six
at half past two in the afternoon
San Francisco City Hall · Rotunda
Reception to follow
City Hall settings are often beautiful in their own right, so it's worth naming the specific room ("Rotunda," "Mayor's Balcony") — it gives guests a sense of the day and helps them find you. If you'd like an even more relaxed voice, our casual wedding invitation wording guide has phrasings you can borrow.
Civil venue wording at a glance
Whatever kind of civil setting you've chosen, the request line stays "the pleasure of your company." Here's how the venue name and tone tend to shift across the most common civil weddings:
| Setting | Request line | How to name the venue | Typical tone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Courthouse | request the pleasure of your company | "[County] Courthouse, [City]" | Simple, heartfelt, often a weekday morning |
| City hall | request the pleasure of your company | "[City] City Hall · [specific room]" | Elegant, photogenic, can lean formal |
| Registry office | request the pleasure of your company | "[Town] Register Office" | Brief and warm; small guest list |
| Officiant at a private venue | request the pleasure of your company | "[Venue name], [City]" | Flexible — match it to the space |
| Reception only (ceremony private) | join us to celebrate | "[Reception venue], [City]" | Party-first; marriage already made |
Inviting people only to the celebration
A very common pattern: the legal ceremony is just for the two of you (and perhaps two witnesses), and the real gathering is a party afterward. In that case you don't invite guests to the courthouse at all — you invite them to the celebration, and the wording makes clear the marriage has already happened or will happen privately.
are getting married!
After a small ceremony just for two,
please join us to celebrate
Saturday, the nineteenth of September, 2026
at six o'clock in the evening
The Garden Room · Charleston
Dinner, drinks and dancing
This keeps everything honest and warm — no one feels they were "left out" of a ceremony they were never expected to attend, because the card frames the party as the event. For a deeper look at celebrating after a private ceremony, see our reception-only wedding invitation wording guide.
Elopement-announcement style
If you've eloped — or plan to — and simply want to share the news, the wording shifts from inviting to announcing. An announcement is sent after the wedding and celebrates the news; it does not request attendance (unless you add a party).
Olivia Carter & James Bennett
are delighted to share that they were married
Friday, the twelfth of September, 2026
Big Sur, California
—
We'd love to raise a glass with you soon
An elopement announcement can be funny, romantic or simply matter-of-fact — whatever sounds like you. If you're following it with a party, the last line points to the celebration; if not, it's a lovely keepsake on its own.
Be crystal clear about which event each guest is invited to
The most common civil-wedding mix-up is confusion over whether a guest is invited to the ceremony, the party, or both. If only some people attend the courthouse, send those few a separate, more detailed note, and send everyone else the celebration invitation. When in doubt, say it plainly — "Join us for a celebration of our marriage" tells people exactly what they're coming to.
What to include on a civil invitation
Civil ceremonies are flexible, but guests still need the basics. A complete card answers four questions at a glance:
- Who — your two names (and a host line only if parents are hosting).
- What — the ceremony, the celebration, or both, clearly distinguished.
- When — date and time; civil ceremonies are often weekday mornings, so be explicit.
- Where — the courthouse, city hall or registry office, plus the reception venue if different.
An RSVP line or a link to your wedding website rounds it out. Because civil weddings tend to be small, an accurate head count matters even more than usual — make replying easy.
Design your civil wedding invitation free
Drop any wording above into our free editor and see it on 16 designs — from minimalist and modern to elegant. Tweak the words, fonts and colours, then download a print-ready PNG or share it as an image. No account, no watermark.
Open the free editor →Frequently asked questions
What wording should I use for a civil or courthouse wedding invitation?
Use "request the pleasure of your company" rather than "the honour of your presence," because the ceremony is not in a house of worship. Keep the tone warm and personal, name the city hall, courthouse or registry office, and add a line about the celebration to follow if you're hosting a reception afterward.
What is the difference between "pleasure of your company" and "honour of your presence"?
"Request the honour of your presence" is traditionally used only when the ceremony is in a place of worship. "Request the pleasure of your company" is used for every other setting — a courthouse, city hall, registry office, garden, restaurant or home. A civil ceremony almost always calls for "the pleasure of your company."
How do I invite people to a reception after a small civil ceremony?
You can invite guests to both the ceremony and the celebration on one card, or — if the ceremony is just for a few people — send an invitation only to the reception, worded as "join us for a celebration of our marriage." Be clear about which event each guest is invited to so no one is confused.
Do you send invitations for a courthouse wedding?
You can, though many couples keep the legal ceremony tiny and send a printed invitation only for the celebration afterward. If you do invite guests to the courthouse itself, a simple, heartfelt card works best — formality is optional and the small scale is part of the charm.
How do I word an elopement announcement?
An elopement announcement is sent after the fact and shares the news rather than requesting attendance. A line such as "We eloped! Olivia and James are happy to share that they were married on..." is warm and honest. If you're hosting a party later, add "and we'd love you to celebrate with us" with the details.
Related: the free editor · Religious wording · Reception-only wording · Modern wording · Wedding invitation wording · Couple hosting · What to include