By Mustafa Bilgic · Last updated 20 June 2026

Wedding Invitation Abbreviations Explained

Q: What does RSVP mean on a wedding invitation?

RSVP stands for the French 'répondez s'il vous plaît,' meaning 'please reply.' On a wedding invitation it is a request to let the couple know whether you will attend, by the date given. Because it already contains 'please,' it is redundant to write 'please RSVP,' though you will see it often.

Q: What does the M___ line on an RSVP card mean?

The blank line beginning with 'M' is where you write your name, starting with your title: M becomes Mr., Mrs., Ms., or Miss, followed by your name. So you complete it as 'M r. and Mrs. James Bennett.' It is simply a prompt that assumes a courtesy title; if you do not use one, you can ignore the M and write your name.

Q: What is the difference between 'black tie' and 'black tie optional'?

'Black tie' means formal evening wear is expected: a tuxedo or dark suit, and a floor-length or elegant cocktail dress. 'Black tie optional' (or 'black tie invited') softens that to a strong suggestion, so a dark suit and a nice dress are acceptable for guests who do not own formalwear, while those who wish to go full black tie still fit right in.

Q: What does 'regrets only' mean?

'Regrets only' means you should reply only if you cannot attend. Silence is taken as a yes. It is the opposite of a standard RSVP, where every guest replies either way. It saves the host responses but is less reliable for an exact headcount, so it is more common for casual events.

Q: What is a 'no host bar'?

A 'no host bar' is the polite term for a cash bar: drinks are available but guests pay for their own, because the hosts are not covering the tab. By contrast, an 'open bar' or 'hosted bar' means the couple is paying. The phrase is a courteous heads-up so guests bring a card or cash.

Q: Is it 'honour of your presence' or 'pleasure of your company'?

By tradition, 'the honour of your presence' signals a ceremony held in a house of worship, while 'the pleasure of your company' is used for a ceremony at a secular venue such as a hotel or garden. The British spelling 'honour' is the conventional choice on formal invitations, though 'honor' is perfectly correct in American usage.

RSVP, the mysterious "M___" line, black tie, "and Guest," no host bar — wedding stationery has its own little code. Here's a plain-English decoder for every abbreviation and term you're likely to find, so you always know exactly what's being asked.

The short answer: Most wedding-invitation shorthand boils down to three things — how to reply (RSVP = "please reply"; regrets only = reply only if you can't come), who's invited (+1, "and Guest," "and Family," "adults only"), and what to wear or expect (black tie, cocktail, no host bar). The big table below decodes them all.

The complete reference table

Skim for the term you're staring at on your invitation; the third column tells you when and why it shows up.

Term / abbreviation	What it means	When it's used
RSVP	From French répondez s'il vous plaît — "please reply." Let the couple know if you'll attend.	On nearly every invitation or reply card, with a "by" date.
R.S.V.P. vs RSVP	Identical in meaning. Periods are the older, more formal styling; the unpunctuated form is now common.	Either is correct; match your invitation's overall formality.
Regrets only	Reply only if you cannot attend. No reply = a yes.	More casual events; less reliable for exact counts.
The favour of a reply is requested	A formal, spelled-out way of saying RSVP.	Black-tie and traditional invitations.
M_______	A prompt to write your name after a title: M → Mr./Mrs./Ms./Miss.	The name line on a reply card.
+1	You may bring one guest of your choosing.	Informal RSVPs and digital invitations.
and Guest	The formal equivalent of +1: a companion is invited, name unknown to the couple.	On the envelope or inner envelope.
and Family	The whole household, children included, is invited.	Outer/inner envelope addressing.
Adults only / adult reception	Children aren't included; the celebration is for grown-ups.	Reception or details card, or signalled by addressing.
Black tie	Formal evening wear — tuxedo/dark suit; floor-length or elegant dress.	Evening weddings; usually noted bottom-right of the invite.
Black tie optional (or invited)	Black tie is encouraged but a dark suit and nice dress are fine.	Formal weddings welcoming guests without formalwear.
Cocktail attire	Dressy but not formal: a suit, a cocktail dress or dressy separates.	Semi-formal evening receptions.
Semi-formal / dressy casual	A notch down from cocktail: smart but relaxed.	Daytime or casual-leaning celebrations.
No host bar	Polite term for a cash bar — guests buy their own drinks.	Reception details, as a courteous heads-up.
Open / hosted bar	The couple is covering drinks.	Reception details (a happy thing to note!).
Honour of your presence	By tradition, a ceremony in a house of worship.	Religious-venue formal invitations.
Pleasure of your company	A ceremony at a secular venue.	Hotel, garden, and other non-religious venues.
Reception to follow	The party is at the same place, right after the ceremony.	When ceremony and reception share a venue.
Ceremony vs Reception	Ceremony = the "I do"; reception = the party after.	Used to separate the two parts of the day.
BYO / BYOB	Bring your own (bottle/booze).	Very casual or backyard celebrations only.
Black tie vs white tie	White tie is the most formal of all — tails and floor-length gowns.	Extremely formal, rare events.

The reply-card terms, in detail

The reply card trips up more guests than any other piece, so it's worth slowing down on its little conventions.

RSVP — and why "please RSVP" is redundant

RSVP already contains the "please" (s'il vous plaît), so "please RSVP" technically says "please please reply." Nobody will fault you for it — it's extremely common — but a formal invitation usually writes "The favour of a reply is requested" or simply "RSVP" with a date instead.

The M___ line, decoded

That lone "M" with a long blank is the single most-asked-about mark on any reply card. It assumes you'll start your name with a courtesy title, all of which begin with M:

Mr. and Mrs. James Bennett
(you complete the line after the printed "M")

Ms. Olivia Carter
Miss Grace Bennett

If you don't use a title at all, you're free to ignore the M and just write your name — the line is a prompt, not a requirement. Then, if there's a "We have reserved ___ seats" note, fill in only the names of those attending. For the full anatomy of the card, see wedding RSVP card wording.

"Regrets only" — reply only if you can't come

This flips the usual RSVP on its head: you contact the couple only if you have to decline. No word from you is read as "yes, I'll be there." It's convenient but riskier for the couple's catering count, which is why you'll mostly see it on relaxed celebrations rather than formal ones.

Who's invited: +1, "and Guest," "and Family"

How a couple words the invitee tells you precisely who's welcome — and reading it correctly saves an awkward conversation:

"and Guest" / +1 — you may bring one companion. The couple didn't have a name to print, so they left it open to you.
Your name only — the invitation is for you alone. No "and Guest" means no plus-one, however the rule is phrased.
"and Family" — the whole household, kids included, is invited.
Named children on the inner envelope — only the children listed are included; unlisted ones aren't.

When in doubt, the envelope is the source of truth — it's addressed to exactly the people who are invited, no more. The finer points live in our wedding plus-one etiquette guide.

What to wear: the dress-code terms

Dress-code shorthand sits quietly in the bottom corner of the invitation or on the reception card, and it ranges from "tux required" to "wear whatever's comfortable." From most to least formal: white tie → black tie → black tie optional → cocktail → semi-formal → casual. Each has a fairly settled meaning, broken down with outfit examples in our dedicated guide to the dress code on a wedding invitation.

"Honour" vs "honor" — not a typo

If you spot the British "honour" or "favour" on an American invitation, it's a deliberate convention, not a mistake. The older spelling lends a formal, traditional air, and "the honour of your presence" specifically signals a house-of-worship ceremony. Either spelling is correct — couples simply choose the register they want.

A few you'll see less often

"Black tie" with a daytime wedding — unusual, but it means the couple wants formal dress regardless of the hour.
"Carriages at midnight" — a charming, very traditional way of telling guests when the party ends.
"In lieu of gifts" — introduces an alternative to presents (a charity, a fund); usually on a website or insert, not the main card.
"Unplugged ceremony" — a request to put phones and cameras away during the vows.

None of these should leave you guessing now — and if a term ever isn't on your invitation but you wish it were clearer, the couple's wedding website almost always spells it out. For the etiquette behind these choices, see our wedding invitation etiquette guide.

Making your own invitation? Keep it clear

Design an invitation that says exactly what you mean — dress code, RSVP, the lot — in our free editor. Pick a design, set your wording, and download a print-ready PNG. No sign-up.

Open the free editor →

Frequently asked questions

What does RSVP mean on a wedding invitation?

RSVP stands for the French "répondez s'il vous plaît," meaning "please reply." It's a request to tell the couple whether you'll attend, by the date given. Because it already contains "please," writing "please RSVP" is redundant — though you'll see it often.

What does the M___ line on an RSVP card mean?

The blank line beginning with "M" is where you write your name, starting with your title: M becomes Mr., Mrs., Ms., or Miss, followed by your name — so "M" plus "r. and Mrs. James Bennett." It's a prompt that assumes a courtesy title; if you don't use one, ignore the M and write your name.

What is the difference between "black tie" and "black tie optional"?

"Black tie" means formal evening wear is expected — a tuxedo or dark suit and a floor-length or elegant cocktail dress. "Black tie optional" softens that to a strong suggestion, so a dark suit and a nice dress are acceptable for guests without formalwear, while those who wish to go full black tie still fit right in.

What does "regrets only" mean?

"Regrets only" means you reply only if you cannot attend; silence is taken as a yes. It's the opposite of a standard RSVP where every guest replies either way. It saves the host responses but is less reliable for an exact headcount, so it's more common for casual events.

What is a "no host bar"?

A "no host bar" is the polite term for a cash bar — drinks are available but guests pay for their own, because the hosts aren't covering the tab. An "open bar" or "hosted bar" means the couple is paying. The phrase is a courteous heads-up so guests bring a card or cash.

Is it "honour of your presence" or "pleasure of your company"?

By tradition, "the honour of your presence" signals a ceremony in a house of worship, while "the pleasure of your company" is used for a secular venue such as a hotel or garden. The British spelling "honour" is conventional on formal invitations, though "honor" is perfectly correct in American usage.