These sweet, thoughtful and funny wedding wishes will strike just the right note
175 Wedding Wishes to Celebrate a Lifetime of Happiness
Updated on Sep. 04, 2024
The sweetest wedding wishes
Heartfelt wedding wishes can be just as much a gift to a new couple as the wedding gift you give them. “A well-written wedding wish will make them smile and may even become a precious memory or keepsake of their special day,” says Jan Goss, a wedding etiquette expert and the founder of Show Up Well Consulting.
The key there is “well written.” After all, your card should be memorable for the right reasons … not because a joke went awry or you decided to confess your unrequited love for the bride. Of course, even if you know what’s appropriate and what’s not, finding the right words can be tricky. Lucky for you, we can point you in the right direction with some spot-on advice and perfectly worded wishes for the big day.
What to write in a wedding card
Not sure what to say? The best messages are ones that convey your happiness for the couple and add a little personal touch through humor or sentimentality, Goss says. Just remember that different relationships call for different messages, so what you write in your card depends on whether you’re addressing a close friend, a family member or a colleague. But here are some general guidelines to follow, no matter who you’re sending a wedding card to:
- Start with a greeting. “Dear” is the standard.
- Offer your sincere congratulations.
- Share a happy wish for their future.
- Add a personal memory or sentiment, if appropriate.
- Close, and sign your name. “Best wishes,” “Love” or “Sincerely” are great options.
With that in mind, read on for 175-plus wedding wishes that you can use to craft the best wedding-card message—or even a quick text to say congratulations. These messages range from funny to formal and are perfect for sending to siblings, co-workers, parents, friends and more.
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Wedding wishes for friends
- I’m so happy for you, I’m jumping for joy. (Literally, I jumped up when I saw your invitation!)
- Congratulations on finding your person!
- Wishing you all the happiness in the world, today and every day going forward.
- May your future together be full of love, fun and movie nights snuggled up on the couch.
- I’m no psychic, but I see a fabulous future ahead for you two.
- We’ve been through so much together, and it’s an honor to be here celebrating your wedding now.
- May you have many years of love, laughter, hugs, joy and tacos. (The last two are the same.)
- Congrats on getting hitched!
- #couplegoals
- May you have an eternity of love and happiness together.
- I’m just here for the free champagne! (OK, and all the lovey stuff. Accept this toast to you!)
- Welcome, [partner’s name]! We knew it was serious when you got added to the group chat.
- Beyoncé and Jay-Z better watch out—there’s a new power couple in town! Congrats!
- Congratulations on your newest adventure!
- Congrats on finally finding someone to write in as your emergency contact on forms!
- Consider this my official decision that the Cutest Couple Award goes to you!
- When he skipped Taco Tuesday to take you out, we knew he was serious. But now that you have a taco bar at your wedding, I know you’re the one!
- May your happy never have an ending!
- There aren’t enough heart emojis to text you how happy I am for you, so I guess you get this card instead. Congrats!
- You have the kind of love that makes other people look at you and say, “I want what they have.”
For more inspiration when writing wedding messages, check out these love quotes.
Funny wedding wishes
- Marriage: when dating goes pro. Welcome to the next level.
- May your life together be like a romantic comedy—but with double the laughter and half the quirky misunderstandings.
- You two go together like peanut butter and jelly. Or mint and chocolate. Or wine and cheese. Just not toothpaste and orange juice.
- Think of marriage as an endless sleepover but with your favorite weirdo. Enjoy!
- Wishing you more love and romance than a Taylor Swift song.
- Congrats on finding your person—you know it’s true love when they’ll let you have the last slice of pizza!
- Marriage is about finding that special someone you want to annoy for the rest of your life.
- May your love story be as magical and charming as a fairy tale … but without all the evil stepmothers and murders.
- Welcome to the dark side, where we have endless love and endless laundry.
- They say marriage is a great institution, and now, you two have officially been institutionalized. Congrats!
- Marriage is the bond between a person who never remembers anniversaries and another who never forgets them. Good luck!
- Cheers to a lifetime of compromising on what to watch on Netflix.
- May your love be like fine wine—better with age and always worth the hangover.
- Best of luck with your new “happily ever after.” Some assembly required!
- May your marriage be filled with happiness, your hearts with love and your freezer with ice cream.
- Wishing you the strongest love and Wi-Fi signal.
- I just have one word: finally!
- May your marriage be as fabulous as your wedding-day hair!
- Think of your new life more as a Disney movie and less as a reality show.
If they appreciate a good laugh, text your favorite couple these hilarious wedding memes too.
Wedding wishes for your son or daughter
- From your first steps to your steps down the aisle today, I have always been cheering you on.
- It’s time to pass on our secret to a happy marriage: belly laughs, happy tears and the occasional, well-timed eye roll.
- We’ve learned that the best things in life get better when enjoyed with someone else. Here’s to a lifetime of best things!
- Dearest son—on your wedding day, our hearts are overflowing with love and pride. May your marriage be as strong and wonderful as you are.
- May your love be modern enough to survive the times and old-fashioned enough to last forever.
- I loved getting to watch you write the first chapters of your life, and I can’t wait to see what you do with this next chapter as Mr./Mrs.
- My sweet daughter—seeing you so happy fills my heart with joy. May your marriage be blessed with love, laughter and all the wonderful things life has to offer.
- May your marriage be as bright and beautiful as your smile. Congratulations, [daughter’s name]—we love you so much!
- To my sweet girl: Know that my love and support are always with you. Wishing you and your husband a lifetime of joy and togetherness.
- To my precious boy: May your wedding day be just the beginning of a lifetime of happiness and love. I am so proud of the man you’ve become.
- Make this next chapter of your life one for the history books!
- Congrats on your wedding! Now you can use their Netflix password.
- May your marriage survive all of life’s ups, downs and DIY home projects.
- Welcome to the greatest adventure of your lives. Make sure you get the good road-trip snacks!
- Congrats on finding someone who can handle your quirks—forever.
- On this day, your father and I wish that your marriage will be filled with all the love and warmth that you’ve always brought into our lives.
- From the day you were born, I wanted you to have all the joy in the world, and today is a beautiful continuation of that.
- My heart is so full as you take this step forward in your beautiful life.
- May today be the beginning of a life full of love, happiness and unforgettable moments. You deserve all the joy in the world. Congratulations!
Bookmark these happy anniversary messages for their next milestone. This year will go by faster than you think!
Wedding wishes for a new member of the family
- You two make such a cute couple—you’re going to make this year’s family picture look so good!
- Congrats on your wedding! May your love be like the wind—strong enough to move mountains and soft enough to never hurt.
- Welcome to the team! We’re so excited to have you on the winning side.
- Welcome to our fam! Expect your matching shirt in the mail shortly.
- Congratulations! Thank you for taking [insert name] off my hands.
- [Insert name] is one of my favorite people in the world, and now you are too.
- I’m thrilled that you two lovebirds found each other.
- Welcome to our clan! Cheers to a lifetime of inside jokes, secret handshakes and always calling before we stop by.
- May your life together be filled with laughs, love and a never-ending supply of inside jokes.
- May your marriage be as beautiful as your wedding photos, and may your arguments be as short as your vows!
- Welcome to the family! We’re so happy to have you with us. Wishing you both a lifetime of love, laughter and happiness together.
- It’s a joy to officially get to call you family now! May your marriage be filled with love and wonderful memories.
- You are the missing puzzle piece we’ve been waiting for! Thank you for completing our family.
- You fit in so well with our family, it’s like you’ve always been a part of us. I’m delighted to welcome you officially.
- I don’t know what the future holds for you, but at least you have the best in-laws! We will always love and support you.
- Here’s to love, laughter and your happily ever after—starting with that honeymoon!
- Our family vibe is less Keeping Up with the Kardashians and more Great British Bake Off—you’ll fit in perfectly.
- Welcome, welcome, welcome! We couldn’t be more delighted to have you as part of our family!
If they’re also buying a house or moving in together for the first time, follow up with these thoughtful ways to say “congratulations on your new home” once they’re back from their honeymoon.
Wedding wishes for siblings
- Your future together is bright, and I’m so excited to get to be a part of it.
- I promised to never tell Mom and Dad what really happened to the car bumper, and I promise not to tell your partner either—as long as you let me name your first child. (Just kidding! Congrats!)
- I’m thrilled to be a part of this next chapter in your life.
- I’m so happy to have a new brother/sister!
- Congratulations as you grow your love and your family.
- Huge congrats! I’ve loved watching your romance bloom.
- Remember when I said I wanted to marry you in kindergarten? That was weird. So happy you found [partner’s name]!
- Wishing you success and happiness as you build your life together.
- What a beautiful day! My heart is so full of love for you both.
- Life is a long road, but the trip will be so much better together.
- Your love story is a fairy tale. Congratulations on finding your prince/princess!
- You refused to share your snacks with me on road trips because I had germs, but now you’re eating cake off the same fork with [partner’s name]? Must be true love!
- If you hold on to one thing in this life, make sure it’s each other. Love you both!
- If your love was water, you two would fill an ocean.
- You two go together better than peanut butter and chocolate.
- Yours is one of my favorite love stories, and I got to see it written!
- Love is a beautiful adventure, and you are in for the ride of your life.
- When we were growing up, I always wanted to be like you. I still do. Thanks for showing me what real love looks like.
- Sis/bro, it’s been an honor to watch you grow, and it’s a privilege to be here with you now and watch you grow together.
- Since you were born, you’ve brought such joy into my life. It’s a privilege to get to be a part of your joy today.
- Congratulations on this huge milestone in your life! But don’t forget—you may be all grown up, but you’ll always be my little brother/sister!
- Just like walking and talking, you always hit the big milestones before I do—and that’s a good thing! I’ll always look up to you, today and every day.
- Your wedding is so exciting for our whole family, and I’m so happy for you and [partner’s name]!
- I love you forever and always.
- If you ever doubt my love for you, remember that I wore this bridesmaid’s dress for you even though yellow is totally not my color!
Looking for more wedding wishes tailored to your special bond as siblings? These sister quotes (or brother quotes) will also do the trick.
Wedding wishes for parents
- You taught me how to love, and your love continues to be an inspiration to me.
- Today is just the beautiful beginning of a beautiful life together.
- I’m so happy to see you happy, and I’m excited to welcome a new member into our family.
- Here’s to writing the next chapter in your book of life—together.
- Our family tree keeps growing bigger and bigger, and I couldn’t be happier about it!
- May you be blessed with many years of joy, happiness, friendship and family.
- Can’t wait to see [partner’s name] at the Thanksgiving table this year! Welcome to the family!
- Sending you all our love and hugs on your special day.
- Love is the greatest blessing, and you are richly blessed.
- Every day, I watch you fall more and more in love.
- Home is where the love is, and I always feel at home when I’m with you two.
- We’re honored to be here to commemorate your love.
- Every day together is a gift. Congratulations on your love.
- I hope you can feel our love for you today and every day!
- Thanks for teaching me what true love looks like.
- You don’t marry someone you can live with—you marry someone you can’t live without. And you two are the perfect match.
- You are the instrument, and your love is the melody. Here’s to years of beautiful music.
- May you love each other more tomorrow than you do today. And may that be true every day of your lives together.
- I don’t have enough words to tell you how happy I am for you.
- May your journey together bring you to a place of happiness and peace.
- This is a beautiful day that will bless our family for generations to come.
- It’s been a long journey, but I’m so happy you found the perfect person to share your life with!
- Sending you congratulations and love today. I’m so grateful you’re both a part of my life.
- Seeing you happy always makes me happy. Here’s to the happiest day yet!
- Congratulations on your wedding! I thought about giving you cash as a gift, but I remembered I still owe you from last summer, so … add it to my tab?
Many of these thoughtful wedding wishes also work if your parents are renewing their vows.
Wedding wishes for co-workers
- Huge congrats on your promotion—you’ve officially made partner!
- It’s a privilege and an honor to witness your love.
- May your love burn as brightly as all the midnight oil we burned finishing up the [insert name] project!
- Best wishes today and every day.
- Blessings on your wedding day. May your future be long and full of love.
- Wishing you a lifetime of wedded bliss.
- I couldn’t be happier for you two! Best wishes for you and [partner’s name]!
- Thanks for inviting me to be a part of this beautiful day.
- Cheers to you and your amazing partner!
- Today, two become one. Congratulations on your union!
- You two make an incredible team. Congratulations!
- We are so happy to celebrate this special moment with you.
- You light up a room together—here’s to many more years of light and love.
- Wishing a perfect day to a perfect couple!
- I just want you to know how thankful I am to be a part of this happy day with you.
- May your love always be as bright as it is today.
- Nothing is more beautiful than your love. I am so happy for you both!
- May your life together be full and deep, rich and true.
- Congrats from all of us at the office! Enjoy your honeymoon, and don’t worry about a thing while you’re gone.
- Here’s to making all your dreams come true, today and always!
- I had the perfect wedding card ready, but then the office printer ran out of toner. I’m sure it’ll be in the tray Monday morning! In the meantime, you get this. Congratulations!
Since you’ll still need to keep things professional, you may also want to check out these business etiquette guidelines.
Religious wedding wishes
- May your marriage be a union of two hearts joined by God, strengthened by faith and blessed by love.
- Sending prayers for a lifetime of love, faith and happiness together.
- Mazel tov on your wedding! May your life together be filled with love, joy and endless blessings.
- Mazel tov! May your home be filled with simcha, laughter and the warmth of family and friends.
- Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. —Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
- Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. —1 Corinthians 13:4-7
- May God bless your marriage with love, joy and endless grace.
- May your marriage be filled with love, respect and mutual understanding, and may Allah bless you with a harmonious life together. Congratulations!
- Alhamdulillah for this blessed union.
- As you begin this new chapter together, may God’s light shine brightly on your path.
- May your marriage be a reflection of God’s love and a blessing to everyone around you.
- Wishing you both a beautiful journey together, walking hand in hand with God.
- May God’s love be the foundation of your marriage and the source of your strength.
- May your marriage be richly blessed by God with love, joy and peace.
- Wishing you a marriage filled with God’s love and endless blessings.
- May your marriage be blessed with faith, love and joy in Christ.
- Wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness as you walk together in faith.
- Wishing you a beautiful marriage blessed by God, where love and faith grow stronger every day.
Is this the vibe you’re going for? If so, you may also want to take a look at these inspiring Bible quotes.
About the expert
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Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of etiquette stories that help readers navigate communication in a changing world. We regularly cover topics such as the best messages to send for any occasion, polite habits that aren’t as polite as they seem, email and texting etiquette, business etiquette, tipping etiquette, travel etiquette and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experience where appropriate. For this piece on wedding wishes, Charlotte Hilton Andersen tapped her experience as a longtime journalist who specializes in etiquette and communication for Reader’s Digest. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Source:
- Jan Goss, CEO and founder of Show Up Well Consulting; phone interview, August 2024
