What to write in a wedding card: thoughtful and creative congratulations messages

Wondering what to write in a wedding card? It's easy to get stuck thinking of creative congratulations messages, so here are some ideas...

A blank piece of paper sits on an open pink envelope and blue background while someone considers what to write in a wedding card
(Image credit: Getty)

Choosing what to write in a wedding card can be a challenge, especially if the happy couple are colleagues, distant family members or even just friends for whom you feel the pressure to write something both thoughtful and funny.

After choosing the best wedding gifts, and what to wear to a wedding, writing the wedding card is definitely one of the trickiest tasks for wedding guests. It all comes down to inscribing a small piece of card with something that's a balance of all the feels, cuteness and creativity. Yep, it's normal to be struck down by writer's block and luckily for you, woman&home has got your back. 

We all know that weddings are a lot more than a big party with free booze, dancing, and the most popular wedding flowers. For the people getting married, it's a celebration of their relationship in the hope that they'll share a long and happy life together.

Now, you can't guarantee how the day's proceedings will unfold, or indeed the longevity of their relationship. However, you can ensure that your card strikes the right tone by picking from the options below when you write in their wedding card...

What to write in a wedding card for friends and family

Luckily, in terms of the closest people in your life, you have the luxury of being able to be a little bit cheeky with it. However, balancing wit with well wishes and deep meaning is a challenge for anyone!

Here are a few cute ideas to consider.

  • I'm so happy to welcome a new family member. Best wishes to you both!
  • I couldn't be happier to call you both family. Best wishes for a long and happy future together.
  • It's so wonderful to add another family member to the gang, welcome and wishing you every happiness.
  • Here's to love and friendship!
  • So much love to you both. Thanks for letting us share in your celebration!
  • It's an absolute joy to share this special day with you, cheers to a happy life!
  • It's crystal clear that you two are a match made in heaven, so excited to see you grow together.
  • On this special day, remember to love, cherish and respect each other - and not drink too much prosecco!
  • Can't wait to celebrate your big day and your lives together.
  • Congratulations on your first marriage.

What to write in a wedding card for friends and family

(Image credit: Future)

What to write in a wedding card for colleagues

Although most of us generally see our colleagues more than our actual friends and family, there are of course certain professional boundaries to be considered. 

Think about your professional working relationship with them before deciding what you might say. Do you need to be polite and formal? Or can you be more relaxed, personal and even humorous?

Here are some ideas for things to write in a wedding card to coworkers:

  • Best wishes for a long and happy life together.
  • Thank you so much for including me in your special day, wishing you every happiness in your life together.
  • Wishing you a long and happy marriage.
  • Wishing you the best today and always.
  • I’m so glad to have gotten to know you at work, and I wish you and your new husband/wife a long and happy life together.
  • We’ve had so many laughs together! May you always make each other laugh!
  • So happy to celebrate this day with you both!
  • Wishing you success, and most of all happiness, in your marriage.
  • You’ve got a new title: husband/wife! Wishing you and your spouse the best.

What to write in a wedding card for colleagues

(Image credit: Future/Canva)

Wedding quotes and lyrics from celebrities

When in doubt, look to the annals of time and what well-known people have said about true love and marriage. Luckily, as love is so often the source of creativity, there are plenty of famous writers, musicians, creatives, and all types of recognizable names who've done the work so you don't have to.

  • “You don’t love somebody for their looks, or their clothes or for their fancy car; but because they sing a song only you can hear," Oscar Wilde.
  • “The great marriages are partnerships. It can’t be a great marriage without being a partnership," Helen Mirren.
  • “Experts on romance say for a happy marriage there has to be more than a passionate love. For a lasting union, they insist, there must be a genuine liking for each other. Which, in my book, is a good definition for friendship," Marilyn Monroe.
  • “The secret to a happy marriage is if you can be at peace with someone within four walls, if you are content because the one you love is near to you, either upstairs or downstairs, or in the same room, and you feel that warmth that you don’t find very often, then that is what love is all about," Bruce Forsyth.
  • “A good marriage is a contest of generosity," Diane Sawyer.
  • “The secret of a happy marriage is finding the right person. You know they’re right if you love to be with them all the time," Julia Child.
  •  “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength while loving someone deeply gives you courage," Lao Tzu.

A quote about love from Oscar Wilde on a pink patterned background

(Image credit: Future/Canva)

Religious messages for Weddings

  • May God bless you and your union.
  • May God grant you all of life's blessings and love's joys.
  • God bless you both on this day with a lifetime of shared love and joy.
  • May God grant a happy and prosperous life to you both as you embark on your journey together as husband and wife. All the best for your wedding!
  • Fate brought you together and I pray it keeps you safe and happy throughout your lives together.
  • May the One who brought you together bless your marriage, enrich your lives and deepen your love throughout the years.
Aoife Hanna
Junior News Editor

Aoife is an Irish journalist and writer with a background in creative writing, comedy, and TV production.

Formerly woman&home's junior news editor and a contributing writer at Bustle, her words can be found in the Metro, Huffpost, Delicious, Imperica and EVOKE.

Her poetry features in the Queer Life, Queer Love anthology.

Outside of work you might bump into her at a garden center, charity shop, yoga studio, lifting heavy weights, or (most likely) supping/eating some sort of delicious drink/meal.