How to word your adult-only wedding invitations

So, you’ve decided to have an adults-only wedding. And, now you need to figure out how to tell your guests that although their children are just absolutely precious, you do not want to see their little faces on your wedding day.

There are many ways to communicate your wishes. The key is to be direct. Don’t be wishy washy about it, or guests WILL arrive with toddlers in tow.

Use the tips below on how to make it clear that children are not on your wedding guest list.

TIP #1: ADDRESS YOUR ENVELOPES CORRECTLY

Etiquette states that the best way to communicate an adult-only wedding is by properly addressing your wedding invitation’s envelopes.

For example:

Addressing your envelopes to include children:

Mr. & Mrs. John Nessbit and Children
1393 North Larkspur Avenue
Chico, California 93028

Addressing your envelopes to exclude children:

Mr. & Mrs. John Nessbit
1393 North Larkspur Avenue
Chico, California 93028

TIP #2: SPELL IT OUT, RIGHT ON THE INVITATION

This isn’t our favorite way to communicate your wishes to your guests, but it does do the trick! If you want to add a note about your wedding being for adults-only right on your invitation, add it at the very bottom, separate from the rest of your wording. And, be concise!

For example:

No Children, Please

or

Adult-Only Ceremony & Reception

TIP #3: WORD YOUR RSVP CARDS JUST RIGHT

This is our favorite place to make it clear that you’re having a kid-free celebration. The nice thing about this is that the message won’t get lost in the invitation’s wording, and you’re able to create wording that fits your personalities and wedding style.

What do we mean by that? Here are a few examples of how you might word your response cards to convey that kids are not welcome at your wedding:

The favor of a reply is requested
by March 12, 2025
Name ____________________
Accepts _____ Regrets _____
Adults-Only Reception

We’ve reserved ___ seats for you! (hand-write in the number of guests here)
Please reply on or before
March 12, 2025
Name ____________________
Accepts _____ Regrets _____

TIP #4: ADD AN EXTRA INFORMATION CARD

If you’d like to get a little more creative or detailed with your wording, we suggest adding a separate information card dedicated especially to your wishes.

DATE NIGHT!
Although we love to watch the children
run and play, this is going to be
an adults only kind of day!

ADULTS-ONLY PARTY
Although we love your children,
we regretfully cannot accommodate
them due to limited space at our venue.
Thank you for understanding!

SORRY, KIDS
We love you, but our wedding
is for adults-only. Tell your
parents to call the sitter!

We hope you found this helpful! If you have any extra questions while you’re wording your wedding invitations, save the dates, or other wedding stationery, give our team a shout. xoxo