Wedding wishes for the couple, from short to heartfelt

You've found the card, you've got the pen, and suddenly nothing sounds right. Good wedding wishes don't need to be long or poetic. They need to match how well you know the couple, and ideally include one line that could only come from you.

Below are forty original wedding card messages, sorted by how close you are to the couple: short ones for any card, heartfelt ones for close friends, wishes from family and a few for coworkers. At the end, there's a quick way to add a personal touch.

Short wedding wishes for a card

• Congratulations on your wedding. Here's to a lifetime of adventures together.
• Wishing you a marriage full of laughter, patience and good coffee.
• May your home always be loud with friends and quiet when you need it to be.
• Two great people, one even better team. Congratulations.
• Here's to the start of your favorite story.
• Wishing you a love that grows a little every year.
• May you always have someone to share the last slice with.
• Congratulations to a couple who make the rest of us believe in all this.
• Cheers to love, laughter and a long, happy life together.
• May every year of your marriage be better than the one before.
• So happy for you both. Go and have the best day.

Heartfelt wedding wishes for friends

• I knew you two were serious when you started ordering takeout for each other without asking. Congratulations.
• Watching you find each other has been one of my favorite things to witness. Love you both.
• You've been there for all my chapters. I'm so glad I get to be here for this one.
• You've found someone who laughs at your jokes, even the bad ones. Keep them.
• I've seen you through bad dates, worse haircuts and one very long breakup playlist. Seeing you this happy is the best ending.
• Here's to the couple who taught me that love can be calm and exciting at the same time.
• You two make each other braver. May that never change.
• I'll always be your friend first, but today I'm thrilled to be your guest.
• Every time I see you together, I think: yes, that's it, that's the one.
• Thank you for letting me be part of your story. I can't wait for the next chapter.
• To my favorite couple: may your marriage be as fun as your road trips and a lot less lost.

Wedding wishes from family

• Welcome to the family. We've been waiting for you, we just didn't know your name yet.
• To my little brother and the best person he could have found: you've made us all very proud today.
• Watching you grow up was a joy. Watching you get married is something else entirely. Congratulations, sweetheart.
• Our family just got bigger and better. Congratulations to you both.
• May your marriage be as full of love as the home you grew up in.
• Your grandparents would be so proud to see this day. We certainly are.
• To our new son-in-law: thank you for making our daughter laugh like that.
• Congratulations to the newlyweds. You're officially in the family group chat now. Good luck.
• We love you both, and we're here for every step of what comes next.
• You were always going to find someone wonderful. We're just so happy it's them.

Wedding wishes from coworkers

• Congratulations on your wedding. Wishing you both every happiness.
• Warmest wishes to you both as you start this new chapter together.
• Congratulations from all of us. Enjoy every moment, and don't check your email on the honeymoon.
• Wishing you a beautiful day and an even better marriage.
• The office won't be the same without you for two weeks, but we'll manage somehow. Congratulations.
• All the best to you both. We're so happy for you.
• Here's to love, happiness and a long honeymoon with zero notifications.
• From the whole team: congratulations, and thank you for giving us a reason to have cake on a Tuesday.

Adding a line only you could write

The most memorable card messages combine one of the wishes above with a single personal line. Try one of these:

• How you know them. "Since the first week of college, I knew he'd marry someone who could win an argument with him."
• A moment you witnessed. "I was there the night you two talked until the bar closed and then kept going in the parking lot."
• What you've noticed. "You're calmer together. Everyone can see it."

"Congratulations, Jack and Emma. I'm the one who dragged you both to that terrible salsa class where you met, so I'm taking full credit for today. Wishing you a lifetime of better dance partners than me."

One line like that turns a card they'd skim into one they'll keep.

When your wish becomes a song

If you're a close friend, a sibling or part of the wedding party, you may have more to say than fits in a card. Everything you've just written, the memories, the wishes, the way they are together, is also exactly what a song about the couple needs.

A custom wedding song is built from those stories in a genre that suits the couple, and you can read and adjust the lyrics before paying. It arrives by email within 24 hours, ready to play at the reception or to send afterwards. For other personal options, see our wedding gift ideas beyond the registry, or start the song with your wish.