When part of your family or friends speak English, a Hebrew-only invitation simply isn’t read by everyone. But translating the Hebrew wording word-for-word is a common mistake: the result sounds forced and sometimes barely makes sense. The goal is English wording written fresh in a natural rhythm, sitting alongside the local details a guest in Israel actually needs. Here is how to get it right.

Why you should never translate word-for-word

Classic Hebrew wedding wording is built on phrases that don’t survive a direct crossing into English. Expressions that feel warm and lyrical in Hebrew turn clumsy when translated literally. Instead, write in an English voice from the start:

  • Favour short, clear sentences over a long poetic block.
  • Keep the same emotion but phrase it the way an English speaker actually writes, such as “Together with their families” rather than a literal rendering of a Hebrew blessing.
  • Don’t auto-translate religious blessings or abbreviations. Decide whether they belong for your English-speaking audience, and if so, give them natural phrasing.

Before getting into the details, it’s worth reading our complete guide to digital wedding invitations to see how wording fits with every other part of the invite.

A date and time format overseas guests will understand

This is where it’s easiest to confuse people. In Hebrew you write both a Hebrew and a Gregorian date, but in English the numeric format trips guests up: 10/7/2026 could read as July 10 or as October 7.

  • Spell the month out in words: Thursday, July 10, 2026.
  • Name the day of the week, since guests plan flights and time off around it.
  • Write the time as 7:30 PM, not 19:30.
  • If there’s a ceremony followed by a reception, separate them: “Reception 7:30 PM, Ceremony 8:30 PM”.

What to keep in Hebrew alongside the English

A good bilingual invitation doesn’t translate everything. Some details simply work better in Hebrew because they’re used on the ground in Israel:

  • The hall or event-garden name in Hebrew, since that’s how it appears in Waze and on signage.
  • A Waze or Google Maps navigation link that leads straight to the venue.
  • Parents’ names in Hebrew next to an English transliteration, so guests from both worlds recognise them.

Together with their families, Maya Levi & Daniel Cohen joyfully invite you to celebrate their wedding Thursday, July 10, 2026 · Reception 7:30 PM Gan Ha’Shaked, Rishon LeZion מאיה לוי ודניאל כהן · גן השקד, ראשון לציון

We explored that delicate balance of two languages in one design in our guide to bilingual wedding invitations.

Ready-to-use English lines

Here are natural phrasings you can adapt to your own style:

  • Warm opening: “With joyful hearts, we invite you to share in our wedding day”.
  • When parents invite: “Together with their parents, Maya and Daniel invite you to celebrate”.
  • RSVP: “Kindly let us know if you’ll be joining us by June 25”.
  • Gift note: “Your presence is the greatest gift. Should you wish to give, a contribution via Bit or PayBox is warmly welcome”.

For the matching Hebrew wording, lean on our guide to how to word a wedding invitation and make sure both languages tell exactly the same story.

How digital helps your English-speaking guest

The big advantage of a digital invitation is that every guest, whatever their language, gets the same tools with one tap:

  • RSVP through the link, with no Hebrew phone call required.
  • A Waze button that leads to the hall without typing a Hebrew name.
  • Add-to-calendar that works for both Google Calendar and Apple.
  • One WhatsApp send to the whole list, so overseas relatives get the very same link.

This way a guest who doesn’t read Hebrew never depends on a relative to translate the details, and the odds they arrive at the right place at the right time go up sharply.

Go ahead and choose the package that fits you, and we at Paper of Love would love to guide you over WhatsApp until your bilingual invitation reads perfectly in both languages.