“Best wishes to you both” is easy to say and surprisingly easy to say badly. On its own, it can look like a placeholder. Followed by one real sentence, it becomes something a couple keeps in the card box for years.
Below you’ll find messages you can copy as they are, a simple way to build your own, and lines for weddings, engagements, anniversaries and other moments when two people are starting something. There are also texts for WhatsApp and Instagram, and what to say when someone sends this to you.
A note on the lines below: every message is written to be changed. Swap in a name, a place or a memory, and it becomes yours.
Quick Picks
Pick one, add a name, send.
- Best wishes to you both. You two are the reason I still believe in right person, right time.
- Best wishes to you both. I’ll be the one crying at the back, just so you know.
- Best wishes to you both, and thank you for letting me be part of it.
- Best wishes to you both. Send me the date and I’ll clear my calendar.
- Best wishes to you both. Your home is going to be the one everyone wants to hang out at.
- Best wishes to you both on this next chapter. Call me once the boxes are unpacked.
Does “Best Wishes to You Both” Sound Warm or Cold?
Question: Does “best wishes to you both” sound warm or cold?
Answer: It depends on what surrounds it. Said in person with a smile, it’s warm. Alone in a card, it’s polite but plain. Sent to someone you’ve drifted from, it can feel distant. Add one specific detail, such as a memory or something you admire about them, and it reads as warm in every situation.
The phrase itself means you hope two people, usually a couple, are happy and do well together. It’s polite, slightly formal, and suits weddings, engagements, anniversaries and big new starts. It works for almost anyone, from a best friend to a coworker.
How to Build a Message Around It
The phrase can sit in three places, and each one does a different job.
1. Detail first, phrase last. The most natural option. The personal line carries the feeling, and the phrase closes it politely.
I still remember you two arguing over a map in Murree and laughing about it for an hour. Best wishes to you both.
2. Phrase first, detail after. Better for short messages, because the wish lands immediately.
Best wishes to you both. Your engagement is the best news I’ve had all month.
3. Phrase as the sign-off. For a card with a longer message, use it as the closing line before your name.
…can’t wait to see you Saturday. Best wishes to you both, Hamza
Same phrase, three jobs. Pick based on how much space you have.
Wedding Wishes and Card Messages
- Best wishes to you both. I’ve watched you two get kinder because of each other, and that’s the best sign I know.
- Best wishes to you both, and may your home be the place you’re most relieved to walk into.
- Best wishes to you both. Today I’m just happy to be in the room.
- Mariam, Daniyal: best wishes to you both. Please keep arguing about small things. It means the big things are fine.
- Best wishes to you both. Years ago you were sharing a desk with me, and now you’re sharing a life with someone who deserves you.
- Best wishes to you both. It was lovely to see how happy you looked together today.
- Best wishes to you both. I’m now officially invested in your happiness and your dinner plans.
What to Write If You Can’t Attend
Question: What do you write in a wedding card if you can’t attend?
Answer: Keep it short. Say you wish you could be there, add one warm line, and finish with the phrase. For example: “Best wishes to you both. I’m sorry I’ll miss the day, but I’ll be thinking of you.” A card sent a few weeks before or after the wedding is perfectly fine.
More options:
- Best wishes to you both. I’m sorry I can’t be there, so I’ll be raising a glass at 8pm from here.
- Best wishes to you both. I wish I could be on the dance floor. Save me a photo.
- Best wishes to you both, and a hug that’s waiting for you when we meet.
Sending it late: Best wishes to you both, and apologies that this is late. Life got loud, but your wedding stayed on my mind the whole time.
Nikah and Valima Wishes
- Nikah mubarak. Best wishes to you both on starting this journey together.
- Best wishes to you both on your valima. May your home be full of barakah and laughter.
- Barakallahu lakuma wa baraka alaykuma wa jama’a baynakuma fi khair. Best wishes to you both.
Messages for Engagements, Anniversaries and Other Milestones
Engagement
The mood is excitement, not vows.
- Best wishes to you both! I need to hear the proposal story, in full, with all the details.
- Best wishes to you both. You were already a team, and now it’s official.
- So happy for you both. Wedding planning is stressful, but you two will be fine. Just keep snacks nearby.
- Best wishes to you both. Everyone saw this coming except the two of you, apparently.
- Best wishes to you both. After all those airport goodbyes, you’ve earned the permanent hello.
Elopement, Courthouse or Second Marriage
- Best wishes to you both. Smallest wedding, biggest smile I’ve ever seen in a photo.
- Best wishes to you both. You’ve each been through enough to know exactly what this is worth.
- Best wishes to you both. Congratulations on doing it your way.
Anniversary
- Best wishes to you both on year one. The hardest part is over, and now it’s just the good stuff.
- Best wishes to you both on another year. Watching you two is a reminder that love can be quiet and still strong.
- Best wishes to you both. You’ve made ten years look like an easy conversation.
- Best wishes to you both on year twenty-five. Thank you for being the couple the rest of us quietly copy.
New Home or a Move
- Best wishes to you both in the new place. I hope it fills up with friends and mismatched mugs.
- Best wishes to you both in your new city. We’ll miss Friday dinners, but go build something great.
- Best wishes to you both. Moving in together is a better test than any holiday.
New Baby
- Best wishes to you both as you become three. You’ll be tired, and you’ll be happy.
- Best wishes to you both. That little person has no idea how lucky they are.
- Best wishes to you both. Sleep when you can, and accept every meal anyone offers.
Retirement as a Couple
- Best wishes to you both on retirement. May your Mondays never feel like Mondays again.
- Best wishes to you both. You’ve earned slow mornings and a very long lunch.
Business Partners or Co-Founders
“Both” doesn’t have to mean a couple.
- Best wishes to you both on the launch. Good partnerships are rare, and this one looks solid.
- Best wishes to you both. May the hard decisions always be shared ones.
- Best wishes to you both on the new venture. I’ll be your first customer.
What to Write Based on Who You Are
| You are… | Keep it… | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A boss or colleague | Warm, short, no jokes | Best wishes to you both on your marriage. Wishing you a happy future together. |
| A close friend | Personal, one real memory | Best wishes to you both. I still can’t believe I introduced you at that terrible party. |
| A parent | Proud, not only hopeful | Best wishes to you both. Watching you choose each other has been one of the best things I’ve seen. |
| A sibling | Teasing is allowed | Best wishes to you both. I now have two people to embarrass at the reception. |
| An in-law | Welcoming | Best wishes to you both. I’m so glad you’re part of our family now. |
| A neighbor | Light and friendly | Best wishes to you both. Our street is lucky to have you two. |
| A friend of only one of them | Name both, add one line for the person you know | Best wishes to you both. I’ve known Hamza for years and have never seen him this happy. |
Real Conversations
Can’t attend, texting
Sana: Are you actually not coming on Saturday?
Ibrahim: I can’t get leave. I feel awful.
Sana: Don’t feel awful. Just send something nice to both of them.
Ibrahim: “Best wishes to you both. I’ll be raising a glass from here at 8.”
Sana: Perfect. Add something about the cake.
Signing the office card
Kamran: I’ve been staring at this card for ten minutes.
Rabia: Just write “Best wishes to you both” and add one thing about her.
Kamran: Like what?
Rabia: She brings mangoes every summer. Write that. Everyone remembers the mangoes.
Parent drafting a message
Shazia: I’ve deleted it three times.
Tariq: What do you actually want to say?
Shazia: That I’m proud of them. That I hope they stay as gentle with each other as they are now.
Tariq: Then start with “Best wishes to you both” and say exactly that.
Group chat after an engagement
Aliza: She said yes!!
Faizan: Best wishes to you both. I’m a bit upset it took you this long.
Mahnoor: Ignore him. Best wishes to you both. Send the ring photo.
Aliza: Photo coming. It involves the wrong restaurant.
Texts, WhatsApp and Instagram
Short and warm works better than long and polished.
- Best wishes to you both! 🤍
- So happy for you both. Best wishes always.
- Best wishes to you both. Send pictures!
- Best wishes to you both. You looked so happy today.
On Instagram, tag both people and add a few words about the photo: “Best wishes to you both, you look so happy.” A bare “Congratulations!” gets lost under a hundred others.
As a voice note, say the phrase, then add a laugh or a memory. Hearing your voice means more than perfect wording.
On LinkedIn, for a new partnership or a shared project: “Best wishes to you both on the new venture.”
When Someone Sends It to You
A short reply is fine.
- Thank you, that means a lot.
- Thank you both for being here.
- That’s so kind. We’ll send you photos.
- Thank you. Your message made our day.
If they mentioned a memory, mention it back: “Thank you. And yes, we still argue about that map.”
Small Fixes That Make a Big Difference
- Write both names. Even if you only know one of them well.
- Skip “Mr. and Mrs.” unless you know how they’d like to be addressed. First names or “both” is safer.
- No divorce jokes. They don’t land at a wedding.
- Keep advice positive. A couple on their wedding day doesn’t need a warning about how hard marriage is.
- Don’t over-explain. Two warm lines beat a long paragraph.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it “best wishes to you both” or “best wishes to both of you”?
Both are correct. “To you both” is shorter and more natural. In a sign-off, put a comma after the phrase and then your name.
Is it formal or casual?
In the middle. It’s polite enough for a boss and warm enough for a friend. Add a personal detail to make it casual, or leave it plain to keep it formal.
Can I use it for something other than a wedding?
Yes: engagements, anniversaries, new homes, babies, retirements and business partnerships.
Can it sound cold?
Yes, if it’s the only line or if you send it to someone you’ve drifted from. One specific sentence fixes this.
What should I write after it?
A small, true detail: a memory, a trait, or something you’re looking forward to. Then end with a plan or a wish.
What if I only know one of them?
Still include both names, and add a line about the one you know.
Does it work for same-sex couples?
Yes. “Both” is gender-neutral, which makes it a safe choice when you aren’t sure how a couple likes to be addressed.
Should I write it in a card or send it as a text?
Both work. A card suits a wedding or anniversary, and a text suits an engagement or a quick congratulations. For a close friend, consider doing both.
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Shahzad is the Writer of BlessCentral, sharing heartfelt blessings, prayers, wishes, Bible verses, and inspirational messages to bring faith and encouragement into everyday life.
