Script fonts are fonts that mimic cursive handwriting. They range from casual and neat to overly ornate. Script fonts are a good choice for wedding invitations as they can exude elegance and a formality that suits such a momentous occasion. As your invitation is often the way you will introduce your wedding theme to guests, it is important to pick a font that matches the look and feel you have in mind for your special day. A formal cursive script doesn’t bring to mind a beach wedding, but is a good introduction for a black tie affair.

Overly ornate fonts should be used sparingly as too many loops and swishes can be overwhelming to the reader. Perhaps use a fancy script for the names on your invitation, and something less ornate for the bulk of your text. Make sure the script text is well spaced for easy reading. Avoid using scripts in all caps, and be wary when mixing scripts on the same page as they tend to compete for attention.

Here are five free script fonts for download along with examples of how I’ve used them on a wedding invitation.

This is an ornate font with lots of swirls and swooshes, great for a formal affair. Download for free from Urban Fonts, Font Palace, and UFonts.

The Bickham cursive font comes in standard, bold, and fancy. Download for free from Font Yukle, AZ Fonts, and F Fonts.

Respective is another font with swirls and swooshes, that can be downloaded in regular or slanted. Download for free at Da Font, Font River, and Fonts 2 U.

Champagne is a less formal script font, and can be downloaded for free from Font Squirrel, Fonts 101, and Abstract Fonts.

I chose CAC Champagne in the Italian Mosaic invitation template

Distemper is an easy to read script font, and can be download for free from Fonts 101, Max Fonts, and Fonts 2 U.