How to Word Those Wedding Invitations — Even When Life Throws Curveballs
- Divorced or Deceased Parents
- The Divorced Parents, Remarried
- The Divorced Parents, Not Remarried
- The Deceased Parent
- Who's the Host?
- The Traditional "Host"
- The Inclusive "Hosts"
- The Grooms' Parents as Hosts
- The Couple as Hosts
- A Few More Sticky Widgets
- "Kids not allowed."
- Registry Cards
- Be Thoughtful, But Flexible
- Comments (314)
Old-fashioned etiquette and oh-so-modern dilemmas: these two combined can perplex even the savviest bride when it comes time to word your wedding invitations.
Couples often struggle with the demands of formal language when one or both sets of parents are divorced. Not to worry, though — we'll cover some common situations, including this one. It's easier than it seems at first blush to get the wording right.
Divorced or Deceased Parents
The Divorced Parents, Remarried
Here's how you word it when the bride's divorced parents are co-hosting the wedding:and Mr. Adrian Penn
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter ...
The Divorced Parents, Not Remarried
Here's another example, for parents of the bride who divorced but haven't remarried:and Ms. Holly Voss
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter ...
When the groom's parents are divorced, just use the same approach. For example:
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Selinde Anne Bender
to
Eric Allen Frazier
son of Mr. Travis Frazier
and Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Rikowski
The Deceased Parent
Another tough spot some couples encounter is the parent who's deceased. In many cases, you'll simply want to refer to the living parent as as the host. For example:requests the honor of your presence
at the marriage of her daughter ...
Sometimes, though, the bride or groom wants to include the deceased parent's name on the invitation, and that's perfectly all right. Simply insert "the late" before the name of the deceased parent. The only caveat: avoid making it sound like the deceased parent is hosting. Here's an example:
daughter of Mr. Joshua Abbott and the late Mrs. Abbott
and Christian Amin Salemi
son of Mr. and Mrs. Midi Salemi
request the honor of your presence ...
Every family is different, so feel free to adapt these approaches to your own particular situation. The most important thing about invitation wording, other than it passing the basic "appropriate" test, is that you feel comfortable with it — and no one's feelings get hurt.
Who's the Host?
There's plenty of ways to word your invitations depending on who's hosting — but what exactly does hosting mean?The answer's changed over time. In days gone by, when the bride's parents typically paid for the wedding, the honored hosts were often those who footed the bill. These days, who you deem a host depends more on your personal preference than who's literally burning up their credit cards on your behalf.
The Traditional "Host"
- the couple pays for the wedding themselves, but lists the bride's parents as hosts, because it's traditional.The Inclusive "Hosts"
- the couple pays for the wedding themselves, but lists both sets of parents as hosts, because it's gracious.The Grooms' Parents as Hosts
Occasionally, the couple will list the groom's parents by themselves as hosts, sometimes because the bride's parents are no longer living. In that case, simply word your invitation like so:request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of
Miss Amanda Jackson
to their son
Jason Michael Becker
The Couple as Hosts
And it's not at all uncommon for the couple to present themselves as hosts of their own wedding, like so:is requested
at the marriage of
Ms. Mikal Farina
and
Mr. Jeffrey Evans
I have a question on wording my parents are married however my fiances parents are divorced but still go by the same last name how do i put everyones names in the invites without making it seem like his parents are married
Johanna,
* see this
Same last name would be no different. Just list her as Philip Jones and Anita Jones
I am having a dilemma when it comes to wording my wedding invitations. My fiancé’s father passed away over 7 years ago, but my fiancé and his mother are both insisting that his name is included in the invitation as if he is still living. My fiancé’s mother wants her and her deceased husband’s names to be addressed the same way as my parent’s names. My parents are hosting, I don’t have any issue including my fiancé’s parent’s name, but I find it very awkward to include his father’s name as if he is still living. I don’t want to be insensitive, but people who don’t know might be asking at the ceremony where the groom’s father is.
Example of what groom and groom’s mother are requesting with a deceased groom’s father:
Mr. and Mrs. Bride Smith
Request the honor of your presence
At the marriage of their daughter
Bride’s Name
To
Groom’s Name
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Groom Doe
Sarah,
This is quite common to list the deceased out of honor of memory or to just let people know who the bride or groom is. Here is how it would be written…
Mr. and Mrs. Bride Smith
Request the honor of your presence
At the marriage of their daughter
Bride’s Name
To
Groom’s Name
Son of Mrs. Groom Doe and the late Mr. Groom Doe
If she hasn’t remarried, she would be listed as Mrs.
If she would rather use her first name, then omit all other titles andhave it like this…
Groom and Bride Smith
Request the honor of your presence
At the marriage of their daughter
Bride’s Name
To
Groom’s Name
Son of mothers first name ( can include her maiden name if she wishes too) Doe and the late Groom Doe
Ok here is my situation. My parents are paying for most of my soon to be brides and my wedding. Her parents are divored father is remarried and paying for some of the wedding. Mother is not remarried but is in a serious relationship she just choose not to get married. Her partner has never treated my fiance with any respect and would never consider her a daughter. Is it wrong for us to leave him off the invitation even though my fiancee’s mom and him are paying for her dress and the cake? This has caused alot of problems and hurt feelings as it has already been mentioned that this is what we were intending to do.
David,
In this case, just use Together with their families. It keeps from having the name dilemma yet includes everyone who is pitching in and your sharing the celebration with loved ones. Or use: The families of Bride and groom request your presence at their marriage etc.
I am in the process of putting together invitations and menus to my son and future daughter-in-laws rehearsal dinner. Can you tell me whose name appears first on the invitation and the menu…my sons or my future daughter-in-laws?
Dianne,
The brides name on invitation and menu. For samples of invites and menus look at this site.
Hi
Just wanted some quick help with some wording. My fiancee and I have decided no children to be at the wedding or the reception. We are however providing babysitters for those that require them for both the wedding and the reception. we have printed our invitations with just the guests names on them but were adding another sheet to explain that no children are invited and we will be happy to help with baby sitters. Any suggestions. Thanks
Bek,
Adding an enclosure is a great idea. You are right to list just the guests names( Mr. and Mrs. John Doe then on inside have John and Jane ( for double envelope invitations) and on your rsvp have something like: 2 Seats have been reserved in your name Number of Adults Attending ____” and “Number of Adults Declining ___”.
If you have a website then that is a great way to spread the word about an adult only wedding and reception like on website wedding FAQ Are children invited? Answer: Our ceremony will be formal and our reception will feature an open bar. We have planned what we hope will be a very enjoyable adults only event. Thank you so much for understanding. ( this would also work great for a enclosure)
link to site….
Bek, Here is a sample adding babysitters will be provided for both wedding and reception….
Our ceremony will be formal and our reception will feature an open bar. We have planned what we hope will be a very enjoyable adults only event. However, we have provided a reliable babysitting staff at a room, in the “venue”,which will have plenty of entertainment for the children. Enjoy your night off and thank you so much for understanding. ( this would also work great for a enclosure)
Hello, this is about newspaper announcement. The brides parents want nothing to do with her or the wedding. As the grooms parents we are writng the announcement. And i dont know there names. And they live out of state. My son will becomming home to get married. How do i word this. :thank you:
Ruth,
Do you want to list the parents names or leave them out? In this case it may be best to just have the bride and grooms name. There are no formal or necessary ways it is done, so you can list what you would like too.
Example:
Miss/Ms. (Bride’s last name) and Mr. (Groom’s last name) plan to marry (date or in the spring, etc.).
If you want to add schools and/or places of employment: Miss/Ms. (Bride) is a graduate of (college/university) and currently (studying/working) in (type of work) at (school/company). Mr. (Groom) is a graduate of (college/university) and currently (studying/working) in (type of school/work) at (school/company).
( here are some great ones that can be used as will be married)
we are hosting our daughter’s wedding. The grooms dad is deceased; the groom’s mom (remarried) is paying for a small portion.
is this ok?
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Smith
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Mary Kathryn
to Mr. Frank Torres III
son of Mrs. Susan Torres-Jones
and the late
Mr. Frank Torres II
on Saturday the fifteenth of October
Two thousand and eleven
at one o’clock in the afternoon
Donna, This is very nice wording.
Hello, I have read all of your comments and also have a unique situation. Bride and groom are paying for the entire wedding. Bride’s mother is helping with a few preparations as is her God-mother. Ok, Brides parents are both remaried, Dad and his wife is not invited to the wedding. Grooms adopted Mother remarried but she passed away. Grooms adopted father and Mom’s surviving husband are coming to the wedding. Grooms biological parents are not invited.
I don’t want ANY credit to go to Bride’s father or step-father. We are traveling to the hometown where I grew up to get married where my grandmother still lives.
Suggestions? I’m completely lost on this.
Should I even mention anyone at all?? Or just say “The honor of your presence is requested at the marriage of …”
PS: to clarify, Brides Dad and wife ARE not invited.
Katie,
I would not mention anyone’s names. I would have it just as you stated above( The honor of your presence…) It would only complicate the invite otherwise. Since the couple are paying for the wedding, there is no obligation to mention anyone else. I hope this helps to destress the situation.
Thanks very much for your quick response! Now time to get those invitations designed, drafted and done!
Katie,
You are most welcome!! have a wonderful wedding!
Hi, my partner and I are having a reaffirmation of vows ceremony (can’t marry in home state so doing that in neighboring state day before)in one of three banquet rooms in a restaurant immediately followed by the reception and luncheon. After the reception and luncheon, we’d like to invite everyone to our home where the celebration continues (hors d’oeuvres and drinks). Since we need to know #’s attending the reception/luncheon and also the home celebration, can they both be included on the RSVP? How do we word the RSVP?
Virginian2011,
Everyone will need to be invited. Since it is a after party with drinks, guests with children( if children will be generally invited), will need to know if its a adult after party.
Micheal and Jan
We look forward to celebrating with you. Please reply by June 1,2011
Luncheon Reception
Number Attending_____Unable to Attend_____
The celebration continues…
We invite our adult guests to join us for hors d’oeuvres and cocktails at
( insert address)
Number Attending_____Unable to Attend_____
I would put them both on same card. maybe have a fold out style with enough room, you coudl give it some separation. Not all guests will send the card back. I would make allowances for head count “just in case”.
Hi there,
I’m in a sticky situation as to how to word our wedding invitations!
My fiance and I are paying for a little more than half of our wedding, while my dad and step mother are paying for the rest. My fiance’s parents, so far, have not offered to contribute anything.
Here’s where it gets complicated… Who’s names do I put on the invitations?
My dad and step mom have been together for years, and I have ZERO contact with my real mother, however some of her family will be invited (therefore I can’t really say “daugther of dad & step mom’s names”. What do I do in this situation?
Next, my fiance’s mom passed away a few years ago, and his father has since remarried. How do I work that in so that no one gets left out?
So here’s a recap – me, my fiance, my dad & step mom are paying. My real mom = not in picture, but some of her family are getting invites. My fiance’s mom is passed away, his dad has since remarried.
Thanks sooo much for help!
kay,
I would simplify this and put Together with their families. It eliminates the need to name multiple hosts or persons. It avoids any situations where not mentioning can be hurtful.
Together with our families
Brides name
and Grooms name
request the honor of your presence etc.
Kay,
If you wanted to mention daughter of and son of names…Have it something like this…
The honor of your presence is requested at the unity of
Brides name
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. fathers name and mothers name( IF you chose to mention her for families sake)
and
Grooms name
son of Mr. and Mrs. fathers name and the late mothers name
* see how it can appear complicated vs. together with our families? Love the first version much better.
My daughter is getting married April 10, 2011, but the reception will be on April 23, 2011. They are only having a reception, so how do we write their names on the invitations, do we put her full name and his full name, or do we put their names as the mr and mrs with his last name?
Terri,
The pleasure of your company is requested
at a reception in honor of
Mr. and Mrs. James Doe
Date
Time
Address
Here are some other styles…
http://www.invitationconsultants.com/samplewording.aspx?p_subcategory=206
More styles…
http://www.invitationconsultants.com/samplewording.aspx?p_subcategory=190
I am currently going mad!! My situation is – My mum and her partner are paying for most of our wedding. My dad has is contributing although this is no where near the same amount as my mum and her partner! And the amount has slowly but surley dwinndled down some what! My dad would feel left out if his name was not on the invitations but my mum and her partners name is. I was thinking of this -
have been invited to the wedding of
Bride
to
Groom
At -
Date -
Time -
And so on and then put the RSVP to my mum so then it doesnt actually say who is inviting! But the rsvp goes to the host doesnt it?
I feel it is unfair to not have there names on the invites but I do not want to cause any upset. Help.
Ashley,
When there are multiple hosts and want to honor them all this is a good way to word your invites. This keeps the honor of those contributing while downplaying who giving what. It helps in a sticky situation.
Together with their parents/families
Ms. Julie Leigh Smith
and
Mr. Evan David Jones
request the honour of your presence
at their marriage
Etc…
I’m a little stuck with the wording of my invitation. My groom and I will be married in June. My parents are probably paying for the majority of the wedding, but it could end up being split evenly. His family hasn’t quite decided. We are fresh out of college and are not contributing. I want to recognize that his parents are contributing, but I want to set my parents apart a little bit more than his. Is this selfish? Or better yet, what is an appropriate way of doing that.
Joy,
It depends on if both sets of parents are contributing. Actually the hosts( as well as your parents) should be listed first and his parents second. It is not selfish but the hosts should be recognized equally, if they are splitting the wedding costs.
First I will share some examples for both sets hosting…
http://www.invitationconsultants.com/samplewording.aspx?p_subcategory=198
Here is some examples where the brides parents are the only hosts, yet mention the groom parents as grooms name son of grooms parents.
http://www.invitationconsultants.com/samplewording.aspx?p_subcategory=3
Hi,
My parents are paying for the whole wedding and helping me with most of the planning, and my fiances mother has recently passed away- like 4 months ago.
I wanted to put:
*my parents* ask you to join them in celebrating the marriage of their daughter *my name* to *fiances name* Son of *his parents*.
My fiance is not sure he wants his mothers name on the invitation at all- as it’s too raw. But we really want to put his fathers name on it. My parents don’t want to put:
*my parents* together with *fiances dad* have great pleasure in inviting…….
as my fiances father is not the host…
HELP!!
Juco,
It would be nice to put the first one with the groom listed with son of father and late mothers name( to also honor her)
some examples on deceased parents…
http://www.invitationconsultants.com/samplewording.aspx?p_subcategory=201
some examples on parents inviting…
http://www.invitationconsultants.com/samplewording.aspx?p_subcategory=3
One perfectly acceptable wording is to just list the hosts and not mention the grooms parents. Just make sure no feelings will be hurt if the grooms father is not mentioned, since he is not hosting, he doesnt have to mentioned. I wanted to share many examples for you both to look at, since your not sure how you would like it to sound.
Hello, I am wondering how to word our invitations or reply cards. We are inviting children to the ceremony and dinner however would like them to leave by 9:00pm to have an adult only event at that time. We are also willing to assist with babysitters if necessary.
Jus,
* several great wordings here
I love the continue the celebration wording just add time it begins. Put in lower left hand side of invite, babysitters will be provided for those who wish to continue in celebration.
Jus,
Remember when stating a specific time on the invite for children to leave, parents who cannot stay may feel pressured into leaving, may be difficult for them. It can be perceived as rude to some, so there may be some negative feedback. It should be carefully written so it wont offend. I would provide babysitters on site and activities for them to do( though being late on the little ones can be difficult) Usually an after party begins a tad bit later, usually around 10 or 11. The one etiquette rule is all wedding guests should be invited to the after party. Some even choose to have a entire separate area with an open bar in another room turning it into a lounge. Formal invites to the after party are actually not mandatory, you can also send on a separate card with the invitation. Also make sure there will be transporations for anyone who has to many drinks, so they can arrive home safely.
Any recommendations for a sticky situation? My father and stepmother are paying for a majority of our wedding, we will be paying for the balance. I researched wedding invitation etiquette and about 90% of them recommend that those hosting are the ones on the invitation. Now my mother is hurt that her name is not on the invite. She, like many people in the US, has been out of work and in no position to help out. My father and stepmother have expressed strongly that they are not happy with the fact that my mother is not contributing to the wedding. Is there a way I can honor my mother without upsetting my father and stepmother?
Ximena,
Absolutely! Since you are hosting the wedding it gives you a little wiggle room.
The honor of your presence is requested at the marriage of
Bride
daughter of mother name and fathers name/stepmother( Mr. and Mrs.)
to
grooms name
son of grooms parents names
date
time
location
Reception immediately following ceremony
reception location( if different from ceremony)
Ximena,
I meant to say…since you mother cannot contribute ( understandable) she could be involved in the planning or making things in the wedding. It may not be common but there are more than one way to host a wedding. Like a shower for example, if they havent got the funds but still want to cohost, give them things to do. Hosting is not always a financial role.
Hi! My mom and dad are divorced and my dad is remarried. They are both contributing to the wedding. How do I word the invitations?
Christina,
Mr. and Mrs. Charles C. Miller &
Ms. Rachel M. Wood
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Karen Percy Miller
to Michael Francis Jacobson
Saturday, the seventeenth of May
two thousand and eight
at half past four in the afternoon etc.
my fiancee and i are having a bit of a problem with how we should word our invitations. We have the same last name! although we are not any kin at all, I know that this can look really bad, I’m even kind of embarrased.she is full-blooded…(lol) while I was adopted as a baby by a family with the same last name! so you see we are not related in any way! she brought me a sample of the invitation last nite and it looked like I was marrying my sister! she had it done in a traditional fashion. she also dont mind it. we live in a small rural town, I know “jokes” will be made. these invitations will be around for the rest of our lives. what do we do?
Rick,
Everyone that knows you will know your not related. If I could find out the hosts, there might be some type of rewording I coud find. If the hosts are your parents along with you Then You might could do this:
Unfortunately there isn’t much that can be done.
Together with our parents we invite you
to share our joy and support our love
as we are exchange vows and are united
in the commitment of marriage
Bride first name
and
Groom first name
Saturday, the thirtieth of April
two thousand and five
at five o’clock
Winery Name
Napa, California
Dinner and Dancing immediately following ceremony
This day I will marry my best friend,
the one I laugh with, live for, dream with, love
Bride first name
and
Groom first name
together with their families,
invite you to share in the joy and
celebration of their marriage
on Friday, the thirtieth of December
two thousand and five
at half past six o’clock
in the evening
Church
Street Address
Our Town, Ohio
Reception immediately following ceremony
These examples from Offbeat Bride are great ways to have the wording proper without the use of your last names.
Need some suggestions on how to word the wedding invitations. Both of the brides parents are divorced and have remarried and both are paying 50/50. The wedding couple are already married but want to have a wedding ceremony for their family and friends since they eloped almost 1 year ago. For all immediate parties, having a wedding ceremony is really important and both of the brides parents are willing to have and pay for wedding and reception for their daughter and son in law. Please help….
Brenda,
It will actually be a reaffirmations of vows since you are already married.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles William Pearson ( brides mother and stepfather is listed first)
Mr. and Mrs. John Sampson ( brides father and stepmom)
request the pleasure of your company( honor of your presence used for church weddings/more formal)
at a wedding
in honour of
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew David Tucker
(or for less formal invitations,
Rachel and Andrew)
Saturday, the tenth of December
two thousand and eleven
at five o’clock
Prescott Creek Country Club
116 North Summit Avenue
Prescott, Arizona
I have a question.
Working on wording for our invitations and I am having a problem.
While my parents are hosting and paying for over half of the wedding/reception (while my grandparents/and ourselves are handling the rest as of now), my future hubs, was pretty much raised by his aunt. She said she is going to help out financially but has yet to do so, or make any mention since originally offered…
I’d like to just put our names on it however, my mom is slightly old fashioned, and also i think very proud at all they have been able to save and do for us and we are VERY close to them.
what would be the best way to do this if she does help financially? she’s pretty loopy and i dont want to offend anyone before the ‘i do’s” are even said.
Thank You.
alli n.,
Actually instead of listing all names I would do Together with their families, when there are muliple hosts. If the aunt doesn’t help out financially then I wouldnt put that on the invite.
Ms. Julie Leigh Smith
and
Mr. Evan David Jones
together with their parents/families
request the honour of your presence
at their marriage
or
Together with their parents/families
Ms. Julie Leigh Smith
and
Mr. Evan David Jones
request the honour of your presence
at their marriage
Etc…
my mother liked both.
thank you, thank you, thank you….
My daughter and I, along with the the groom’s mother are paying for her wedding. My ex-husband has offered nothing even though he feels close to our daughter. How should the invitations be written in terms of whose hosting?
Debbie,
I would also do Together with their families. It keeps it easier and looks fantastic on the invite. That way since your father is not hosting it still shows he is included in your special day.
my mother is hosting my homecomming & my father has passed away before 15 years. but we need to mention his name as an invitee. please tell me how to write the invitation.
Dinusha,
Unfortunately a deceased parent should not be listed as a host.
Please forgive me I may be misunderstanding your post. You are referring to homecoming ( what type of homecoming?). I know in different countries it can be a different meaning so I want to make sure first.
The way this is done is like this for weddings…
The honor of your presence is requested at the marriage of
Bride
daughter of mother name and late fathers name
to
grooms name
son of grooms parents names
date
time
location
Reception immediately following ceremony
reception location( if different from ceremony)
I’m trying to figure ours out. We are paying for everything and putting it all together ourselves. Both my parents are deceased and his parents are divorced but not remarried. I would like to include my parents even though they are deceased and his parents as well. The only problem I am having is with the invitations we have picked out. There are two interlaced hearts in the middle and one heart has my name and the other heart his. Heres the layout right now:
Mr. & Mrs. Bride’s Parents
Request the honor of Your Presence
At the marriage of their daughter
(Heart)Bride’s Name
To
Groom’s Name(Heart)
Son of
Mr. & Mrs. Groom’s Parents
Saturday the Twenty-First of June
Two thousand and [Year]
Eleven O’clock in the morning
At Location City, State.
Reception to Follow
My parents would be The late Mr. & Mrs. Daniels.
His parents would be Mr. Glover and Ms. Hanks.
My name is Amanda Daniels
His name is Keith Glover
We are having it the 29th of Oct 2011.
Not sure of the time yet.
I have included a picture of the invites. I might take the Hearts out so we can see the names better. Plus hearts aren’t really our thing.
Mandy,
First I am very sorry for your loss. Since you are both paying for the wedding, you should be “requesting the honor”, unfortuately, deceased parents cannot be listed as hosts. Since the grooms parents are divorced they should not be listed as Mr. and Mrs.
It would be listed as follows:
Michelle Taylor
daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Sam Taylor
and
John Parker
son of Mr. Donald Parker and Ms. Sarah (insert whatever legal last name she uses)
request the honour of your
presence at their marriage
Saturday, the first of March
two thousand fourteen
at half past two o’clock in the afternoon
Victorian Gardens
1564 Lane Street
Austin, Texas 35984
(wording courtesy of Invitation Consultants)
Mandy,
I would have the hearts ( due to the wording you need) on the border if you want. If they are not your decor then I would omit them. If you are having more formal or semi formal wedding use “request your honor of your presence”, a more casual or low key have “request the pleasure of your company”.
Sounds good. I decided to design my own since I am studying Graphic Design. They turned out very nice.
Now just need more money to get this whole dream rolling. 
Hi, I am the dad, not the father of a groom. He has been with me for many years and is known as my son and goes by another name other than his birth name. Now as adult he has a relationship with his father. How should the invitation be written, they are planning on send out two different one’s since a majority of his peers and family my side know him under a different name. Split families are a beast to work with, we are providing for the rehersal dinner, over 100 people, grooms cake, and honeymoon. His father said he would split it with us??
Charlie,
Who all will be listed as the hosts? I want to make sure I include everyone on the invite. Also does he have your last name? are his parents remarried etc. What about his mother? stepmother? Once I know the info I can write some ideas. thanks!
Everyone was listed on the invite, both parents from his side. He is going by his birth last name but his growing up first name. I am married to his mother, his father has remarried. In addition do you know what is the proper way to seat us at the wedding. I have read in divorce situations, the grooms mother sits a row a ahead of the grooms father. Thanks
I am trying to figure out my wedding invitations. My parents are contributing, but not the hosts and my fiance and I are paying for the majority. His parents will be attending, but certainly not hosting or contributing. I tried to make the invitations with just mine and my fiance’s names. I loved them, but my mother threw a fit. Is there a way to mention either both of our parents or just my parents without implying they are the hosts, and still make the lines simple??
Holly,
I would just use together with their with their families. If they are contributing then they are considered cohosting.
Just keep it simple like this…
The pleasure of your company ( more formal or church ceremony should use the honor of your presence is requested at the marriage of)
is requested at the marriage of
Katherine Meadows
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Meadows
and
Steve Brian
son of Mr. and Mrs. Jonothan Brian
on Saturday, October 12, 2011
at 10 o’clock in the morning
The Beachside Country Club
Beachside Road
Beachcity, USA 00000
Cocktails, Dinner and
Dancing immediately
following at the Beach Cottage Room
* more samples
a friend of mine is getting married in March this year, invites are printed with brides mother & father doing the inviting in December the brides father passed away, she does not want to order new invites but would like to include a separate card in with invite explaining that invites were ordered when her father was alive and she still wants to acknowledge him, i hope you can help with some wording. ps i hope this makes sence
Heather,
It does and I am so sorry for your loss. Yes, due to the circumstances, it would be fine to include a note…..
We are sorry to inform you of the passing of (insert fathers name). We chose to leave his name on the invite as a honorary tribute to his memory. Thank you for your understanding
* what others have done
My future daughter in law is getting married before her father and I. Her mother is still unmarried but living with someone. The mother is not employed and she and the boyfriend are not contributing financially to the wedding and are pretty much just going to show up for the party. My fiance` and I are paying for the wedding and the grooms mother is contributing, a lot. I am making the dresses, favors, decorations, etc. I don’t want to omit the mother from the invitation but I do want to be mentioned myself. Oh and I am in charge of the invitations so I could pretty much do whatever I want with them. I do, however want to be fair. I was thinking of
Father last name and Me last name
along with
Mother last name
request the honour of your presence at the
marriage of their daughter
Bride Middle name
to
Groom MI last name
son of
Mother full name
etc. etc. etc
Oh and I failed to mention that the grooms father has never been a part of his life and will have no part of this weddin
Katie,
It should go as follows:
John Smith and Katie Matthews ( if you are married it should be John and Katie Smith)
along with
Rebecka Jones
request the honor of your presence at the marriage of Mr. Smiths’ daughter
Jennifer Anne
daughter of ( insert brides mothers name here)
to
John Micheal Jones
etc. etc.
This way it includes the brides mothers name as well. You can add the Mr. Mrs. etc. But it makes it much easier to leave those off. If you do add that then it must be for every name except the bride and grooms names.
katie,
forgot to mention since the grooms mothers name is as a host there is no need to put “son of” and remention her.
For our wedding, we are planning on doing a tapas style reception. There will be plenty of food served, but it won’t be a traditional sit down. I also want to make sure everyone is dressed appropriately for the occasion; i’m thinking cocktail party style. What is the best way to word this on the invite?
Kristen,
Just leave a line at the bottom left hand corner or under the location address “cocktail attire”
Cocktail Attire
When an invitation states “Cocktail Attire,” guests should dress to look chic and elegant, but not quite formal. For women, cocktail dresses, high heels, and evening bags are appropriate; men should wear dark suits (but not tuxedos).
* xtra tips
Hi,
I’m looking for some guidance on how to word my wedding invitations. My parents are divorced and neither is remarried (though my dad lives with his girlfriend, but I don’t plan on naming her). My dad is paying for about 50% of the wedding, but he has not really been an active part of my life; I’m very close with my mom, however. I’m paying about 25%, my fiance is also contributing, as is my mother and my paternal grandparents. My fiance’s parents are paying for the rehearsal dinner. Is this a situation where it’s just best to go with the “my name, fiance’s name, together with their families” format? I don’t think my grandparents would be offended if they weren’t named, but my parents might want their names on it somehow. I just don’t feel comfortable letting it be implied that my dad is the host, because even though he’s paying the majority, he’s not the social host. Any advice is much appreciated! Thanks!
Ashley,
I completely agree with Together with their families. It is the perfect way for multiple host invites.
* samples
Hello,
We are trying to write invites where we want to allow children of family and close friends only. And are hoping to have no toddlers at the ceremony or reception. What’s the best way of wording this? And when we get angry parents call us to make exceptions for them, what reasoning can we give them. Our main concern is price per child as well as children being distracting at the ceremony. Our reception immediately follows the ceremony so we can’t ask for parents to bring kids at reception, but not ceremony.
Many thanks.
Sach,
I would either invite all children or no children, or have a babysitter for little ones. I have seen this situation and it escalates into alot of problems both pre and post wedding, it can give off the appearance of placing more importance on family and close friends’ children. I highly recommend you do not invite all children instead of choosing a “select few” it would not be fair and could be insulting to the other guests. Hoping this helps.
im having a tough time trying to decide how to word my invites for my wedding my mother & father (who are divorced,but not remarried.) and my fiances grandparents will be paying for most of our wedding my fiance and my self will pay for bits of it but the majority more then 3/4 will be done by my parents & grandparents. so i do not know how to word the invites my fiance is on good terms with his mother and father but his grandmother did the majority of raising him (and was more like a mother) so she & her husband have offerd to help with the expenses so im stumped on how to word the invited.
Crystal,
In a case like this one i usually recommend:
Together with their families
Brides name
and Grooms name
request the honor of your presence at their marriage etc.
It keeps things simple and less confusing while getting all the info on the invite.
* more tips
Crystal,
If you llist all the hosts then it will be a lot of names. It depends on who all you want to mention. If you still want to list names then let me know which ones, you feel comfy mentioning. I also like Together with their families cause if noone is mentioned then no feelings are hurt.