The host line on your wedding invitations (i.e. who requests your guests’ presence) indicates who is paying for, (or hosting in a more general sense) your wedding. Whether your hosting situation is traditional or far from it, these wedding invitation wording examples will help you figure out how best position that tricky wording conundrum.
How to write wedding invitations if – The bride’s parents are hosting?
Married couples typically follow the following format:
Mr. and Mrs. John Robert Sutton
Request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of
David Cannon
to their daughter
Sarah Gilbert
Married couples with different surnames can be written as:
Ms. Silvia Marie Goetsch and Mr. John Robert Sutton
How to write wedding invitations if – The groom’s parents are hosting?
Example 1 (formal)
Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Cannon
Request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of
Sarah Gilbert
to their son
David Cannon
Example 2 (less formal)
Matthew & Valentina Cannon
Joyfully invite you
to the wedding celebration of
Sarah Gilbert
&
David Cannon
How to word wedding invitations if – Groom’s parents and bride’s parents are co-hosing?
If both sets of parents are sharing expenses, list both sets as hosts, beginning with the bride’s family.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Smith
and
Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Gringo
invite you to share in the ceremony
uniting their children
Jessica Marie
to
Francis Christopher Gringo
How to word wedding invitations if – The couple is hosting?
Example 1
Miss Sarah Nichole Williams
and
Mr. Andrew David Douglas
together with their parents
request the pleasure of your company
at their marriage
Example 2
Miss Sarah Nichole Williams
and
Mr. Andrew David Douglas
request the honour of your presence
at their marriage
What to include in Wedding Invitations if – Divorced parents are hosting?
List each parent’s name on a separate line, starting with mom, without an “and” between them. If your mother has not remarried, preface her name with “Mrs.” and include her first name, maiden name, then married name.
Mr. Kilian Byrne
Mr. and Mrs. Philip Hopkins
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Sarah Nichole
to
Andrew David Douglas
Divorced parents (who are remarried) are hosting?
Traditionally, only the parent’s names are listed, but nowadays, also including your stepparents’ names is perfectly acceptable. List your mother’s name (and new husband’s) first, along with your last name.
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Christopher Dannenberg
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Andronico Cukar
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Lily Darleene Cukar
One or both of my parents have passed away?
If you feel strongly about including a deceased parent on your wedding invitation, it is perfectly acceptable to do so. Courtesy titles are omitted, and the wording should make it clear that the deceased parent is not the one inviting guests, using a phrase such as “the late” before the name.
Click here for more formal wedding invitation wording
Photo credit: Colin Cowie