Honoring Deceased Parents: Wedding Invitation Etiquette

how to address deceased parent on wedding invitation

When it comes to addressing wedding invitations, it can be tricky to know how to honour a deceased parent. While some couples opt to leave out parents altogether, others may want to include their names as a special way to keep their memory alive. Whether it's the bride or groom's parent who has passed away, there are several ways to word the invitation to ensure they are respectfully acknowledged.

Characteristics Values
Parent's name Include the name of the deceased parent
Deceased parent's title Use "the late" before the parent's name
Surviving parent's title Use "Mr." or "Mrs."
Host Include the host line, usually the person paying for the wedding
Purpose of event Include the purpose of the event, e.g., "wedding", "marriage", etc.
Honorees Include the names of the couple getting married
Date and time Include the date and time of the event
Location Include the name and address of the location
Formality Use formal titles and language

shunbridal

How to word invitations when the father of the bride has passed away

When it comes to addressing wedding invitations, there are many ways to honour a deceased parent. Here are some suggestions on how to word invitations when the father of the bride has passed away:

Formal Wording

If you're looking for formal wording that is perfect for a traditional wedding, consider the following example:

> Mrs. Sharon Henderson

>

> and the late Mr. Nathan Henderson

>

> request the honour of your presence

>

> at the marriage of their daughter

>

> Preston John Brackman

>

> on Saturday, the twenty-first of July

>

> Two thousand and twenty-six

>

> at five o'clock in the evening

>

> Dripping Springs, Texas

Informal Wording

If you prefer a less formal approach, you can still include the bride's parents in the invitation:

> Fatima and the late Arjun Sharma

>

> along with their families and friends

>

> invite you to the celebration of their marriage

>

> on Saturday, July 21st, 2024, at 6:00 pm

>

> Bluxome Street Winery

>

> San Francisco, California

Single Parent or Widow/Widower

If you prefer not to include your deceased parent, that is also perfectly acceptable. Here is an example of wording the invitation from a single parent or widow/widower:

> Mrs. Angela Eldridge

>

> requests the honour of your presence

>

> at the marriage of her daughter

>

> Trevor Patrick Everett

>

> on Saturday, the twenty-first of July

>

> Two thousand and twenty-six

>

> at five o'clock in the evening

>

> 1982 North Bay Avenue

>

> Knox Bay, Rhode Island

Including a Step-Parent

If you would like to include both a step-parent and your deceased parent, you can use wording similar to this:

> Moira and Alistair Schiller

>

> request the honour of your presence

>

> at the marriage of her

>

> and the late Porter Blackman's daughter

>

> on Saturday, the twenty-first of July

>

> Two thousand and twenty-six

>

> at five o'clock in the evening

Remember, the most important thing is to follow your heart and honour your loved ones in a way that feels right to you. Your guests will surely appreciate the tribute to your parent's memory.

shunbridal

How to word invitations when the mother of the bride has passed away

If you've lost your mother and are getting married, you may want to find special ways to honour her memory on your wedding day. One way to do this is to include her name on your wedding invitation. Here are some suggestions for how to word your wedding invitations when the bride's mother has passed away:

Formal Wording

If you're having a traditional wedding, a formal invitation is a good option. This example uses the bride's full name and includes the late mother's name:

> Mrs Sharon Henderson

>

> and the late Mr Nathan Henderson

>

> request the honour of your presence

>

> at the marriage of their daughter

>

> Preston John Brackman

>

> on Saturday, the twenty-first of July

>

> Two thousand and twenty-six

>

> at five o'clock in the evening

>

> Dripping Springs, Texas

If the bride's father is also deceased, the wording can be adjusted to the following:

> Mrs Sharon Henderson

>

> and the late Mr Nathan Henderson

>

> request the honour of your presence

>

> at the marriage of their daughter

>

> Preston John Brackman

>

> and the late Mr and Mrs Henderson

>

> on Saturday, the twenty-first of July

>

> Two thousand and twenty-six

>

> at five o'clock in the evening

>

> Dripping Springs, Texas

Informal Wording

If you prefer a less formal approach, you can still include your late mother in the invitation. Here's an example:

> Fatima and the late Arjun Sharma

>

> the families and friends of

>

> at the celebration of their marriage

>

> on Saturday, July 21st, 2024, at 6:00 pm

>

> Bluxome Street Winery

>

> San Francisco, California

Step-parent and Deceased Parent

If you want to include both your step-parent and deceased parent, you can use wording like this:

> Moira and Alistair Schiller

>

> request the honour of your presence

>

> at the marriage of her

>

> and the late Porter Blackman's daughter

>

> on Saturday, the twenty-first of July

>

> Two thousand and twenty-six

>

> at five o'clock in the evening

Honouring in Other Ways

If you don't want to include your late mother on the invitation itself, there are other ways to honour her memory. Some suggestions include:

  • Including her name in the wedding programme
  • Displaying a candle in her memory at the wedding venue
  • Including photos of loved ones who have passed away
  • Honouring her during the ceremony or reception through music, readings, or other meaningful gestures

Remember, the most important thing is to follow your heart and do what feels right for you. Your guests will appreciate the tribute, and your mother's memory will be honoured.

shunbridal

How to word invitations when the father of the groom has passed away

When it comes to addressing deceased parents on wedding invitations, there are a few ways to include their names and honour their memory. Here are some suggestions for wording your invitations when the father of the groom has passed away:

Formal Wording

If you prefer a formal and traditional style, you can use the following format:

> Mr. and Mrs. [Mother of the Groom's Full Name]

>

> [Mother of the Groom's First Name] and the late [Father of the Groom's Full Name]

>

> request the honour of your presence

>

> at the marriage of their children

>

> [Names of the Couple]

>

> on [date]

>

> at [time]

>

> [Venue Address]

For example:

> Mr. and Mrs. Hannah Fullerton

>

> Hannah Fullerton and the late Andrew Fullerton

>

> request the honour of your presence

>

> at the marriage of their children

>

> [Names of the Couple]

>

> on Saturday, the twenty-first of July

>

> at six o'clock in the evening

>

> 912 Sixth Street South

>

> Minneapolis, Minnesota

Informal Wording

If you prefer a less formal approach, you can use a simpler format:

> [Mother of the Groom's First Name] and the late [Father of the Groom's First Name]

>

> [Families and friends of]

>

> invite you to the celebration of the marriage of

>

> [Names of the Couple]

>

> on [date and time]

>

> at [Venue Name and Address]

For example:

> Hannah and the late Andrew Fullerton

>

> together with their families

>

> invite you to the celebration of the marriage of

>

> [Names of the Couple]

>

> on Saturday, July 21st, 2024, at 6:00 p.m.

>

> Bluxome Street Winery

>

> San Francisco, California

Including Step-Parents

If you would like to include a step-parent along with the deceased parent, you can use wording such as:

> [Step-parent's Name] and [Mother of the Groom's First Name],

>

> request the honour of your presence

>

> at the marriage of her and the late [Father of the Groom's First Name]'s son

>

> [Name of the Groom]

>

> on [date]

>

> at [time]

>

> [Venue Address]

For example:

> Moira and Hannah Fullerton

>

> request the honour of your presence

>

> at the marriage of her and the late Andrew Fullerton's son

>

> [Name of the Groom]

>

> on Saturday, the twenty-first of July

>

> at six o'clock in the evening

>

> 912 Sixth Street South

>

> Minneapolis, Minnesota

Remember, these are just suggestions, and you can adapt the wording to fit your preferences and the style of your wedding. Including deceased parents on your wedding invitations is a touching way to honour their memory and include them in your special day.

shunbridal

How to word invitations when the mother of the groom has passed away

If you want to include a deceased parent on your wedding invitations, there are a few ways to do so. Here are some examples of how to word your invitations when the mother of the groom has passed away:

Both sets of parents hosting

If both the bride's and groom's parents are contributing financially to the wedding, you can include both sets of parents' names on the invitation. Here's an example:

> Mr. and Mrs. Jay Courier

> Mrs. Hannah Fullerton and the late Mr. Andrew Fullerton

> request the honour of your presence

> at the marriage of their children

> [date and time]

> [address]

Single parent of the groom hosting

If the groom's father is not involved in the wedding, the invitation can be worded as follows:

> Mrs. Hannah Fullerton and the late Mr. Andrew Fullerton

> request the honour of your presence

> at the marriage of their son

> [date and time]

> [address]

Step-parent and deceased parent of the groom hosting

If the groom has a step-parent, you can include both the step-parent and the deceased parent on the invitation:

> Mr. and Mrs. Jay Courier

> and the late Mrs. Fullerton

> request the honour of your presence

> at the marriage of their son

> [date and time]

> [address]

Couple hosting

If the couple is hosting the wedding, you can leave out the parents' names altogether. Here's an example:

> [Bride's name] and [Groom's name]

> request the honour of your presence

> at our wedding

> [date and time]

> [address]

Remember, these are just a few options. Ultimately, you should go with your heart when considering how to word your wedding invitations, and your guests will surely appreciate the tribute to your late parent.

shunbridal

How to word invitations when both parents of the bride/groom have passed away

When it comes to addressing wedding invitations, it's important to consider who is hosting the event. This is usually the person or people who are paying for the wedding. Traditionally, the bride's parents are listed first, followed by the groom's parents. However, if the groom's family is contributing more financially, their names can be listed first.

If both parents of the bride or groom have passed away, there are several ways to include them on the invitation:

Bride's Parents Have Passed Away

The bride's surviving relatives can be listed as hosts, with the bride's late parents mentioned after the purpose of the event:

> Mrs. Christine Johnson

> requests the honor of your presence

> at the marriage of his daughter

>

> Mrs. Christine Johnson

> daughter of Mr. Dennis Johnson

> and the late Dennis Johnson

Or, if the bride has a stepparent:

> Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jones

> request the pleasure of your company at the wedding of her daughter

>

> Avery June Smith, daughter of the late Mr. John Smith

>

> Michael Alan Timmons

Groom's Parents Have Passed Away

If the bride's parents are hosting, the invitation can be worded as follows:

> Mr. and Mrs. Jay Courier

>

> Mrs. Hannah Fullerton

> and the late Andrew Fullerton

>

> request the honor of your presence

> at the marriage of their children

>

> on Saturday, the twenty-first of July

> Two-thousand and twenty-six

> at six o'clock in the evening

> 912 Sixth Street South

> Minneapolis, Minnesota

Both Parents Have Passed Away

If both the bride's and groom's parents have passed away, the couple can choose to list only their own names as hosts:

> Michael Alan Timmons

> requests the pleasure of your company at their wedding

Or, if other relatives are hosting, their names can be listed:

> Mr. and Mrs. William Mays

> request the honour of your presence

>

> Ms. Laura Marie Johnson

Frequently asked questions

Mrs. Sharon Henderson and the late Mr. Nathan Henderson request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Preston John Brackman on Saturday, the twenty-first of July, Two-thousand and twenty-six, at six o'clock in the evening in Dripping Springs, Texas.

Mr. John Smith requests the pleasure of your company at the wedding of his daughter Avery June daughter of the late Mrs. Sarah Smith to Michael Alan Timmons.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Jones, request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their children on Saturday, the twenty-first of July, Two-thousand and twenty-six, at six o'clock in the evening in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Mrs. Christine Johnson requests the honor of your presence at the marriage of his daughter Mrs. Christine Johnson, daughter of Mr. Dennis Johnson and the late Mrs. Christine Johnson.

Written by
Reviewed by
Share this post
Print
Did this article help you?

Leave a comment