Crafting Wedding And Baby Celebration Invites: A Guide

Wedding invitations are one of the first things your guests will see, so it's important to get them right. The wording of your wedding invitation will depend on the style of your wedding and the formality of the occasion. Whether you're having a traditional or modern wedding, there are some key elements that should be included in your invitation. These are: the host line, a request line, the couple's names, the date, time and location of the ceremony, and the reception details. You may also want to include an RSVP card or instructions for a digital RSVP, as well as any other pertinent information such as dress code or accommodation suggestions.

Honoring deceased parents

If you want to honour your deceased parents at your wedding and baby celebration, here are some ideas for how to word your invitations:

Including Deceased Parents in Wedding Invitations

If you want to include your deceased parent(s) in your wedding invitations, there are a few ways to do so. Traditionally, the bride's parents are listed as hosts at the top of the invitation, but you can also include the names of both sets of parents. If you want to follow this tradition and include a deceased parent, you might write:

> [Bride's name], daughter of Mr. [Bride's father's name] and the late Mrs. [Bride's mother's name], and [Groom's name], son of Mr. and Mrs. [Groom's parents' names], request the honour of your presence at their wedding...

If the deceased parent is the father of the groom, the invitation could be worded as follows:

> Mr. and Mrs. [Groom's mother's name and groom's last name], Mrs. [Groom's mother's name] and the late Mr. [Groom's father's name], request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their son...

If you are hosting the wedding yourselves, you can simply omit the host line and include your own names as the main event:

> The honour of your presence is requested at the marriage of [Bride's name] and [Groom's name]...

When it comes to baby shower invitations, the mother-to-be is typically the guest of honour. However, if you are hosting a couple's shower, you can include both parents as guests of honour. Here are some ideas for how to word the invitation to honour a deceased parent:

> In honour of [Mother-to-be's name] and her bundle of joy. Please join us for a baby shower to celebrate [Mother's name] and her little one.

If you are hosting a couple's baby shower and the deceased parent is the father, you could write:

> [Mother-to-be's name] and [Father-to-be's name] are having a baby! Join us for a couples' baby shower to celebrate the new mom and dad.

If you prefer a more light-hearted approach, you could try something like:

> Twinkle, twinkle, little star. How we wonder what you are! Our love for you is out of this world. We can't wait to meet you, little one! Celebrate the newest star in the galaxy at [Mother-to-be's name]'s baby shower...

Other Ways to Honour Deceased Parents

In addition to including them in your invitations, there are other ways to honour your deceased parents at your wedding and baby celebrations:

• Memorial candle: Light a memorial candle at the ceremony or reception to involve your guests in remembering your parent(s).
• Reserve a seat: Keep a seat empty at the ceremony and reception to symbolically include your parent(s) in the celebration.
• Wedding program: Include a note "in loving memory" of your parent(s) in your wedding program.
• Toast and poems: Raise a toast or read a memorial poem during the ceremony or reception to honour your parent(s).
• Flowers: Hold a bouquet or display flowers that remind you of your deceased parent(s).

Including step-parents

When it comes to including step-parents on your wedding invitations, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, it's important to reflect your family's unique structure. If your parents are divorced and remarried, you can choose to name your step-parents individually or refer to them as your biological parents' spouses. For example:

> "Mr. and Mrs. Nolan Andrews-Butler, along with Mr. Bruno Walters and his spouse, request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter, Simone Louise, to Paul Lima, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jose Lima..."

If you have a close relationship with your step-parent and want to acknowledge their role in your life, you can choose to include them in the invitation. However, it's essential to communicate with all parties involved and manage expectations early on.

• If your step-parent has contributed to hosting the ceremony or reception, it is customary to include their name on the invitation.
• When including the names of both sets of parents, keep the names of married couples on the same line, using "and" to join them. For divorced parents, use separate lines for each name.
• If you want to honour a deceased parent, you can include a phrase such as "the late" after their name.
• For divorced parents hosting together, list the bride's parents' names first, followed by the groom's parents' names.
• If the couple is hosting with their parents, you can use phrases like "Together with their parents" or "Together with our families".

Here's an example of how to word the invitation with divorced and remarried parents:

> "Dr. Vance and Elizabeth Gregory, Mr. James Abner and Lydia Abner, and Mr. Harold and Jane Hyland invite you to the wedding of their children Amy Abner and Charles Hyland, 01.06.18 | 4 p.m. Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church, Newport, California. Reception immediately after."

Remember, communication is key when navigating these dynamics, and it's important to be mindful of everyone's feelings.

Divorced parents

When it comes to wedding invitations, divorced parents can be a tricky situation to navigate. Here are some guidelines and examples to help you word your invitations elegantly and sensitively:

General Guidelines:

• It's up to you: Every family is unique, so do what feels right for your situation. These guidelines are simply suggestions to help you create a beautiful invitation that represents you and your love.
• Separate lines: Divorced parents' names should appear on separate lines, with no "and" between them. This is true regardless of whether they have remarried or not.
• Mother's name first: Traditionally, the mother's name is listed first, unless she is not contributing financially to the wedding, in which case the father's name can go first.
• Include step-parents: It is acceptable to include step-parents on the invitation if you wish, listing them on the same line as their spouse.

Examples for Different Scenarios:

Both parents hosting and contributing financially:

If both your parents are divorced and jointly hosting the wedding, you can list their names separately, followed by the groom's parents' names:

> Ms. Sarah Smith

> Mr. John Smith

> together with

> Mr. and Mrs. Alan Timmons

> request the pleasure of your company at the wedding of their children

> Michael Alan Timmons

Mother remarried, father not:

If your mother has remarried and your father has not, list your mother and her spouse first, followed by your father's name:

> Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jones

> Mr. John Smith

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

> Michael Alan Timmons

Both parents remarried:

If both your parents have remarried, list their new spouses' names along with their own:

> Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jones

> Mr. and Mrs. John Smith

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

> Michael Alan Timmons

One parent hosting:

If only one of your parents is hosting the wedding, their name can appear alone on the invitation:

> Ms. Sarah Smith

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

> Michael Alan Timmons

You can also include the other parent's name if you wish, just be sure to keep them on separate lines:

> Ms. Sarah Smith

> Mr. John Smith

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

> Michael Alan Timmons

Remarried parents

If you have remarried parents, there are a few ways to include them in your wedding invitation wording. Here are some examples:

Including Both Sets of Parents

If both sets of parents are contributing to the wedding financially, you can include them all in the invitation. Each parent's name should be on a separate line, and stepparents can be included as well. Here's an example:

> Dr. Vance and Elizabeth Gregory

>

> Mr. James Abner and Lydia Abner

>

> Mr. and Mrs. Harold and Jane Hyland

>

> invite you to the wedding of their children Amy Abner and Charles Hyland

>

> 01.06.18 | 4 p.m.

>

> Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church

>

> Newport, California

>

> Reception immediately after

Including Stepparents

If you want to include stepparents in the invitation, you can do so by adding a line before the biological parent's name. Here's an example:

> Neena and Kenneth Peterson

>

> Invite you to the marriage of Neena's daughter

>

> Hunter Walter Franke

>

> on Saturday, August 25th,

>

> two thousand twenty-seven

>

> at one o'clock in the afternoon

>

> Sunflower Hills Farm

>

> 19 East Forrest Heights

Honouring Deceased Parents

If you want to honour a deceased parent in the invitation, you can include their name alongside one of the couple's names. Here's an example:

> Mr. & Mrs. Jon Flores and Mr. Tom Byrne & the late Mrs. Nancy Byrne

>

> request the honor of your company at the marriage of their children Talia Flores & Stephen Byrne

Including One Divorced Parent

If only one divorced parent is inviting, you can word the invitation as follows:

> Neena and Kenneth Peterson

>

> Invite you to the marriage of Neena's daughter

>

> Hunter Walter Franke

>

> on Saturday, August 25th,

>

> two thousand twenty-seven

>

> at one o'clock in the afternoon

>

> Sunflower Hills Farm

Including Both Divorced Parents

If both divorced parents are contributing financially and you want to include them both, you can word the invitation as follows:

> along with Mr. & Mrs. John Underwood

>

> request the honor of your presence

>

> at the marriage of their children

>

> on Saturday, the twenty-sixth of June

>

> two thousand twenty-seven

>

> at one o'clock in the afternoon

>

> 777 East Grand Avenue

>

> Prairie Fields, Iowa

Widowed parents

If you are a widowed parent, there are a few ways to word your wedding invitation to include your late spouse. Here are some examples:

Both parents are deceased

In this case, you would follow the same format as invitations with one deceased parent. List both parents as "late" to honour them.

> [Engaged person's name]

> child of the late [parent's name] and [parent's name]

> [engaged person's name]

> child of [parent's name] and [parent's name]

> request the honour of your presence at their marriage.

One parent is deceased

If one parent is deceased, it can be tricky to know how to include them on the invitation. You could use the following phrasing:

> [Engaged person's name]

> child of [parent's name] and the late [parent's name]

> [engaged person's name]

> child of [parent's name] and [parent's name]

> request the honour of your presence at their marriage.

One parent is deceased, the other remarried

If the surviving parent has remarried, you can choose to list the step-parent on the invitation as well. Here is an example:

> [Engaged person's name]

> child of [parent's name] and [step-parent's name]

> the late [Deceased Parent’s Name]

> [engaged person's name]

> child of [parent's name] and [parent's name]

> request the honour of your presence at their marriage.

Other options

If you don't want to include your late spouse on the invitation, that is perfectly acceptable. You could choose to honour them in other ways during the wedding ceremony or reception. Some ideas include:

• Lighting a memorial candle
• Reserving a seat for them at the ceremony and reception
• Including a note "in loving memory" in the wedding programme
• Giving a toast in their honour
• Reading a memorial poem during the ceremony or reception
• Holding a bouquet of flowers that reminds you of them

Remember, the most important thing is to go with your heart and do what feels right for you and your family.

Frequently asked questions