A Warm Wedding Welcome: Both Families Unite

Wedding invitation wording can be tricky, but the good news is that the rules of wedding invitation etiquette are not that complicated. The primary tenet is much simpler and more straightforward than you may think. The most important rule is to create a beautiful wedding invitation that represents you, your love, and the big day while also communicating the vital details of the wedding.

Traditionally, the bride's parents are the hosts of the wedding and are named at the top of the invitation. However, including the names of both sets of parents as hosts is a gracious option, regardless of who is footing the bill. More and more couples these days are hosting their own weddings or doing so together with their parents.

If the wedding is a collaborative affair hosted and paid for by the couple and both sets of parents, you can use wording such as Together with their parents/families, [couple's names] request the pleasure of your company...

- Together with their families, [couple's names] invite you to celebrate with them on their wedding day, [date] at [time] at [venue name and address]. Reception to follow.

- Together with their parents/families, [couple's names] request the honour of your presence at their wedding on [date] at [time] at [venue name and address]. Dinner and dancing to follow.

- Together with their parents/families, [couple's names] and [names of parents] request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their children on [date] at [time] at [venue name and address]. Reception to follow.

Include both sets of parents' names

Including both sets of parents' names on a wedding invitation is a gracious option, regardless of who is contributing financially to the wedding. This is also a great way to acknowledge the support of your families. Here are some examples of how to word such an invitation:

Formal Wording

When both sets of parents have the same last name:

> Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Wong and Mr. and Mrs. Adam Hollis request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their children Olivia Rose and John Michael on Saturday, the seventeenth of August two thousand twenty-four at half after four in the afternoon at [venue name and address]. Reception to follow.

When both sets of parents have different last names:

> Kenzie M. Smith and Jennifer L. Smith, Mark Franklin and Mary Elizabeth Reyes request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their children Olivia Rose and John Michael on Saturday, the seventeenth of August two thousand twenty-four at half after four in the afternoon at [venue name and address]. Reception to follow.

Informal Wording

When both sets of parents have the same last name:

> Aaron and Alisha Wong, together with Adam and Beatrice Hollis, invite you to raise a glass at the marriage of their son Jack Alexander to Mason Jacob Kim on Saturday, August 17, 2024, at 4:30 in the afternoon at [venue name and address]. Dinner and dancing to follow.

When both sets of parents have different last names:

> Kenzie and Jennifer Smith, along with Mark and Sally Reyes, invite you to share and celebrate the marriage of their children Olivia Rose and John Michael on Saturday, August 17, 2024, at 4:30 in the afternoon at [venue name and address]. Reception to follow.

Creative Wording

When both sets of parents have the same last name:

> Kenzie and Jennifer Smith and Mark and Sally Reyes can't wait to celebrate with you at the marriage of Olivia Rose and John Michael on Saturday, August 17, 2024, at 4:30 in the afternoon at [venue name and address]. Party to follow.

When both sets of parents have different last names:

> Kenzie M. Smith and Jennifer L. Smith, and Mark Franklin and Mary Elizabeth Reyes, request the honour of your presence at the marriage of our children Olivia Rose and John Michael on Saturday, the seventeenth of August two thousand twenty-four at half after four in the afternoon at [venue name and address]. Merriment to follow.

Use Together with their families

"Together with their families" is a great way to word a wedding invitation when both families are hosting. This phrasing is appropriate when the couple is funding all or most of the wedding themselves, but can also be used even if one or both sets of parents are contributing. It's a way to acknowledge the support of their families, even if they are not paying for the wedding in full.

Host Line

The first line of most traditional wedding invites is where you mention the host. Here are some ways to include both families in the host line:

• Together with their families
• It is with joy that, together with their families, ...
• With the support of our families, we are excited to ...

If you have the space, you can also choose to include your parents' or stepparents' names. Mention them in a line below your host line to keep your invite streamlined.

Request Line

The request line is where you ask your guests to join you for your big day. This often goes on a separate line beneath the host line. Here are some examples:

• Request the honour of your presence
• Invite you to join them for their wedding day
• Request the pleasure of your company
• Would love you to celebrate with them

Names of the Couple

Traditionally, a bride's name is listed before the groom's name. However, you can arrange the names in the order you prefer, regardless of gender. Be as formal or informal as you like here. You might decide to use full names, including middle names, or opt for just first and last names or nicknames.

Date and Time

Include the full date along with the year to avoid any confusion. You are free to mention whether it's "a.m." or "p.m." or omit this if it's obvious from the invite. For formal invitations, write out the full wedding date and time, including "o'clock."

Location

When writing out the location of your wedding ceremony, be sure to include the venue name, road, and state—enough information for your guests to start planning their trip. Avoid adding too many details to your wedding invites, though, as it's easy for them to become cluttered. Use a details panel to share the full street address, recommended hotels, and parking information, or simply link to your wedding website for more details.

Reception Information

If your reception is at a different location than your ceremony venue, you'll likely want to share additional information, like "Drinks and dancing to follow." If you want to keep your invites minimal, a simple "Reception to follow" is all you need.

Dress Code

Including dress code information on your invitation is incredibly helpful for guests. Give your guests a helping hand by including a simple line about your dress code, such as "Formal" or "Casual."

Mention the couple's names

When it comes to wedding invitation wording, the names of the couple are usually displayed in larger text and in a fancy typeface. Traditionally, the bride's name always comes first, followed by the groom's full name and title. However, this tradition is not mandatory, and same-sex couples may choose to list names alphabetically or based on what looks best.

Formal Wording

"Kenzie M. Smith and Jennifer L. Smith, Mark Franklin and Mary Elizabeth Reyes request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their children, Olivia Rose and John Michael, Saturday, the 17th of August, two thousand twenty-four, at half after four in the afternoon at [venue name and address]. Reception to follow."

Fun Wording

"Kenzie Smith and Jennifer Smith, Mark Franklin and Mary Reyes hope you'll join them on the dance floor to celebrate the marriage of their children, Olivia Rose and John Michael, Saturday, August 17, 2024, at 4:30 in the afternoon at [venue name and address]. Merriment to follow."

Casual Wording

"Kenzie and Jennifer Smith, along with Mark and Sally Reyes, invite you to share and celebrate the marriage of their children, Olivia Rose and John Michael, Saturday, August 17, 2024, at 4:30 in the afternoon at [venue name and address]. Reception to follow."

Creative Wording

"Kenzie and Jennifer Smith and Mark and Sally Reyes can't wait to celebrate with you at the marriage of Olivia Rose and John Michael, Saturday, August 17, 2024, at 4:30 in the afternoon at [venue name and address]. Party to follow."

Modern Wording

"Kenzie and Jennifer Smith and Mark and Sally Reyes hope you will attend the marriage of Olivia Rose and John Michael, Saturday, August 17, 2024, at 4:30 in the afternoon at [venue name and address]. Reception to follow."

Simple Wording

"Kenzie and Jennifer Smith and Mark and Sally Reyes invite you to the wedding of Olivia Rose and John Michael, Saturday, August 17, 2024, at 4:30 in the afternoon at [venue name and address]. Reception to follow."

Add the date and time

When it comes to wedding invitation wording, the date and time of the wedding should be spelled out in full for formal invites, while numerical figures are often used for modern invites. If you do opt for numerical figures, be sure to choose a legible font to avoid any confusion. For example, a "2" that looks like a "5" could cause a lot of confusion for your guests.

For formal invites, the day of the week and the month should be capitalised, and the year should be written in full in lowercase. There is no "and" when spelling out the year. The time of day should be written out in full as "four o'clock" or "half after four o'clock". From noon until four o'clock is considered the afternoon, and evening begins at five o'clock.

Formal Wedding Invitation Wording Examples:

• "Saturday, the fifteenth of September, two thousand twenty-four, at half after four in the afternoon."
• "Saturday, the twenty-fourth of June, two thousand twenty-three, at three o'clock in the afternoon."
• "Saturday, the sixteenth of September, two thousand twenty-three, at half after five in the evening."
• "Saturday, 21st October 2023, at four in the afternoon."
• "Saturday, the twenty-second day of July, two thousand and twenty-one, at five o'clock in the evening."

Informal Wedding Invitation Wording Examples:

• "Saturday, August 17, 2024, at 4:30 in the afternoon."
• "Saturday, 20th May 2023, dinner and dancing to follow."
• "Saturday, August 17, 2024, at 4:30 p.m., reception to follow."
• "Saturday, August 17, 2024, at 4:30 p.m."

Provide the location

The location of the wedding is an essential detail to include on the invitation. This is usually the name and full street address of the venue, including the city, state, and zip code. If the wedding is taking place abroad, include the country as well.

If the ceremony and reception are at the same venue, you can simply say "Reception to follow" or "Dinner and dancing to follow". If the reception is at a different location, you can include the full address and other pertinent information on a separate details card tucked in with the main invitation.

If the venue is a private residence, it is customary to include the street address. Otherwise, the street address is typically omitted.

• " [Venue name and address]"
• "At [venue name], [address]"
• "At [venue name], [city], [state]"
• "At [venue name] in [city], [state]"
• "At [venue name], [city], [state], [zip code]"

If the ceremony and reception are at the same venue, you can use one of the following phrases:

• "Reception to follow"
• "Dinner and dancing to follow"
• "Cake, punch, and merriment to follow" (if not serving a full meal)
• "Feasting and merriment to follow"
• "Dining, dancing, and happily ever after to follow"

If the reception is at a different location, you can use a separate details card or include the full address on the same invitation:

• " [Reception venue name and address]"
• "Followed by dinner and dancing at [reception venue name and address]"
• "Followed by dinner and dancing at [reception venue name], [address]"
• "Followed by dinner and dancing at [reception venue name], [city], [state]"

Frequently asked questions