Franklin Dean
Wedding invitation wording can be tricky, but it's a great opportunity to express your style and set the tone for your wedding. The key details to include are the hosts, the couple's names, the ceremony date, time and location, and any post-ceremony plans. Here's a guide to help you craft the perfect invitation for your married friend.
The first line of the invitation is dedicated to the host, traditionally the bride's parents, but nowadays it could be the groom's parents, the couple, or a combination. If you have a non-traditional family structure, don't worry, there are creative ways to word this. For example, if you want to include step-parents, you can list the mother and stepfather's names first, followed by the father and stepmother on a separate line.
Next comes the request line, where you invite your guests to join the celebration. This can be formal, such as request the honour of your presence, or more casual, like please come help us celebrate our love.
Then, of course, you have the couple's names, with the bride's name traditionally coming first, followed by the ceremony details: the date, time, location and address. It's important to include the dress code and any other pertinent information, like whether children are invited.
Finally, include any post-ceremony plans, such as Dinner and dancing to follow or Reception to follow at a separate location.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Host names | Names of the hosts (usually the people paying for the wedding) |
| Invitation sentence | A warm invitation sentence |
| Couple's names | Names of the couple getting married |
| Date and time | Date and time of the wedding |
| Location | Location of the ceremony and reception |
| RSVP card | Separate RSVP card or instructions for a digital RSVP |
| Additional details | Smaller details like travel and accommodation on a separate card |
What You'll Learn
Honoring a deceased parent
Wedding Invitation Wording
The general format for wedding invitations when a parent has passed away is as follows:
> [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 honor of your presence at their marriage.
For example:
> 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
> Dripping Springs, Texas
If both parents have passed away, you can follow a similar format and list both parents as "late" to honor 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 honor of your presence at their marriage.
If one parent has remarried, you can include the step-parent's name on the invitation as well:
> [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 honor of your presence at their marriage.
Other Ways to Honor a Deceased Parent
Whether or not you include your deceased parent on the wedding invitation, there are other ways to honor their memory during the wedding:
- Light a memorial candle
- Reserve a seat for them at the ceremony and reception
- Include a note "in loving memory" of your parent in the wedding program
- Give a toast in honor of your parent
- Read a memorial poem during the ceremony or reception
- Hold a bouquet of flowers that reminds you of your parent
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Including step-parents
When it comes to including step-parents on wedding invitations, there are a few different approaches you can take. Here are some examples and guidelines to help you navigate this aspect of your wedding planning:
If you want to include step-parents in the host line, you can list all the parents and their partners. Here's an example:
> Mr. & Mrs. Flores, Mr. & Mrs. Hill, Mr. & Mrs. Byrne and Mr. & Mrs. Lin request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of Talia Flores & Stephen Byrne.
Honouring Deceased Parents
If one of your parents or step-parents has passed away, you can honour them in the invitation. Here's an example:
> Mr. & Mrs. Jon Flores and Mr. Tom Byrne & the late Mrs. Nancy Byrne request the honour of your company at the marriage of their children Talia Flores & Stephen Byrne.
Wording for Couple's Parents Hosting
If both sets of parents, including step-parents, are hosting the wedding, you can use wording like the following:
> Mr. & Mrs. Flores and Mr. & Mrs. Byrne request the honour of your company at the marriage of their children Talia Flores & Stephen Byrne.
Honouring Step-Parents in the Reception Line
If you want to acknowledge your step-parents' roles in a less prominent way, you can include them in the reception line. Here's an example:
> Talia Flores and Stephen Byrne, together with their families, invite you to share in their joy as they tie the knot.
Informal Wording for Step-Parents
For a more casual approach, you can simply list the names of the couple and their parents, including step-parents, without specific roles. For example:
> Talia Flores and Stephen Byrne, with their parents Mr. & Mrs. Flores, Mr. & Mrs. Hill, Mr. & Mrs. Byrne, and Mr. & Mrs. Lin, invite you to share in their special day.
Remember, these are just some examples to guide you. You can customise the wording to fit your unique family dynamics and the style of your wedding invitations.
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Divorced parents
If your parents or your partner's parents are divorced, there are a few ways you can include them on the wedding invitation. Here are some options to consider:
Mother and Father's Names on Separate Lines
The simplest way to include divorced parents is to list the mother's name first, followed by the father's name on a separate line. Do not use "and" to connect the two names. Here's an example:
Ms. Sarah Smith
Mr. John Smith
Request the pleasure of your company at the wedding of their daughter
If your mother has kept her married name, you can simply use "Ms." to avoid any confusion.
If your parents are divorced and your mother has returned to her maiden name or has a different last name, it is appropriate to include your full last name to prevent confusion.
Ms. Sarah Jones
Mr. John Smith
Request the pleasure of your company at the wedding of their daughter
Michael Alan Timmons
If your mother is remarried and has a different last name, include your full last name for clarity.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jones
Mr. John Smith
Request the pleasure of your company at the wedding of their daughter
Michael Alan Timmons
If both of your parents are remarried and have different last names, include your full last name after their names.
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
Including Step-parents
If you want to include a step-parent, you can do so by listing their name together with your biological parent on the same line. Here's an example:
Michelle & Timothy Wright
Request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of her daughter
Elizabeth Ann Monroe
Multiple Step-parents
If you have multiple step-parents, you can include them all by listing each couple on their own line or using the phrase "Together with their families" to keep the invitation concise.
Along with Elise & Christine Hanley,
And Olivia & Addison Martin
Request the honor of your presence
At the marriage of their children
Other Considerations
When addressing divorced parents in wedding invitations, remember to omit the "and" between the mother's and father's names, as this signifies marriage. Additionally, the mother's name is typically listed first, unless she is not contributing financially to the wedding, in which case the father's name can go first.
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Remarried parents
If you are addressing a wedding invitation to remarried parents, you should include the names of all parents involved. Here are some examples of how to word the host line:
> Dr. Vance and Elizabeth Gregory and 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
If the remarried parents are hosting along with the couple's other parents, you can list the bride's parents' names first, followed by the groom's parents' names. For same-sex couples, list the names according to preference or what looks best with the invitation design.
> Kenzie M. Smith and Jennifer L. Smith Mark Franklin and Mary Elizabeth Reyes request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their children Olivia Rose and John Michael Saturday, the seventeenth of August two thousand twenty-four at half after four in the afternoon at [venue name and address] Reception to follow
If the couple is hosting the wedding themselves, you can omit the host line or start the invitation with a warm and welcoming introduction:
> Together with full hearts
>
> With hearts full of love and joy
In this case, the invitation can be worded as follows:
> The honor of your presence is requested at the marriage of Jack Alexander Smith to Mason Jacob Kim Saturday, the seventeenth of August two thousand twenty-four at half after four at [venue name and address] Reception to follow
If the couple is hosting along with both sets of parents, you can include a line such as "Together with their parents" or "Together with their families":
> Olivia Rose Smith and John Michael Reyes together with their parents Kenzie M. Smith and Jennifer L. Smith and Mark Franklin and Mary Elizabeth Reyes request the honor of your presence at their wedding Saturday, the seventeenth of August two thousand twenty-four at half after four in the afternoon at [venue name and address] Reception to follow
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Widowed parents
If you are a widowed parent, there are a few ways you can include your deceased spouse on your child's wedding invitation. Here are some examples of wording that would be suitable:
Both Parents are Widowed
If both parents of the couple are widowed, the invitation can be worded as follows:
> [Parent 1] and [Parent 2] request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their children [Couple's Names] on [Date] at [Time] at [Venue Name and Address]
One Parent is Widowed
If one parent of the couple is widowed, the invitation can be worded as follows:
> [Parent 1] and the late [Parent 2] request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter/son [Couple's Names] on [Date] at [Time] at [Venue Name and Address]
Single Parent, Widow or Widower
If you are a single parent, widow, or widower, you may choose not to include your deceased spouse on the invitation. Here is an example of the wording:
> [Your Name] requests the honour of your presence at the marriage of [Your Son/Daughter's Name] on [Date] at [Time] at [Venue Name and Address]
Including a Step-Parent and a Parent Who Has Passed Away
If you would like to include your remarried spouse and honour your deceased former spouse, you can use the following wording:
> [Step-parent's Name] and [Your Name] request the honour of your presence at the marriage of [Your Son/Daughter's Name] and the late [Former Spouse's Name] on [Date] at [Time] at [Venue Name and Address]
Remember, it is entirely up to you whether or not you include your late spouse on the invitation. You may also choose to include their name on a separate card or honour them in other ways during the wedding ceremony and reception.
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Frequently asked questions
The traditional way to word a wedding invitation is to include the following:
- Host line: The opening line on a wedding invitation names the hosts of the event.
- Attendance request: The request to attend lets guests know exactly what they're being invited to.
- Couple's names: The names of the couple are usually displayed in larger text.
- Date and time: The date and time are traditionally spelled out in full.
- Location: The name and full street address of the wedding venue are included.
- Reception details: If the ceremony and reception are at the same venue, just say "reception to follow."
- Dress code: Including dress code information is optional but can be helpful.
The traditional way to address a married couple on a wedding invitation is to use their first and last names, e.g. "Mr. and Mrs. John Smith."
The best way to indicate that children are not invited to the wedding is to address the invitation only to the adults and add a line at the bottom stating that children are not invited, e.g. "Unfortunately, children are not invited – we hope you understand."
To indicate that the wedding will be an adult-only event, you can add a line at the bottom of the invitation such as "Our wedding will be a child-free occasion. We hope you can still come and enjoy a night off."
If the couple is hosting the wedding themselves, the host line can be omitted. Here is an example of how to word a wedding invitation from the couple:
"The honor of your presence is requested at the marriage of Talia Camila Flores and Stephen Anthony Byrne Saturday, the eleventh of June two thousand and twenty-three at twelve o'clock in the afternoon Arctic Club Hotel 700 Third Avenue Seattle, Washington Reception to follow."
