Involving Older Children In Wedding Ceremonies

When it comes to writing children's names on wedding invitations, there are a few different approaches you can take. If you are addressing the invitation to a family, you can list the names of each invited guest on the response card, making it clear who is and isn't invited. This is particularly useful if you are having an adults-only wedding and want to avoid any confusion. Another option is to use a more general phrase such as The Smith Family if you are inviting the whole family, including children. It's also worth noting that the traditional way to address married couples is Mr. and Mrs. or Mr. and Mr. for same-sex couples.

Host line

The host line is the first part of a wedding invitation and is where you list who is hosting the wedding, or, in other words, who is paying for the wedding. Traditionally, the bride's parents pay for the wedding celebration, so listing their names on the host line is a way of acknowledging their generosity.

If the couple is paying for the wedding themselves, you can omit the host line entirely or start the invitation wording with a warm and welcoming introduction, such as "Together with full hearts" or "With hearts full of love and joy".

If the couple is receiving financial contributions from both sets of parents, you can list all parents' names or opt for something simpler like "Together with their parents" or "Together with their families".

• The word "and" between two names traditionally implies that those people are married.
• Hosts who are not married should be on separate lines.
• If the parents are divorced and you want to include both as hosts, keep each parent on a separate line.
• If you're going to include the name of a stepparent, keep it on the same line.
• Names should not be listed in order of who paid more.
• If you want to include the name of a deceased parent, you'll need to rearrange things as someone who has passed can't actually serve as a host. A common way to honour a deceased parent is alongside one of the couple's names, for example, "Lauren Martinez, daughter of Marta Martinez" or "Lauren Martinez, daughter of Robert Martinez and the late Marta Martinez".

One Set of Parents Hosting (Married)

• Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Timothy Williams (very formal; the middle name is included)
• Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Williams (formal)
• Mr. and Mrs. Christopher and Sarah Williams (formal; includes both first names)
• Christopher and Sarah Williams (less formal)

One Set of Parents Hosting (Divorced)

Include the mother's name first, followed by the father's name. Do not use "and" to connect the two names; rather, each name should get its own separate line.

Both Sets of Parents Hosting

For different-sex couples, list the bride's parents' names at the top of the invite, then the groom's parents' names. For same-sex couples, list the names in alphabetical order by last name or in the order that looks best with the invitation design.

• Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Wong and Mr. and Mrs. Adam Hollis (formal)
• Aaron and Alisha Wong together with Adam and Beatrice Hollis (less formal)

Couple Is Hosting with Their Families

When the couple and both of their families are contributing to the cost of the wedding, many choose to add a line such as "Together with their families" as the host line.

• Together with their families
• Together with our families
• Together with their parents

Couple Is Hosting

If the couple is hosting the wedding themselves, you can skip the host line entirely or use one of the following examples:

• Together with full hearts
• With hearts full of love and joy

Request line

The request line is the "please come" line. This is where you extend the invitation to attend your wedding. Use this section to set the tone for your celebration. If the wedding is formal, use a more formal language to reflect the occasion (e.g., "request the honour of your presence..."); if the wedding is casual, you can use a less formal language (e.g., "Would love for you to join them..." or "Want you to come party with us..."). Here are some examples:

• "Request the honour of your presence" (for formal, religious ceremonies)
• "Request the pleasure of your company" (or variations on this) is used to denote a non-religious ceremony locale.
• "Cordially invite you to attend"
• "Would love for you to join them"
• "Would be delighted by your presence"
• "Invite you to celebrate with them"
• "Invite you to their wedding"
• "Joyfully request the pleasure of your company"
• "Invite you to celebrate their marriage"
• "Invite you to join them"
• "Invite you to the celebration of"
• "Invite you to share in the festivities"
• "Invite you to share in their joy"
• "Would love your presence"
• "Extend this invitation to celebrate"
• "Invite you to witness their love story"

The request line wording can be adjusted to fit the tone and style of your wedding.

Action line

The action line of a wedding invitation is where you outline what you are inviting people to share in. Here are some examples:

• Traditionally, with the bride's parent(s) hosting, this line is usually something like, "At the marriage of their daughter."
• If both parents are hosting, the line might read, "At the marriage of their children."
• If you're hosting yourselves, the line could be something like, "At the celebration of their union" or "As they tie the knot."
• "As they say 'I do'!"
• "In celebration of their marriage"
• "To celebrate their wedding"
• "Empire by Jennifer Postorino"
• "Join us for an intimate dinner following..."
• "Drinks, dancing, and shenanigans to follow."

Couple's names

When it comes to wedding invitation wording, the couple's names are typically written in a similar format, regardless of who is hosting the wedding.

For different-sex couples, the bride's name usually comes first, followed by the groom's full name, including their middle name(s) and last name. For instance, "Rebecca Leigh and Phillip Austin" or "Clara & Sebastian".

For same-sex couples, you have the option to list the names alphabetically by last name or in an order that suits the invitation design. For example, "Sophia Anderson and Jaden Harper" or "Ava Edwards and Nicholas Eckerd".

If you prefer a less formal tone, you may choose to use only the first names of the couple, such as "Olivia Chandler and Solomon Miller".

In all cases, the bride's name can be written without the last name if the bride's parents' names are listed at the top of the invitation.

Date and time

When it comes to the date and time of your wedding, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, the date and time should traditionally be spelled out in full. For example, if your wedding is on September 15, 2024, at 4:30 p.m., the wording could be "Saturday, the fifteenth of September, two thousand twenty-four, at half after four in the afternoon."

The day of the week and the month should be capitalized, and the year should be lowercase. There is no "and" when spelling out the year. The time of day should be written out as "four o'clock" or "half after four o'clock." The most traditional way to indicate the time is to use "half after", but less formal invitations can use "half past four o'clock" or "four-thirty."

Evening begins at five o'clock; before that time, it is considered the afternoon. You don't need to add "in the afternoon" or "in the evening" unless the event takes place at 8, 9, or 10 o'clock. In these cases, specify "in the morning," "in the afternoon," or "in the evening" for clarity. However, some designers may choose to include these phrases to improve the overall look of the invitation.

While these formal rules for date and time are often followed for more traditional weddings, they are frequently broken in modern invitation designs. For more informal weddings, the date and time may be listed using numerals, e.g., "4:00 p.m." or "4:30 p.m." Be consistent with the level of formality you want your wedding to convey, from the invitation wording to the attire, ceremony, venue, and party.

Frequently asked questions