Navigating Wedding Invites When Parents Are Divorced

When it comes to wedding invitations, there are a few different approaches you can take if your parents are divorced. Ultimately, it's up to you and whatever feels right for your unique family situation. If you want to follow traditional etiquette, there are a few rules to keep in mind. Firstly, divorced parents' names never appear on the same line, even if they are both unmarried. Secondly, the mother's name is listed first, unless she is not financially contributing to the wedding, in which case the father's name goes first. It is also acceptable to include step-parents on the invitation, but they should be listed on the same line as their spouse.

Divorced parents, woman remarried

When it comes to wedding invitation wording, traditional etiquette plays a significant role, especially when it comes to divorced parents. Here are some guidelines and examples to help you navigate this situation gracefully:

Guidelines:

• The basic rule of thumb is to tread lightly. You don't want to reopen old wounds or draw attention to the fact that one parent is happily remarried while the other is not.
• List your natural parents' names only and on separate lines. Avoid using "and" between the names as it signifies marriage.
• The mother is always listed first, regardless of financial contribution.
• If your mother has remarried and you want to include your stepfather, list them together on the same line: "Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jones".
• If your father has remarried and you want to include your stepmother, list them together: "Mr. John Smith and Mrs. Jane Smith".
• If one parent has been remarried for a long time and the stepparent has played an important role in your life, include them. Otherwise, it is acceptable to omit them.

Examples:

• "Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jones and Mr. John Smith request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter Michael Alan Timmons to Kevin Charles Black, son of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Black."
• "Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jones request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter, Michael Alan Timmons, to Kevin Charles Black, son of Ms. Sarah Smith and Mr. John Smith."
• "Ms. Sarah Smith and Mr. John Smith request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter, Michael Alan Timmons, to Kevin Charles Black, son of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Black."

Remember, these are just guidelines and examples. Ultimately, do what feels right for your family dynamics and relationships. You can choose to follow traditional etiquette or create your own rules to honour everyone involved.

Divorced parents, woman kept maiden name

If you are facing the tricky situation of having divorced parents and your mother kept her maiden name, there are a few ways to word your wedding invitations. Here are some examples:

Divorced Parents, Not Remarried, Mother Kept Maiden Name

If your parents are divorced and not remarried, and your mother kept her maiden name, you can use the following format:

> Ms. [Mother's First Name] [Mother's Maiden Name]

> Mr. [Father's First Name] [Father's Last Name]

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

For example:

> Ms. Sarah Jones

> Mr. John Smith

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

Divorced Parents, Both Remarried, Mother Kept Maiden Name

If both of your parents are divorced and remarried, and your mother kept her maiden name, you can include your stepfather's name as well:

> Mr. and Mrs. [Mother's First Name] [Mother's Maiden Name] [Stepfather's First Name] [Stepfather's Last Name]

> Mr. [Father's First Name] [Father's Last Name]

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

For example:

> Mr. and Mrs. Sarah Jones Thomas Miller

> Mr. John Smith

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

Divorced Parents, Mother Remarried, Keeping Maiden Name

If your mother is remarried and chooses to keep her maiden name, you can include your stepfather's name as well, and your mother's new last name:

> Mr. and Mrs. [Mother's First Name] [Mother's Maiden Name] [Stepfather's First Name] [Stepfather's Last Name]

> Mr. [Father's First Name] [Father's Last Name]

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

For example:

> Mr. and Mrs. Sarah Jones Thomas Miller

> Mr. John Smith

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

General Guidelines and Tips

• It is considered good etiquette to list divorced parents' names on separate lines, with no "and" between them.
• The mother's name is usually listed first, regardless of whether she retained her maiden name or took a new married name.
• If you wish to include stepparents, list them on the same line as their spouse.
• If both sets of parents are contributing financially to the wedding, include both parents' names on the host lines, with the bride's parents' names listed first.
• If you prefer a more modern approach, you can choose to list your own names first and include your parents' names as guests.

Divorced parents, both remarried

If you are wondering how to word your wedding invitations when your parents are divorced and remarried, here are some suggestions to help you navigate this delicate situation.

Basic Rules of Thumb

• The basic rule is to tread lightly and avoid salting old wounds.
• Do not bring public attention to the fact that one parent is remarried and the other is not, to spare the unmarried parent's feelings.
• List your natural parents' names only and on separate lines.
• If a stepparent has played an important role in your life, include their name on the same line as their spouse.
• Always list the mother first.
• If you are faced with two to four sets of remarried parents hosting the wedding, list each couple on their own line or use the phrase "Together with their families" to keep the invitation uncluttered.

Examples

Bride's parents are divorced and remarried, formal wording, religious location:

> Mr. and Mrs. [Father's Name] [Mother's Name] and Mr. and Mrs. [Father's Name] [Mother's Name] request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their children [Bride's Name] and [Groom's Name] [Date] at [Time] [Venue] [City and State]

Bride's parents are divorced and remarried, formal wording, secular location:

> Mr. and Mrs. [Father's Name] [Mother's Name] and Mr. and Mrs. [Father's Name] [Mother's Name] request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their children [Bride's Name] and [Groom's Name] [Date] at [Time] [Venue] [City and State]

Bride's parents are divorced, both remarried, and contributing financially:

> Mr. and Mrs. [Mother's Name] [Stepfather's Name] and Mr. and Mrs. [Father's Name] [Stepmother's Name] request the pleasure of your company at the wedding of their daughter [Bride's Name] [Groom's Name] [Date] at [Time] [Venue] [City and State]

Bride's parents are divorced, both remarried, and the bride's father is contributing financially:

> Mr. and Mrs. [Mother's Name] [Stepfather's Name] together with Mr. and Mrs. [Father's Name] [Stepmother's Name] request the pleasure of your company at the wedding of their children [Bride's Name] and [Groom's Name] [Date] at [Time] [Venue] [City and State]

Remember, these are just suggestions, and you should do what feels right for your unique family situation.

Divorced parents, not remarried

If your parents are divorced and not remarried, there are a few ways to word your wedding invitations sensitively. The basic rule of thumb is to tread lightly and avoid salting old wounds. Here are some suggestions:

> Ms. Sarah Smith

> Mr. John Smith

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

> Ms. Sarah Jones

> Mr. John Smith

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

> Michael Alan Timmons

In this example, the mother and father now have different last names, so it is appropriate to include the bride's last name to prevent confusion.

Divorced Parents, Both Not Remarried:

> Ms. Margo Luanne Manning

> Mr. Patrick Lewis Manning

> request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Amelia Rose to Mr. Liam Quinlan Cullen Saturday, the fifth of June two thousand twenty at half after ten in the morning Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Syracuse, New York

In this example, the bride's parents' names are written on separate lines with no "and" between them. The mother's name is listed first, following traditional etiquette.

Divorced Parents, Both Not Remarried, with Groom's Parents:

> Ms. Sarah Smith

> Mr. John Smith

> and Mr. & Mrs. Hank Scott

> invite you to the marriage of their children

> Preston Lucille Price

> on Friday, the twenty-eighth of October

> two thousand twenty-seven

> at four o'clock in the evening

This example includes the groom's parents' names on the invitation, following the same rules as above.

Divorced parents, one remarried

If your parents are divorced and one or both of them have remarried, you might be unsure about how to word your wedding invitations. Here are some suggestions and guidelines to help you navigate this delicate situation:

Wording Etiquette

It is generally advised to list divorced parents' names separately, with no "and" between them. The mother's name typically comes first, unless she is not contributing financially to the wedding, in which case the father's name can appear first. Here are some examples:

Divorced Parents, Both Remarried:

If both of your parents have remarried, you can include their new spouses' names. Remember to keep each parent on a separate line and omit the "and" between names.

Example 1:

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

Example 2:

Mr. and Mrs. Zachary Richard Bronson

Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Lewis Manning

Request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter

Amelia Rose Manning to Mr. Liam Quinlan Cullen

Divorced Parents, Mother Remarried:

If your mother has remarried, include her new spouse's name, followed by your father's name on a separate line.

Example:

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jones

Mr. John Smith

Request the pleasure of your company at the wedding of their daughter

Michael Alan Timmons

Divorced Parents, Father Remarried:

Similarly, if your father has remarried, include his new spouse's name, followed by your mother's name on a separate line.

Example:

Mr. and Mrs. John Smith

Ms. Sarah Smith

Request the pleasure of your company at the wedding of their daughter

Michael Alan Timmons

Stepparents:

If you want to include a stepparent who has played an important role in your life, place their name on the same line as their spouse.

Example:

Dr. Vance and Elizabeth Gregory

Mr. James Abner and Lydia Abner

Mr. Harold and Jane Hyland

Invite you to the wedding of their children

Amy Abner and Charles Hyland

General Tips:

• Remember, there are no hard and fast rules, and you should do what feels right for your unique family situation.
• If you want to keep things simple, you can opt for more general wording, such as "Together with their families" or "along with their parents."
• If one parent has passed away, you can still include their name as a way to honour them. For example: "Avery June Smith, daughter of Mrs. Sarah Smith and the late Mr. John Smith, requests the pleasure of your company at her wedding to Michael Alan Timmons."

Frequently asked questions