Wording a wedding invitation seems so simple. You just put your names, the date, time, location…boom. You’re done, right?
It’s definitely not that simple…at least the start of your invitation. I’m asked all the time for help on wording wedding invitations. And I’m super happy to give you my advice, but ultimately it comes down to some factors you need to consider.
Check out five popular ways to word wedding invitations with some things to know about each.
Wedding Invitation Wording
One Parent Hosting
Mr. and Mrs. John L. Smith
request the pleasure of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Heather Marie
to
Michael Francis Jacobson
Saturday, the seventeenth of May
two thousand twenty-two
six o’clock in the evening
Plaza Hotel
The one set of parents hosting is the most traditional way to word a wedding invitation. Basically, this comes down to back when the bride’s parents were paying for everything. This was their invitation to their party that they were hosting for their daughter. The grooms parents? Not needed. They weren’t contributing financially, so they were not on the invitation.
Is this wording still relevant today? Of course it is. Traditional weddings still happen. And I use this wording a few times a year.
The Kicker: if the groom’s family is contributing financially, they really should be included. So don’t surprise them with not having their names on the invitation if they are. You may start the months leading up to your wedding on the wrong foot with your future in-laws.
Two Parents Hosting
Mr. and Mrs. John L. Smith
& Mr. and Mrs. Mark Franklin Jacobson
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their children
Heather Marie
and
Michael Francis
Saturday, the seventeenth of May
two thousand and nineteen
at half past four in the afternoon
This is what I refer to as the “united front”. The parents are coming together as one unit to announce the marriage of their children. We’re all holding hands on this one and possibly sharing the financial load. But not always. Sometimes it’s more just of a tip of the hat to the groom’s parents (or bride’s).
Also consider: Including the names of the moms in the wording (Mr. and Mrs. John and Sally Smith). This is more of a modern way to word a couple’s names. Both are correct though.
Both Parents Recognized
Mr. and Mrs. John L. Smith
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Heather Marie
and
Michael Francis
son of
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Franklin Jacobson
Saturday, the seventeenth of May
two thousand and nineteen
at half past four in the afternoon
This one is similar to Two Parents hosting, but the groom’s parents aren’t recognized as hosting. They are given credit though for being a part of the wedding day. Again, a tip of the hat recognizing the groom’s parents. This is a great compromise if you want the bride’s parents to be officially hosting (see first example), but you don’t want to exclude the groom’s parents entirely.
Wording Tip: If you’re including names of parents and they have the same last name as the bride/groom, you do not need to include the last name of the bride and groom on the invitation. If the last name is there somewhere, that’s all that matters.
Couple Hosting
Heather Marie Smith &
Michael Francis Jacobson
invite you to share in their joy at their wedding
Saturday, May 17, 2019
at 4:30 in the afternoon
Sometimes, parents aren’t involved with the wedding or financially, the couple is footing the bill. In that case, the couple hosting is the wording you need. The couple is inviting family and friends to join in their big day. That’s it. Pretty simple.
Last Names: This is where you definitely need to include last names. Don’t make your guests guess who “Heather and Michael” are. They may know a few.
General Family Recognized
Together with their families,
Heather Marie Smith
and
Michael Francis Jacobson
invite you to share in their joy at their wedding
Saturday, the seventeenth of May
two thousand and nineteen
at half past four in the afternoon
This wording is a great if your family is complicated. And whose isn’t, right? If you’re working with parents of divorce, remarriage, etc, this may be the way to go. It could get complicated if groom doesn’t want his step-mom on the invitation because she is just new to the family. Hard feelings may happen if step dad is on the invitation and the bride’s dad doesn’t really like the guy. So keep it simple. Recognize “the family” and no one gets upset.
One last tip: If step-parents are involved, make sure to include them ONLY if you want them on the invitation. Again, you don’t want any hard feelings so have that conversation with all parties involved.
Wedding invitation wording can be a challenge. But it doesn’t matter if you choose custom invitations or pre-designed, I’m definitely here to help you with wording your invitations!
Your article is very informative, easy to understand, thanks.
In my profession I’m involved in dozens of weddings a year. Tips like the ones found in this article can help the bride and groom a great deal as they navigate through the planning process.