Jun

Wording for Wedding Invitations

Are you having trouble finding your wording for wedding invitations? It can be hard to get the exact wording that fits your family, your views and your tastes all at the same time. I had a reader write in with a question a few weeks about about how to find wording for wedding invitations when either the bride or the groom comes from a blended family. There is so much etiquette rules that come into play when you’re planning a wedding that you don’t want to offend when it comes to something simple like your wording for wedding invitations. Once upon a time, there wasn’t much variation in wedding invitations. You see, traditionally the bride’s parents paid for everything, wedding invitations always read that they requested the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter. These days, with divorce, blended families, nontraditional families, and any and all of the above helping to pay for it, invitations have gotten complicated!

Here are some common situations with blended families as well as some examples of wording for wedding invitations of each situation below. No matter which example you choose to use, some couples are adding a verse or opening statement such as, “With Joy in Their Hearts,” or “Desiring God’s Will for Their Lives,” but you may use any type of wording you choose. The examples I’m giving of proper wording for wedding invitations is the traditional way of writing the invitations.
Standard Wording:
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Johnson
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Sally Lee Johnson
to
Mark Allen Mathis
at the First Baptist Church of Abilene
Saturday, the Seventeenth of June
Seven o’clock in the evening

If Both Sets of Parents are Paying for the Wedding:
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Johnson
and
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Mathis
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their children
Sally Lee and Mark Allen
etc.

If Bride’s parents are hosting, but would like to Include Groom’s Parents
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Johnson
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Sally Lee
to Mark Allen Mathis
son of Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Mathis
etc.

If the Bride and Groom are Paying for Their Own Wedding:
EITHER
You are cordially invited to celebrate
the wedding of
Sally Lee Johnson
and
Mark Allen Mathis
etc.

OR
(this is the wording that I used for our wedding!)
Together with their parents,
Sally Lee Johnson
and
Mark Allen Mathis
request the honor of your presence
etc.

Brides parents are divorced:
either
Issued by the parent who raised her
Ms. Catherine Johnson
requests the honor of your presence
at the wedding of her daughter
Sally Lee
etc.

Divorced parents are Hosting Together:
Mr. Joe Johnson
and
Ms. Catherine Myers request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Sally Lee

Divorced parent and New Step-parent are Hosting:
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Morse
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of Mrs. Morse’s daughter
Sally Lee Johnson
etc.

Child of Divorced and Remarried Parents both Hosting:

Mr. and Mrs. Micheal Morse
and
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Johnson
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Sally Lee
etc.
OR

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Morse
and
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Johnson
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of the daughter of Mr. Johnson and Mrs. Morse
Sally Lee
to
etc.

Child of divorced and remarried parents both hosting the wedding
Mr. and Mrs. Micheal Morse
and
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Johnson
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Sally Lee
etc.

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Morse
and
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Johnson
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of the daughter of Mr. Johnson and Mrs. Morse
Sally Lee
to
etc.

If you’ve read through this list of wording for wedding invitations, and are still having trouble trying to find the perfect wording for you and your situation, then please feel free to write in and let me know!

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