Friends of AE: Proper Invitation Wording from Paper Themes

We recently became friends with Mike Smith from Paper Themes, based in the UK, yes, that's right, the United Kingdom.  And since the English are, well, the English, and the forefathers of our language, we figured that they are the perfect experts to give us advice on the proper invitation wording.  Read on for phrasing to cover all different scenarios and hosts.    Thanks Mike and thanks Paper Themes!  Cheerio!  xx, AE

Photo Credit:  Paper Themes

Wedding Invitations – Choosing the Right Wording for the Right Hosts by Paper Themes

Getting the right wedding invitations for your big day can be a real challenge.  First of all you must ensure that they convey the tone and style of the event, whilst also including any theme that may be incorporated into the celebrations. 

Then you have to find a design that reflects the colours and shades that will be present at the wedding.  However, your test isn't over quite yet as you decide on the right wording for your wedding invitations – an element which is dictated by who will be hosting the event. 

Below you will find some examples of correct wording that can be used in traditional wedding invitations, dependant on the hosts and their personal circumstances.

Traditional 

Traditional has been such that the bride’s parents will pay for most if not all of the wedding costs and are therefore the hosts.  In this instance the wording should be:

Mr & Mrs Ian Dawson

request the pleasure of the company of

.........................................

at the marriage of their daughter

Rachel

to

James Caswell

Both sets of parents

A more modern approach is for parents of both the bride and groom to contribute towards their children’s special day.  Where hosting is shared the following wording is suitable:

Mr & Mrs Ian Dawson

and

Mr & Mrs Paul Caswell

 request the pleasure of the company of

.........................................

at the marriage of

Rachel

to

James Caswell

 

The Couple

If the couple is hosting their own wedding, the following wording should be used:

Rachel Dawson & Paul Caswell

request the pleasure of the company of

.........................................

at their marriage

Separated and widowed parents

Separated or divorced parents (not remarried) 

Mr Ian Dawson and Mrs Janice Dawson

request the pleasure of the company of

.........................................

at the marriage of their daughter

Rachel

to

James Caswell

If only one of the divorced parents are hosting, or if the host is widowed:

Mrs Janice Dawson

requests the pleasure of the company of

.........................................

at the marriage of her daughter

Rachel

to

James Caswell

 

Considering step-parents

If a bride’s mother has divorced the father, then remarried and is hosting with her new husband, you can set the wording out like this:

Mr & Mrs Richard Jackson

request the pleasure of the company of

.........................................

at the marriage of her daughter

Rachel

to

Mr James Caswell

Unusual hosts

In some instances it could be that there are other less orthodox loved ones hosting the wedding, such as aunts and uncles, godparents or grandparents.  All of these examples can be solved by using the following wording and adjusting the relationship accordingly:

Mr & Mrs Joe Lyon

request the pleasure of the company of

.........................................

at the marriage of their goddaughter

Rachel

to

James Caswell

An important rule

Whilst we have covered most eventualities, there are other host variations that may arise.  In order to ensure the right wording for these, there is a simple rule that can help.  If the hosting couple are still married then they should be called Mr & Mrs X. 

Where the hosting couple are separated but not divorced, or divorced but the female retains her married name, it should be written Mr X and Mrs X. 

In the instance that the hosting couple are divorced and the female has changed her surname, it should be written Mr X and Mrs Y. 

Remembering this and referencing our examples above, you should be able to work out any hosting eventuality. 

Note that throughout the examples we have used ‘&’ to indicate where hosts are still together, with ‘and’ signifying separate parties.  

Is your scenario not covered here?  Ask Mike! He has answers