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
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
