The traditional format has the bride's parents hosting and inviting the guests.
Mr. and Mrs. George Nelson
If the groom's parents are sharing expenses
both sets of parents act as hosts, with the bride's listed first.
Mr. and Mrs. George Nelson
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Levin
Many couples want to mention the groom's parents, even if they're not throwing the wedding.
Mr. and Mrs. George Nelson
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Emily Anne
to
Owen Levin
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Levin
Divorced parents should be listed on separate lines with the mother's name first.
Mrs. Brenda Anne Nelson
Mr. George Samuel Nelson
When either or both of the bride's parents has remarried, it's most proper that only the natural parents are listed, since they usually give the bride away; depending on your family's situation, though, stepparents can be included.
Mrs. Brenda Anne Hamilton
Mr. George Samuel Nelson
A good way not leave anyone out is to invite the guests yourselves, and mention both families.
Together with their families
Emily Chelso and Owen Levin
More couples are paying for their own weddings
and playing hosts by themselves.
Please join us* to
celebrate our wedding
Friday, the fifteenth of September
in the year two thousand and six
at five o'clock in the afternoon.
Waveny House
677 South Avenue
New Canaan, Connecticut 06840
reception immediately following ceremony
*Jennifer Ellen Hamilton & Lars Christian Otto
The wording you choose is very personal. We have provided you with some sample wording, however we encourage you to use your creativity with your wording.
traditional wording for wedding invitations
bride and groom line
Traditionally, a bride takes no title before her name.
Another option is to include titles for both
the bride and groom; this is useful when one of you has an occupation that carries
an official title, such as Dr.
One way to put yourselves on equal footing is to leave titles off altogether. This is also appropriate if both sets of parents are serving as hosts.
date and time lines
Spelling out the day, date, and year lends sophistication, but you can also use a numeral for the year. Similarly, although
"half after six o'clock" is classic, it may not be right for a less formal wedding. When stating the time, only the hour is necessary; there's no need to note A.M. or P.M. Where time of day may be unclear use "in the morning" or "in the evening"
location line
Make sure you have the proper name of your church.
As with everything else, spell out "Saint" or any other abbreviations (except R.S.V.P.).
Direction cards have become a common way to direct your guests to both
the ceremony and reception site. Invitations are typically written without punctuation;
line breaks take the place of commas,
except to separate city and state, or to avoid confusion.
request line
By strict convention, "the honour of your presence" is
reserved for religious ceremonies. British spellings are still
used for all types of formal weddings.
request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter
For weddings held at a hotel or a home, it's more
appropriate to use warmer, less solemn wording.
request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter
Many families are opting to mix tradition (such as British spellings
and formal constructions) with their own sentiments.
would be honoured to have you share in the joy
of the marriage of their children
A reflection of the times:
The couple issues a simple request, emphasizing the celebration.
