Traditionally, wedding invites were always sent from the bride's parents who usually hosted the event. However these days, with more couples choosing to pay for their own wedding - or with divorced, remarried, or even widowed parents complicating matters - selecting the right words can be a headache. Most wedding invitations stick to a formal style of wording and this template can be a good starting point, with a few key alterations depending on the hosts and their personal situations.
Traditional template (bride's parents as hosts)
Mr and Mrs John Smith request the pleasure of your company (or insert name of guest/s here if you haven't written it in the top left hand corner of the invite)
at the marriage of their daughter Jane
to
Mr Jack Jones
at
The Village Church
On 5th August 2008
And afterwards at
The Village Hall
Replace with the following wording, if the hosts differ:
Bridal couple as hosts
Miss Jane Smith and Mr Jack Jones request the pleasure of............at their marriage
Divorced parents as hosts
Mr John Smith and Mrs Liz Smith request the pleasure of...........at the marriage of their daughter Jane.
Remarried mother/father as host
Mr and Mrs James Brown/ Mr and Mrs John Smith request the pleasure of............
At the marriage of her/his daughter Jane
Widowed mother as host
Mrs John Smith requests the pleasure of.......... at the marriage of her daughter Jane
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Wedding Invite Frights.... and how to avoid them.
DO Proof read your invite carefully for any mistakes. Typos and repetitions of words are common mistakes
DON'T Use nicknames. The bride and groom should be listed by their full name.
DO Check you've got the correct date and include the year as well as the month
DON'T Forget to check the proper spelling of names with relevant parties.
Writing your own wedding vows? Click here for help
Find ideas for civil cermonies here, and religious ceremonies here
Planning a civil partnership? Click here
