Modern ceremonies have taken on a vast array of new roles. Traditional weddings are coming into the age of blended families, military weddings, and same-sex unions. Adjusting wedding invitation wording to reflect these changes may seem like a large task but following etiquette guidelines to properly word wedding invitations is as simple as following the guide below and filling in the blanks with your personalized information.

Traditional Wedding Invitation Wording Examples

Traditional Wedding Invitation

Sample When Bride's Parents Host

Mr. And Mrs. John Doe
Request The Honour Of Your Presence
At The Marriage Of Their Daughter
Janie Doe
To
John Smith

Saturday, The Third Of June
Two Thousand And Eight
At Seven O’clock
St. Marys Church
2008 Grant Avenue
Chicago, Illinois

Reception Afterward At
The Fair Oaks Country Club
8002 Club Court Circle
Chicago, Illinois

Wedding Invitations When Groom’s Parents Host

Mr. And Mrs. John Smith
Request The Honour Of Your Presence
At The Marriage Of
Janie Doe
To Their Son
John Smith II
Saturday, The Third Of June
Two Thousand And Eight
At Seven O’clock
St. Marys Church
2008 Grant Avenue
Chicago, Illinois

Wedding Invitation Wording When The Couple Hosts

Ms. Janie Doe
And
Mr. John Smith II
Request The Honor Of Your Presence
At Their Marriage
Saturday, The Second Of June
etc. see examples above)

Bride and Bridegroom’s Parents Co-host–Example Wedding Invitation Wording

Mr. And Mrs. John Doe
And
Mr. And Mrs. John Smith
Request The Pleasure Of Your Company
At The Marriage Of Their Children
Janie Marie
And
John James
Saturday, The Second of June
etc.)

Invitation Wording When Divorced Parents Host (Back To Traditional Wedding Invitations)

Bride’s Divorced and Remarried Parents Co-host–Sample Wording Invitation Example

Mr. And Mrs. Robert Jackson
And
Mr. And Mrs. John Doe
Request the Honor Of Your Presence
At The Marriage Of Their Daughter
Janie Doe
etc.)

Bride’s Divorced Parents Not Remarried Co-host–Sample Wedding Invitation Wording

Mrs. Jane White Doe
And
Mr. John Thomas Doe
Request the Honor Of Your Presence
At The Marriage Of Their Daughter
Janie Doe
etc.)

Example Invitation Phrasing When Bride’s Remarried Mother and Husband Host

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Jackson
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of her daughter
Janie Marie Doe
(etc.)
or
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Jackson
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of Mrs. Jackson’s daughter
Janie Marie Doe
(etc.)
or (only mother is inviting)
Mrs. Robert Jackson
Requests the honour of your presence
At the marriage of her daughter
Janie Marie Doe
(etc.)

Bride’s Remarried Father and Wife Host–Example Wedding Invitation Wording

Mr. and Mrs. John Thomas Doe
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of his daughter
Janie Marie Doe
(etc.)
or
Mr. and Mrs. John Thomas Doe
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of Mr. Doe’s daughter
Janie Marie Doe
(etc.)

Sample Invitation Phrasing When Bride’s Divorced Mother Not Remarried Hosts

Ms. Jane Brown Doe
Requests The Honor Of Your Presence
At The Marriage Of Her Daughter
Janie Doe
To
John James Smith, II
Saturday, The Third Of June
etc.)

Sample Wedding Invitation Wording When Bride’s Divorced Father Not Remarried Hosts

Mr. John Thomas Doe
Requests The Honor Of Your Presence
At The Marriage Of His Daughter
Janie Doe
To
John James Smith, II
Saturday, The Third Of June
(etc.)

Widowed Parents Host The Wedding (Back To Traditional Wedding Invitations)

Bride’s Widowed Mother Not Remarried Hosts–Example Invitation Wording

Mrs. John Thomas Doe
Requests The Honor Of Your Presence
At The Marriage Of Her Daughter
Janie Marie
To
John James Smith, II
Saturday, The Third Of June
(etc.)

Example Invitation When Bride’s Widowed Father Not Remarried Hosts

Mr. John Thomas Doe
Requests The Honor Of Your Presence
At The Marriage Of His Daughter
Janie Marie
To
John James Smith, II
Saturday, The Third Of June
(etc.)

Bride’s Widowed Parent Remarried Hosts–Sample Invitation

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Walter Jackson
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of her daughter
Janie Marie Doe
(etc.)
or
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Walter Jackson
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Janie Marie Doe
(etc.)
–Make sure the bride is comfortable with "their" in the announcement–

Unique Wedding Invitations. Many families have unique circumstances and unique wedding invitation wording can effectively express those situations. (Back To Traditional Wedding Invitations)

Bride’s Older Brother Or Sister

Miss Jennifer Elizabeth Doe
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of her sister
Janie Marie Doe
Or (if married)
Mr. and Mrs. Adam Brown
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of his/her/their sister
Janie Marie Doe

Grandparents Host–Sample Wedding Invitation Phrasing

Mr. and Mrs. Jonas Marvin Doe
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their granddaughter
Janie Marie Doe
(etc.)

Invitation Phrasing When More Than Two Sets of Parents Host

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Jackson
Mr. and Mrs. John White Doe
Mr. and Mrs. John Walker Smith
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their children
(etc.)

Brides That Are Sisters–Wedding Invitations Wording Example

(mention the older bride first)
Mr. and Mrs. John Thomas Doe
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughters
Jennifer Elizabeth to Adam Barrett Brown
and
Janie Marie to John James Smith, II
(etc.)

Wording Invitations For Double Brides Who Are Not Sisters

(mention the older bride and family first)
Mr. and Mrs. John Thomas Doe
and
Mr. and Mrs. Victor Clyde Wallace
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughters
Janie Marie Doe
to
Mr. John James Smith, II
and
Marilyn Sue Wallace
to
Paul Louis Anderson
(etc.)

Wedding Invitations Examples When Parents Co-host A Same Sex Union

Mr. And Mrs. Victor Clyde Wallace
And
Mr. And Mrs. John Thomas Doe
Request The Honor Of Your Presence
At The Affirmation Ceremony Of Their Daughters/Sons
Marilyn Sue Wallace
And
Janie Marie Doe
Saturday, The Third Of June
(etc.)

Example Invitation Wording For The Union Of Same Sex Couples

The Honor Of Your Presence

Is Requested
At The Commitment Ceremony Of
John Doe
And
Blaine Andrews
Saturday, The Third Of June
(etc.)

Bride’s Parents Host—Informal Wedding Invitations

Mr. And Mrs. John Doe
Would Be Honored
To Have You Share In The Joy
Of The Marriage Of Our
Daughter
Janie Marie
To
John James Smith, II
(etc.)

The Couple Hosts—Informal Wedding Invitations Sample

Janie Doe and John Smith, II
Invite You To Join In The celebration Of Their Union
(etc.)

Military Wedding Invitation Wording. It is very important for a military wedding invitation to follow proper protocol. (Back To Top)

Example Invitation Wording For The Rank Of Lieutenant And Above

Major and Mrs. John Thomas Doe
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Janie Marie
to
Captain John James Smith, II
United States Navy
(etc.)

Junior Officers Wedding Invitations

Mr. and Mrs. John Thomas Doe
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Janie Marie
to
John James Smith, II
First Lieutenant, United States Army
(etc.)

Below the Rank of Sergeant Wedding Invitation Examples

Mr. and Mrs. John Thomas Doe
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Janie Marie
to
John James Smith, II
United States Army
(etc.)

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