Your wedding invitation is so much more than stationary, it’s the most important invitation you’ll ever send for a long list of reasons. As well as stating the location, date and time of your wedding, you’ll be giving your guests a glimpse into your big day long before those final details have been ironed out.
Along with getting the look of your wedding invitation perfect, your wording matters; regardless of whether you’re standing by wedding traditions or taking the more informal route. There are many factors that could affect the wording of your invitation. In this blog post, we reveal the wedding invitation wording and etiquette that will best suit your situation.
This isn’t your first rodeo
If you or your partner are marrying for a second time, you may be curious about whether the wording of your invite should differ from that of a couple tying the knot for the very first time.
Traditionally, it is the parents of the partner who hasn’t been married before that will be named as hosts on the wedding invitations. Many of the brides who have been married before and are now divorced also prefer to omit the use of their title, which would be ‘Mrs’ or ‘Ms’, not ‘Miss’.
It is commonplace in the UK for widowed brides to include the name of their late husband on their wedding invitation when remarrying.
You’re joining two families
As the fastest rising household type in the UK, multi-family households (or blended families) are particularly common. When making the union of two families official, many couples choose to name their children as hosts on their wedding invitations. This poignant gesture is a beautiful demonstration of solidarity whether it’s your older children you’re naming or a younger child.
If you’re the child of a blended family, including the names of your parents and step-parents, along with the parents of your partner is a great way to include everyone. If things get a little wordy, using the phrase ‘together with their families’ is an easy and more informal way of acknowledging your blended unit.
You’re a same-sex couple
If you’re currently counting down to your same-sex wedding date, the wording and format of your invites don’t have to be any different than any other couple. There is one dilemma that same-sex couples face, however, but it’s easily solved as Brides explains:
“For same-sex couples, the traditional rule of the woman first and man second isn’t applicable. Whether it’s ‘Emily and Zara’ or ‘Zara and Emily’, it’s going to be lovely either way. When writing their own names, same-sex couples can choose to either go in alphabetical order or simply with what sounds better.”
You’re taking the lead
If like many modern couples, you are footing the bill and organising your own celebration, naming yourself as hosts on your wedding invites may be more fitting.
With a few wording tweaks, you can present yourselves as hosts and create a more informal wedding invitation that can be mailed to your wedding guest list.
