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Wedding Invitation wording

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MaryMcGwen Posts : 19 Registered: 4/27/10
Wedding Invitation wording
Posted: Oct 2, 2011 7:52 PM

I am asking for advice regarding how to best word my wedding invitations. My parents are paying 100% of the wedding. Whereas my fiancé's parents are paying 0% and 1) have not even offered a penny towards the wedding and 2) have not been a part of the planning of the wedding at all.

Should I word the invitation as follows...

Option 1:
Mr. and Mrs. John Doe
request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter
Jane Lynn
to
Chris Abe Smith
on Saturday, blah, blah,..

or

Option 2:
Mr. and Mrs. John Doe
request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter
Jane Lynn
to Chris Abe Smith
son of Mr. and Mrs. Smith
on Saturday, blah, blah...

In other words should my fiancé's parent's names appear anywhere on the invitation? Keeping in mind two things... 1) it is a formal event, 2) my fiance's parents have already expressed how they want their names spelt on the invitation.

Should I just put them on there to keep the peace or omit them due to principle?... as I certainly don't want people to think they paid a penny as they did not.

Thank you!

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ilovemedia Posts : 4 Registered: 1/23/12
Re: Wedding Invitation wording
Posted: Feb 2, 2012 2:28 AM Go to message in response to: MaryMcGwen

It's traditional to indicate the names of both sets of parents, but wording it so that it's clear that your parents are the hosts of the event is a good idea. Option 2 is good. By the way, it's also tradition that the groom's parents pay for the rehearsal dinner and the honeymoon - you might have your fiancé inquire about that.

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Syringa Posts : 97 Registered: 1/18/12
Re: Wedding Invitation wording
Posted: Feb 2, 2012 9:37 PM Go to message in response to: MaryMcGwen

Either option would be acceptable. Option 1 is the traditional, formal way to word an invitation. Option 2 arose more recently as a way to acknowledge the groom's parents without listing them as co-hosts.

It is true that the groom's parents usually host the rehearsal dinner if they can afford to and want to. If they can either not afford it or they choose not to, it becomes the groom's responsibility.

The groom's parents haven't been responsible for paying for the honeymoon for nearly 100 years. That was a tradition when the bride and groom lived with their parents until marriage. Today, however, most couples live on their own and many earn as much or more than their parents and are therefore, responsible for the cost of their honeymoon.

Edited by: Syringa on Feb 2, 2012 9:38 PM

Edited by: Syringa on Feb 2, 2012 9:39 PM

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Aunt Posts : 796 Registered: 12/31/10
Re: Wedding Invitation wording
Posted: Feb 2, 2012 10:13 PM Go to message in response to: Syringa

Dear Syringa,

"The groom's parents haven't been responsible for paying for the honeymoon for nearly 100 years"

Huh?

My in-laws helped pay for our honeymoon.

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AmandaKing Posts : 15 Registered: 1/6/12
Re: Wedding Invitation wording
Posted: Feb 3, 2012 4:44 PM Go to message in response to: Aunt

Even though it's still a tradition for the groom's parents to foot the bill for the honeymoon, the truth is that in practice, many of today's couples do pay for their own honeymoon AND their own wedding. I think a lot of this does have to do with the fact that the bride and groom are often set up on their own before the wedding.

OP, I would go with the second wording. It still makes it clear that your parents are hosting the event (and therefore paying for it) but it's a nod to your fiance's parents, too. At the very least, I'd ask him how he feels about it!

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smthwu123 Posts : 1,415 Registered: 9/13/12
Re: Wedding Invitation wording
Posted: Dec 14, 2012 3:56 PM Go to message in response to: MaryMcGwen

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