When finalizing your wedding invitation it is important to make sure the wording is correct. There are a variety of factors to take into account - divorced parents, parents who have remarried, deceased parents, hosting the wedding yourselves, including your children, religious elements and occupation titles, such as military ranking. The Everything Wedding Etiquette Book has a complete list of variations to help you find the right wording for your wedding invitation.
Traditional/Bride's Parents Sponsor:
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Moran
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Margaret Ann
to
Mr. Justin McCannon
Saturday, the third of July
at three o'clock
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
Chicago, Illinois
Bride and Groom's Parents Sponsor:
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Moran
and
Mr. and Mrs. Robert McCann
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their children
Miss Margaret Ann Moran
and
Mr. Justin James McCann
Traditional/Bride's Parents Sponsor, but Groom's Parents Also Want to Be Listed:
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Morgan
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Margaret Ann
to
Mr. Justin McCann
son of
Mr. and Mrs. Robert McCann
on Saturday, the third of July
Two thousand and one
at three o'clock
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
Chicago, Illinois
Groom's Parents Sponsor:
Mr. and Mrs. Robert McCann
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of Miss Margaret Ann Moran
to their son
Mr. Justin James McCann
Bride and Groom Sponsor:
The honor of your presence is requested
at the marriage of
Miss Margaret Ann Moran
and
Mr. Justin James McCann
or
Miss Margaret Ann Moran
and
Mr. Justin James McCann
request the honor of your presence
at their marriage
Bride's Mother, Not Remarried, Sponsors:
Mrs. Patricia Moran
requests the honor of your presence
at the marriage of her daughter
Margaret Ann
Bride's Mother, Remarried, Sponsors:
Mrs. Patricia Clark
requests the honor of your presence
at the marriage of her daughter
Margaret Ann Moran
Bride's Mother and Stepfather Sponsor:
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Clark
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of her daughter
Margaret Ann Moran
Bride's Father, not Remarried, Sponsors:
Mr. Joseph Moran
requests the honor of your presence
at the marriage of his daughter
Margaret Ann
Bride's Father, Remarried, Sponsors:
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Moran
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of his daughter
Margaret Ann
Bride's Divorced Parents Issue Invitation Together:
Mrs. Patricia Clark
and
Mr. Joseph Moran
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Margaret Ann Moran
Second Marriage (Divorcee uses a Combo of Maiden & Married Names):
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Morgan
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Margaret Ann Morgan Harrison
Invitations Issued by More Than Two Sets of Parents:
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Morgan
Mr. and Mrs. Robert McCann
and
Mrs. and Mrs. Andrew C. White
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their children
One Parent Deceased (Living Parent not Remarried):
Mrs. Joseph Morgan
requests the honor of your presence
at the marriage of her daughter
Margaret Ann
One Parent Deceased (Living Parent has Remarried):
Mr. and Mrs. James L. Pearl
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of her daughter
Margaret Ann Morgan
or (If New Parent has Adopted the Daughter):
Mr. and Mrs. James L. Pearl
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Margaret Ann Morgan
Close Relative Sponsors (Both Parents Deceased):
Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Morgan
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their granddaughter
Margaret Ann Morgan
Bride and Groom Have Children:
Margaret Ann Morgan
and
Justin James McCann
Together with their children
Jennifer C. McCann, Michael D. Morgan, and Elizabeth A. Morgan
invite you to share with them
a celebration of love.
Their marriage will take place
on Saturday, the third of July
at three o'clock
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
Chicago, Illinois
...Not Indicating Names of Parents
together with their parents
Margaret Ann Morgan
and
Justin James McCann
request the honour of your presence
as they are united in marriage
on Saturday, the third of July
at three o'clock
Religious Ceremonies
If you want to emphasize the religious aspect of marriage, it's best to check with the officiant before printing invitations; wording will be different according to affiliations.
Protestant:
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Moran
are pleased to invite you
to join in a Christian celebration
of the marriage of their daughter
Margaret Ann Moran
Catholic:
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Moran
request the honor of your presence
at the Nuptial Mass
at which their daughter
Margaret Ann
and
Justin James McCann
will be united in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony
Jewish:
Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy Green
and
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Cohen
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their children
Catharine Susan
to
William Samuel
Traditional Jewish invitations name the groom's parents as well as the bride's. Also, many Jewish couples decide to spice up their invitations with transliterated Hebrew or Yiddish words. Inviting guests to join in celebrating the simcha of their wedding is growing more and more common.
Military Ceremonies
In military weddings, rank determines the placement of names. If the person's rank is lower than sergeant, omit the rank, but list the branch of service of which the bride or groom is a member. Junior officer's titles are placed below their names and are followed by their branch of service. If the rank is higher than lieutenant, titles are placed before names and the branch of service is placed on the following line. Check with the specific branch's protocol officer if you have particular questions.
For those whose rank is lower than sergeant:
Mr. and Mrs. Roger Parker
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Beth Elaine
United States Army
to
Justin James Clark
For junior officers:
Mr. and Mrs. Roger Parker
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Beth Elaine
to
Justin James Clark
First Lieutenant, United States Navy
For those with a rank higher than lieutenant:
Mr. and Mrs. Roger Parker
Request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Beth Elaine
to
Captain Justin James Clarke
United States Navy
Excerpts: From The Everything Wedding Etiquette Book by Emily Ehrenstein and Laura Morin. © 2001 F+W Publications, Inc. Used by permission of Adams Media.