Generally Accepted Rules of Etiquette for Wedding Invitations

 

Where relationships can involve divorced, remarried or deceased parents who may be issuing the Wedding invitations, it is important to get the wording of the invitations correct. Please take a moment to read through the accepted etiquette for wording Wedding stationery.

If the Bride's father and mother are issuing the invitations, the conventional form is:


Mr. and Mrs. John Carl Jones
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Anne Marie
to
Mr. Paul John Ryan
on Saturday, the eighth of July
two thousand and ten
at three o'clock in the afternoon
St. John the Baptist Church
Glasgow

If the Bride's parents are divorced, the parent with whom she lives usually issues the invitations.
If the mother issues the invitations and she has not remarried she uses a combination of her maiden name and her divorced husband's last name:


Mrs. Carson Jones

A divorced father who issues the invitation uses the conventional form:


Mr. John Carl Jones

 

If the Bride's parents are deceased and the invitation is issued by an older,
unmarried sister or brother:


Mr. Gregory Thomas Jones
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of his sister
etc.

Other relatives such as grandparents, aunt or uncle may also issue the invitations if the
Bride's parents are deceased. They would use the same formats as above
with the proper relationship changes.

If the father or mother is deceased and the surviving parent issues the invitation:


Mrs. (Mr.) John Carl Jones
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of her (his) daughter
etc.

If the father or mother is deceased and the surviving parent has remarried, the remarried mother would use her present husband's name, but the remarried father would use the conventional form:


Mr. and Mrs. David Lee Carson
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of her daughter
...their daughter
....Mrs. Carson's daughter
etc.

If the Groom's family issues the invitations:


Mr. and Mrs. Robert Allen Ryan
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of
Miss Anne Marie Jones
to their son
Mr. Paul John Ryan
etc.
If the Bride's parents are deceased and the invitation is issued by an older
married brother or sister:


Mr. and Mrs. Robert James Baker
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of her sister
etc.

If the Bride and Groom issue their own invitations the conventional wording would be:


Miss Anne Marie Jones
and
Mr. Paul John Ryan
request the honour of your presence
at their marriage