Divorce in a family can be a complicating factor when you’re trying to word your wedding invitations. Most of your friends and family know the situation… you just want to include every one of your parents on the wedding invitations… wording them correctly.

If the bride’s parents are divorced, the invitations may be issued by her mother, with her present husband as host, if she has remarried. Except in most unusual cases, the absent parent is invited to the wedding, and members of the family should behave without bitterness toward each other.

photo credit: mahalie

If the wedding is to be a small home affair, with only members of the immediate families present, the matter is a simple one except in problems of close relatives by blood or marriage who have been cut off from the family by distance, divorce, or estrangement.

It is wise to invite all such family members as is possible. To exclude them from such an important occasion will often lead to widening the breach and to make for feelings of guilt and uneasiness among those present. Whether or not they are included, the decision should be the joint responsibility of all the family members planning the wedding.

The mature bride whose parents are divorced may send her own invitations and announcements and walk down the aisle either alone, or on the arm of a favorite uncle or other older male relative.

When a bride is the daughter of her mother’s first husband, the wording of the invitations may be suitably changed to

Mr. and Mrs. William Printer
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Pricilla Marie Brown
to
Captain Michael Anthony Smith
United States Marines
Saturday, the Thirty Second of September
Two Thousand and Seven
at one o’clock
Valley Country Club
Any Town, Any State

^^^^^^^^^^^

Mrs. Mary Johnson
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of her daughter
Linda Robertson
to
Jonathan Elliot Smith
on
Saturday the Thirty Second of September
Two Thousand and Seven
at one o’clock
Valley Country Club
Any Town, Any State

*************

Mr. James William Johnson
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of his daughter
Linda Robertson
to
Jonathan Elliot Smith
on
Saturday the Thirty Second of September
Two Thousand and Seven
at one o’clock
Valley Country Club
Any Town, Any State

Traditional: Divorced unmarried parents co host

Mrs. Linda Johnson
and
Mr. David Ryan Johnson
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of his daughter
Linda Sharon
to
Jonathan Elliot Smith
on
Saturday the Thirty Second of September
Two Thousand and Seven
at one o’clock
Valley Country Club
Any Town, Any State

Wording Wedding Invitations doesn’t need to be complicated. Many brides stress out to unreasonable levels because the bride or grooms parents are divorced. Just remember… it’s your day and your parents just want you both to have a happy day!

Here are a few little guides for wedding invitation for a couple with two children:

The names of each one of four family members are listed on the inside envelope.

For a married couple with children under eighteen

Outer: Mr. and Mrs. James Alan Smith

Inner: Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Susan and Jimmy

You may use “And family” as an appropriate alternative on the inner envelope if you would like children to attend your wedding ceremony.

photo credit: Juls Knapp Photography
It is not necessary to invite children to a wedding, but if you are inviting one child… then all children in this family should be invited. No child should ever feel excluded.

If someone lives at the same residence… you may send a separate invitation or list them on the inside envelope along with the children. A brother, sister, mother or grandmother living at the same residence should be either included on the invitation or sent a separate invitation.

Some times the couple isn’t married… here is just a bit of advice for wedding invitation for an unmarried couple at the same address (on formal invitation, Ms. is accepted, but not preferred)

Outer: Miss (or Ms.) Susie Smith

Inner: Miss (or Ms.) Smith
Mr. Sutton

Include step by step instructions to wedding reception from the hotel to the church and a phone number where someone local can be reached on the wedding day. Include landmarks and notes to personalize it even further.

Don’t include a website you may have set up… this still is not considered proper etiquette.

photo credit: bensonkua

A Note on R.S.V.P cards or notices in invitations:

Unless you put R.S.V.P. on the invitations to your wedding and reception, your guests are under no obligation to reply.
If you need to know the number of guests expected, be sure to indicate on the invitation that a reply is expected; include the address to which the reply is to be sent.