In today’s modern world, old fashioned wedding traditions are slowly becoming just that . . . ”old fashioned”. When sitting down with couples for invitation consultations, a big topic we discuss is who is going to be listed on the wedding invitation and how.
It was a common tradition in the past to have the parents of the Bride host and pay for their daughter’s wedding. As the hosts, they were respectfully listed first on the wedding invitations. Fast forward a few years and we are now faced with completely new wedding dynamics. Couples are getting married at older ages, putting careers first, using less traditional wedding venues, and of course using DIY solutions for just about everything you possibly can.
With so many changes to the way weddings today are held, a wedding budget can vary from as low as a few thousand dollars, escalating all the way to a few million dollars. This has left the “hosting” position open for the taking. With wedding traditions becoming a phase of the past, it is more common to see weddings being hosted by just the Bride and Groom or by all parties involved.
With that in mind, your invitation needs to properly list whoever is hosting (footing the bill for) the wedding!
Bride’s Parents Hosting:
Mr. & Mrs. Mark Smith (Bride’s Parents)
Request the pleasure of your company
At the marriage of their daughter
Jenna Marie Smith (Bride’s Name) to
Luke Anthony Brown (Groom’s Name)
Son of Mr. & Mrs. Frank Brown (Groom’s Parents)
Groom’s Parents Hosting:
Mr. & Mrs. Frank Brown (Groom’s Parents)
Request the pleasure of your company
At the marriage of their son
Luke Anthony Brown (Groom’s Name) to
Jenna Marie Smith (Bride’s Name)
Daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Mark Smith (Bride’s Parents)
Both Parents Hosting:
Mr. & Mrs. Mark Smith (Bride or Groom’s Parents) and
Mr. & Mrs. Frank Brown (Bride or Groom’s Parents)
Request the pleasure of your company
At the marriage of their children
Jenna Marie Smith (Bride’s Name) and
Luke Anthony Brown (Groom’s Name)
Bride and Groom and Both Parents Hosting:
Together with their parents
Jenna Marie Smith (Bride’s Name) and
Luke Anthony Brown (Groom’s Name)
Request the pleasure of your company
At their marriage
Bride & Groom Hosting:
Jenna Marie Smith (Bride’s Name) and
Luke Anthony Brown (Groom’s Name)
Request the pleasure of your company
At their marriage
These layouts are a great way to gauge where and when to list parents. The key is to keep in mind who is hosting the wedding and make sure they are acknowledged properly.