Wedding invitation wording for divorced parents and blended families

When parents are divorced, list each parent on a separate line, with their own partner if they have one, or name only the hosts who are paying and welcoming. Parents divorce, remarry, or have passed away, and you want everyone to feel included without a long explanation. This guide gives you wording for each situation, and options when none of them quite fits. Etiquette guides differ a little, so treat these as common choices, not rules. The right answer is the one your family can read without wincing.

You can also try the wedding invitation wording generator, which lists divorced parents on separate lines.

The idea behind the wording

The host line says who is welcoming guests. Traditionally that is whoever is hosting, often the parents. When parents are divorced, the aim is to show both without suggesting they are still a couple, and without choosing between them.

If the family situation makes the host line feel difficult, there is always a simpler option: leave parents off the invitation and write "together with their families". It is warm, it is correct, and nobody has to be named.

Divorced parents, both hosting

List each parent on their own line, without "and" between them. This avoids implying they are married to each other.

Ms. Joan Brown
Mr. John Smith
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter
Priya
to
Dev Shah

If one parent has remarried, give each household its own line:

Ms. Joan Brown
Mr. and Mrs. John Smith
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter

One parent hosting

Use only the hosting parent's name:

Ms. Joan Brown
requests the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of her daughter
Priya
to
Dev Shah

Note the small change: "requests" and "her", because there is one host.

Including step-parents

You can name step-parents on the host line, after the parent they are married to, or you can leave them off the invitation and honour them elsewhere, for example on the website or in the programme. If you want them on the invitation:

Ms. Joan Brown and Mr. Peter Brown
Mr. John Smith and Mrs. Anna Smith
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of

Check with each family that they are happy with how they are listed. A short conversation beforehand is worth more than any rule.

When a parent has died

Families handle this differently. Some write "the late" before the name, which can feel formal. Others leave the parent off the host line and remember them elsewhere. Some options:

Together with their families
Priya Brown
and
Dev Shah
invite you to celebrate their wedding

On your wedding website or in the programme, you can add a line such as "We remember [Name] with love." That places them in the day without needing to word a host line around them.

When the couple hosts

If the couple is paying for and hosting the wedding themselves, the family question disappears from the host line. Use the couple's names, and mention families in the warmer line below if you like:

Priya Brown and Dev Shah
together with their families
invite you to celebrate their wedding

Blended families and "together with their families"

If you have several sets of parents, stepparents and siblings, "together with their families" says all of it in four words. It is especially good for:

• Parents who are on good terms, but whose arrangement is complicated to describe.
• Couples who want to include everyone equally.
• Weddings where the hosts are several relatives and friends.

Things worth deciding in advance

• The order. If both parents are listed, choose the order that suits your family. There is no required order.
• Titles and names. Use the names each person actually uses: a parent who has kept or changed their surname should be named as they wish.
• The envelope. Address envelopes to the guests, not the hosts, so that the host lines on the card are not a source of stress.
• The website. If wording on the card is tight, a few warm lines on your wedding website can carry the rest.

Questions

Do I need to name my parents on the invitation at all?

No. "Together with their families" or the couple's own names work for any situation, and many couples prefer them.

How do I word it if my parents do not get along?

List them on separate lines, or leave them off and write "together with their families". Either way, nobody has to share a line.

Should I use "the late"?

It is a personal choice. Many families prefer to leave a late parent off the host line and honour them on the website or in the programme.

Do I have to match what other people do?

No. The right wording is the one your family is happy with. If you are unsure, ask the people named.

When the wording is settled, read our guide to wedding invitation wording for the rest of the card, and when to send wedding invitations for the timing.