Who is named, in what order, and with which titles — the host line explained, with twelve examples covering one family, both families, and parents who share the day with the couple.
Traditionally the bride's parents, though today it is simply whoever is hosting. Their child is named first, and the partner follows after “to.”
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Whitfield request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Eleanor Rose to Mr. Thomas Ashby Saturday, the twelfth of June two thousand twenty-seven at half after four in the afternoon Saint Andrew's Church Charleston, South Carolina
Helen and Charles Whitfield request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter Eleanor Rose Whitfield to Thomas James Ashby Saturday, the twelfth of June two thousand twenty-seven at four o'clock in the afternoon The Hallowell Library Boston, Massachusetts
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Osei request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their son Kwame Daniel to Miss Priya Anand Sunday, the twenty-second of August two thousand twenty-seven at two o'clock in the afternoon The Old Chapel at Fairmount Providence, Rhode Island
Rita and Paulo Salgado invite you to celebrate the marriage of their daughter Ana Beatriz and Marcus Chen Saturday, September 18, 2027 at 5:00pm Kettle Hollow Farm Asheville, North Carolina Dinner and dancing to follow
Doctor Alan Beckett and Mrs. Susan Beckett request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter Marianne Claire to Mr. Julian Reyes Saturday, the third of October two thousand twenty-seven at six o'clock in the evening The Ashcroft Estate Hudson, New York
Susan Beckett requests the pleasure of your company at the marriage of her daughter Marianne Claire to Julian Reyes Saturday, the third of October two thousand twenty-seven at six o'clock in the evening The Ashcroft Estate Hudson, New York
Enter the host names exactly as they should appear — separate two families with a semicolon — and the generator sets them on the right lines.
When both sets of parents host, each family gets its own line, joined by “and.” Traditionally the bride's family is listed first; modern invitations often use whichever order reads better aloud.
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Lindqvist and Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Cole request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their children Annika Lindqvist and Samuel Cole Friday, the ninth of April two thousand twenty-seven at five o'clock in the evening Grace Cathedral San Francisco, California
Rita and Paulo Salgado and Wei and Grace Chen invite you to the marriage of their children Ana Beatriz Salgado and Marcus Chen Saturday, September 18, 2027 at five o'clock Kettle Hollow Farm Asheville, North Carolina
The families of Nadia Haddad and Elias Fournier request the pleasure of your company at their marriage Saturday, the fifteenth of May two thousand twenty-seven at half after five in the evening The Fern Room Montreal, Quebec Dinner and dancing to follow
Together with our parents Rita & Paulo Salgado Wei & Grace Chen we invite you to our wedding Ana and Marcus Saturday, September 18, 2027 · 5pm Kettle Hollow Farm, Asheville NC Reception to follow
Mr. and Mrs. Victor Almeida together with Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Kealoha request the honour of your presence at the marriage of Sofia Isabel Almeida and Andrew Kealoha Saturday, the fifteenth of May two thousand twenty-seven at half after six in the evening The Beaumont Hotel Savannah, Georgia
Helen and Charles Whitfield and Margaret Ashby request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their children Eleanor Whitfield and Thomas Ashby Saturday, the twelfth of June two thousand twenty-seven at four o'clock in the afternoon The Hallowell Library Boston, Massachusetts
Six conventions that cover almost every family. Where families differ genuinely, ask the hosts what they'd like — etiquette follows the family, not the other way round.
“Mr. and Mrs. Charles Whitfield” is the most traditional; “Helen and Charles Whitfield” names both parents as individuals; “Helen Whitfield and Charles Whitfield” is the most neutral. All three are correct — pick what the hosts prefer.
When parents host, their child appears by first and middle name only (“Eleanor Rose”), because the surname is already on the host line. The partner is named in full.
One family hosting uses “at the marriage of their daughter Eleanor Rose to Thomas Ashby.” When both families host, it becomes “the marriage of their children … and ….”
Two hosting families are stacked with “and” between them, not run together on one line. Traditionally the bride's family comes first; for same-sex couples, use alphabetical order or whoever is contributing more.
“Doctor and Mrs. Alan Beckett” or “The Honourable …” are retained on formal invitations. Everyday titles can be dropped entirely if the hosts prefer first names.
“Susan Beckett requests the pleasure of your company at the marriage of her daughter.” Watch the verb — “request” becomes “requests,” and “their” becomes “her” or “his.”
All three survive spellcheck and none survive a relative.
“Susan Beckett request the pleasure” is the most common typo on the card. One host takes “requests,” two take “request.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Charles Whitfield … at the marriage of their daughter Eleanor Rose Whitfield” repeats the family name unnecessarily. Drop it; the host line already carries it.
If one family's line includes a step-parent, the other's conventions should be handled with equal care. Blended and divorced families have their own patterns — see the divorced parents page before you set the type.
Set to both sets of parents hosting. Enter host names separated by a semicolon and each family lands on its own line.
Separate two families with a semicolon.
A phone number, a website, or “reply to this text.”
Traditionally the bride's parents, because they were historically the hosts. Today the honest answer is whoever is hosting — and when both families host equally, either order is correct. For same-sex couples, alphabetical order or the order that reads better aloud are both widely used.
No. “Helen and Charles Whitfield” is entirely correct and increasingly common, and it avoids erasing a parent's first name. Use whichever form the hosts themselves prefer — it is their line on the card.
Name both families on the host line, or use “together with their families” above your names. Money and naming do not have to match; what matters is that nobody reads the invitation and feels written out of the day.
Keep it: “Doctor and Mrs. Alan Beckett,” or “Doctor Susan Beckett and Mr. Alan Beckett” if she holds the title. Military and judicial titles follow the same rule. Only social titles are optional.
Add them on their own line in the same style as the parents' line. If the list grows past three lines, most couples switch to “Together with their families” and name everyone in the programme instead.
They get their own lines, and the order and phrasing depend on the relationships involved. Our divorced parents page covers each combination with examples, including remarried parents and step-parents.
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