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WEDDING INVITATIONS & DIVORCED PARENTS

posted 5 months ago in Etiquette
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    1.
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    Newbee
    CheBrooks    October 19, 2013   Norman, OK

    Im going through some rough drafts on how to word my invitations. Both my parents and my Fiance's parents are divorced. My dad & his dad have remarried, my mom is currently going through a divorce & his mom still shares the same last name as her ex husband but might consider being refered to her maiden name. NIETHER of our families are contributing to our wedding... Suggestions on wording? 

    I know the proper way is to list names on seperate lines if they are divorced. That looks tacky to me. I've considered listing them like 

    Mr. Mike Anderson & Mrs. Susanne Hass

    with

    Mr. Donnie Jones & Ms. Shelia Smith

     

    OR just listing "together with their families". I dont want to offend anyone either. Why must families be so complicated!!!!!! Any advice would be greatly appreciated! 

     
    2.
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    Bumble bee
    LMD84    September 29, 2012   Long Island

    We used "together with their families" in the interest of saving space and headaches.

     
    3.
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    Busy bee
    fzesguer    November 30, 2013   Northern California

    Traditionally, it was the bride's parents who were listed as hosting the event because they paid for the wedding. But if no parents are contributing, then you can just say "Together with their families (or parents)." If you wanted to honor them in some way beyond that, you can do what Filipino people (and lots of other people do too) do and include a list of everyone in your wedding party as an enclosure with the invitation.

    Something like this, but add your parents (maybe not their spouses), yours and your FI's names, etc.

     
    4.
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    Blushing bee
    arendiva    October 12, 2013   NH

    It no parents are contributing you can just list yourself and fiance as the host and not have any parents on the invite. Otherwise I would jsut go with the "together with their families" option.

     
    5.
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    Busy bee
    Paiger8       

    I think we're just doing

    HisFirst HisLastName

               &
    MyFirst MyLastName

    Together With Their Families

    Or maybe just the names. Who knows. Divorced parents are hard.  

     
    6.
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    Helper bee
    winterbride1593    December 1, 2012  

    Ours said "together with their parents", and our parents are not divorced! You could ask your parents what they think

     
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    Helper bee
    alleycat1984    June 29, 2013  

    i would do together with their parents, we have same problem as you, and our parents aren't paying for anything, it's so hard when you have divorced parents to please them

     
    8.
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    Bumble bee
    aspasia475    December 31, 2017  

    Actually, the bride's mother was traditionally listed as host -- along with the mother's husband if she had one -- because traditionally she actually hosted the event. She paid -- or some kind relative paid on her behalf -- because she as hostess was the person who incurred the costs. If she couldn't afford to pay, she was still the hostess; she just arranged a more modest event. The point being that the honour of hosting such an event is not for sale, and the private financial details of who pays for what is kept private by polite persons.

    The other point being, that "hostess" is an actual role, with actual responsibilities, and the proper way to decide who is named as hostess on the invitation, is simply to name the person who actually IS the hostess.

     
    9.
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    Helper bee
    aranel1002    March 23, 2013  

    I definitely did "together with their families"! Not only are my parents divorced but I'm still not even sure I'm inviting my dad to the wedding, and none of our parents are contributing financially so we definitely didn't put their names on it. It worked out for us.

     
    10.
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    Honey bee
    Caroheart    August 31, 2013   NJ

    Just use together with their families. I'm doing this because it's so much easier. My FI's mom kept her maiden name, and my parents are divorced, but my mom hyphenated after the divorce and my dad is remarried. So it would look something like this:

    Ms. Sheila Jones-Handal and Ron Handal with his wife Kate Zender

    Invite you to take part in celebration of the marriage of their daughter

    Caroheart Handal

    to

    Robert Bernard

    Son of Larry Bernard and Melissa Pomfort

     

     

    ... see what I mean? 

     
    11.
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    Bumble bee
    mjwyatt84    March 30, 2013   Las Vegas, NV

    We used "Together with their FAmilies" also because of the same reason. Both our parents are divorced. Mine recently (4 years ago) so not re-married but his have been divorced since he was 3 so they are both re-married. It's VERy complicated. I had to list both his mom and step dad (Ie Mr. and Mrs GAry Bowman) and Dad and step mom ( Mr and Mrs Steve and Cindy Marcotte) on the rehearsal dinner invites though because that's what they are payng for. My family and us paid for the wedding itself. I agree it Stinks!

     
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    Blushing bee
    xlsm    March 16, 2013  

    Jumping on board the "together with their families" bandwagon. We took our families out of it altogether and worded ours like this:

    With joy in their hearts

    bride + groom

    invite you to celebrate with them on their wedding day

     
    13.
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    Newbee
    CheBrooks    October 19, 2013   Norman, OK

    Thanks for all the responses. I think we're sticking with the "together with their families" I guess if they have a problem they'll just have to get over it! Laughing

     
    14.
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    Blushing bee
    juanita.kelly.9    August 10, 2013  

    I do not normally like "togethor with their families" if either or both set of families are helping pay for the wedding.  Even if the invite starts looking crowded, come on, they deserve it.  However this case seems tailor made for "togethor with their families"

     
    15.
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    Blushing bee
    juanita.kelly.9    August 10, 2013  

    @Caroheart:  

     

    Carol, the problem with that is that only two people can say "their" daughter.

     
    16.
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    562 posts
    Busy bee
    Merelymere    January 26, 2013   Birmingham, AL

    @LMD84:  Us too.  Both of us have divorced parents, each of us have one parent who remarried. It would have made the invitation a booklet to list everyone.

     
    17.
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    Sugar bee
    jenilynevette    October 3, 2014  

    If neither are contributing to your wedding, you can actually go casual and only list your & the grooms name. Tradationally, only the parents whom are helping with the wedding get listed on the invatation.

     
    18.
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    Sugar bee
    jenilynevette    October 3, 2014  

    for instance.

     
    19.
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    Honey bee
    Caroheart    August 31, 2013   NJ

    @juanita.kelly.9:  If you believe that, but I think that once someone becomes your stepMOTHER it's close enough, and it's clear that the father's specified wife is not the actual mother

     
    20.
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    Blushing bee
    juanita.kelly.9    August 10, 2013  

    @Caroheart:  

     

    Carol, whether SM is "close enought" to a mother depends.  If the SM never lived with the kid, it may not be close enough.

    Hopefully it is clear, but it still doesnt mean SM = MOM.

     
    21.
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    Honey bee
    Caroheart    August 31, 2013   NJ

    @juanita.kelly.9:  I know, I'm saying they aren't the same thing but that it doesn't matter for the invitation. Unless someone really has such horrible feelings toward their stepmother in which case they can just leave her off

     ETA also, she should be listed because if your father is paying for the wedding, then that means the stepmother is also helping to pay and should be listed as a host. 

     
    22.
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    Bumble bee
    phillybride61513    June 15, 2013   Atlanta, wedding in Philadelphia

    @LMD84:  +1

    Also, if they're not contributing, they really don't need to be listed. You could just write:

    The honor of your presence
    is requested at the marriage of
    Heather Marie Smith
    to Michael Francis Jacobson
    Saturday, the seventeenth of May
    two thousand and eight
    at half past four in the afternoon

    Credit: http://wedding.theknot.com/wedding-planning/wedding-invitations/articles/formal-wedding-invitation-wording-couple-hosting.aspx

     
    23.
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    105 posts
    Blushing bee
    juanita.kelly.9    August 10, 2013  

    Carol, in many second marriages, the spouses do NOT share or combine money.  Just becuase dad is contributing does not mean SM is.

     

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