Post # 1

Member
118 posts
Blushing bee
I need to figure out how to do the wording for my invitations. My parents are together but not married so I can’t go the “Mr. and Mrs. Jones request the honor…” since they have different last names. How can I word it so that it still sounds sort of traditional? I have Googled and Googled but the only thing that comes up is for divorced parents. My parents have been together all of my life and aside from my fiancé they are the most important people in the world to me. I don’t want to make them feel awkward due to something so small. Help?!?!
Post # 3

Member
302 posts
Helper bee
I haven’t seen how to do that. I know divorced parents are to be placed on separate lines. Perhaps you could state “Mr. A. Jones and Mrs. B. Jones request…” That way you are still keeping them separate rather than Mr. and Mrs., but you are putting them on the same line to indicate togetherness.
Post # 4

Member
633 posts
Busy bee
@smrlovingrl: I’m not etiquette guru, but I would probably put
Mr. John Smith & Ms. Jane Doe
Request the honor of your presence
… and so on
Post # 5

Member
2363 posts
Buzzing bee
@smrlovingrl: I was going to suggest the same thing as the PPs:
Ms. Hillary Rodham & Mr. William Clinton
request the honour of your presence
If they were divorced, you would write:
Ms. Hillary Rodham &
Mr. William Clinton
request the honour of your presence
Post # 6

Member
11231 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
“Mr. John Jones and Ms. Jane Doe request the honor” ?
Post # 7

Member
892 posts
Busy bee
If I were to do it I would write something like:
Mr. Robert Parker & Ms. Sarah Williams
I remember reading about addressing invites for doctors, and I guess you could use the same idea here.. I copied this from http://weddings.about.com/cs/invitations/f/doctorinvite.htm
“Etiquette dictates that the spouse with the professional title is listed first. If the woman is a doctor, but her husband is not, write: Dr. Lucy Wallford and Mr. Christopher Wallford, or, if they have different last names, Dr. Lucy Jones and Mr. Christopher Wallford”.
Your parents may not be Doctors, and the example above is for the envelope, not the invitations but, I think the same thing would apply. Just use their proper first and last names, his first then hers.
Hope this helped! =)
Post # 8

Member
118 posts
Blushing bee
Thanks, bees!! This is very helpful!!