sending...
Inspiration is all well and good (and oh my, we love it!), but sometimes you just need the nitty-gritty details when you’re planning a wedding, you know? If you’re like me, and always have your copy of Etiquette and Crane’s Blue Book at the ready, then today’s topic is old hat. But, if you’re like most gals out there who have never sent a formal invitation, then I hope our concise guide to host lines will come in handy!
The host line was traditionally used to show who was (monetarily) hosting the wedding. Nowadays, the lines are much blurrier, and even if one set of parents or the other (or the couple!) is paying, a range of hosts might be included on the invitation.
We’ve outlined some of the more common scenarios above, but if you have any additional questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below and I’ll take a stab at them!
comments hide
comments
this
facebook
Lauren, February 11, 2013 10:59 am reply Wow - this is SO helpful! I was wondering how I was going to do this since I have divorced parents. Now I know. Awesome!
Emily, February 11, 2013 11:40 am reply SO glad to hear it, Lauren!
Kat, February 11, 2013 12:27 pm reply so helpful! thanks Emily :)
Anna, February 11, 2013 3:57 pm reply This is a great post! It was my understanding that if one parent is remarried but it hasn't been for long, it is fine to not include them, since you are not their "child".
Emily, February 12, 2013 9:53 am reply Hi Anna! Yes, that's definitely true! We included that option for those that want to include their step parent, but even if your mom or dad is remarried it's okay to leave their spouse off!
Anne, February 11, 2013 6:33 pm reply Also remember that 'honour of your presence' is for a church, but 'pleasure of your company' is correct if you are not having the ceremony in a church.
Emily, February 12, 2013 9:51 am reply Hi Anne! You are absolutely correct! I didn't want to write out every example with two levels of formality, so we just went with "honour of your presence" for simplicity's sake :)
Elizabeth, February 11, 2013 9:20 pm reply Don't forget that, traditionally, "the honour of your presence" is used for weddings in a house of worship. Otherwise, "the pleasure of your company" is used. Love all these helpful examples you have used!
Giant invitations, February 13, 2013 6:53 pm reply Thank you for sharing. Helpful tips :)
Amanda, February 17, 2013 12:14 am reply If only the couple is paying for the wedding, is it acceptable to leave parent's names off the invitations completely?
Emily, February 18, 2013 10:56 am reply Hi Amanda! Yes, it is always an acceptable option to leave parents off the invite completely, and issue the invitation from the bride and groom! Just in case others are wondering, it's also acceptable to leave parents ON even if the couple is paying the entirety of the cost.
Katherine, April 1, 2013 11:45 pm reply Emily, If the bride and groom are paying for the wedding entirely, and do not want to include the parents on the invitation. How could the invitation be worded? I've been struggling with this! Thanks!!
Ashley, March 5, 2013 3:17 pm reply These host lines are so fabulously helpful! I am curious, though, are the bride and groom's last names included on the invitation IF bride's divorced parents are hosting and groom's parent's names follow his as "son of Mr. and Mrs. so and so" ? Thanks!
Emily, March 5, 2013 3:30 pm reply Hi Ashley! In that scenario, if you're including both sets of the bride's parents, then yes, I would include last names. If you're just including one side, and that parent and/or his/her spouse shares a last name with the bride, then I'd say you could leave them off. Hope that helps!