Wedding Invitation Etiquette

Correct Use of Military Ranking on Wedding Invitations

General Rules of Addressing

Correct Use of Military Ranking on Wedding Invitations

For ARMY, AIR FORCE, and MARINE CORPS:

  • Non-Commissioned Officers and Privates:

to
Joseph Patrick Gorman
United States Army

  • Lieutenant:

to
Joseph Patrick Gorman
Lieutenant, United States Marine Corps

  • Captain, or Higher Rank:

to
Colonel Joseph Patrick Gorman
United States Air Force

For NAVY:

  • Petty Officers and Seamen:

to
Joseph Patrick Gorman
United States Navy

  • Ensign and Higher Rank:

to
Joseph Patrick Gorman
Admiral, United States Navy


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Wedding Invitation Generally Accepted Rules of Etiquette

If your Mother and Father are both living, use the Standard Invitation Format:

Mr. and Mrs. Dale Hamilton
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Marlene Joyce
to
Mr. Joseph Gorman
Saturday, the twentieth of January
two thousand and three
at two thirty in o'clock
Saint John's Catholic Church
Walnut, Illinois

  • If the wedding is held a the Home of a friend or relative, use the following wording instead of the church:

at the residence of
Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Livey
108 Main Steet
Walnut, Illinois

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If your Mother or Father is deceased but the surviving parent has not remarried:

  • Mother is issuing the invitation:

Mrs. Dale Hamilton
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of her daughter
Marlene Joyce
etc., etc.

  • Father is issuing the invitation:

Mr. Dale Hamilton
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of his daughter
Marlene Joyce
etc., etc.

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If your Mother or Father is deceased but the surviving parent has remarried:

  • Mother has remarried and uses her present husband's name:

Mr. and Mrs. John Jones
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of her daughter
Marlene Joyce Hamilton

or

Mr. and Mrs. John Jones
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of Mrs. Jones' daughter
Marlene Joyce Hamilton

or

Mrs. John Jones
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of her daughter
Marlene Joyce Hamilton

  • Father has remarried:

Mr. and Mrs. Dale Hamilton
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Marlene Joyce

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If your Mother and Father are deceased:

  • Unmarried Older Brother issues the invitation:

Mr. David Dale Hamilton
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of his sister
Marlene Joyce Hamilton

  • Unmarried Older Sister issue the invitation:

Ms. Carolyn Susan Hamilton
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of her sister
Marlene Joyce Hamilton

  • Married Older Brother issue the invitation:

Mr. and Mrs. David Dale Hamilton
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of his sister
Marlene Joyce Hamilton

  • Married Older Sister issue the invitation:

Mr. and Mrs. John Jones
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of her sister
Marlene Joyce Hamilton

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If your Mother and Father are divorced:

  • Mother not remarried : should use combination of her maiden and married name:

Mrs. Conner Hamilton
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of her daughter
Marlene Joyce

  • Mother has remarried:

Mrs. John Jones
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of her daughter
Marlene Joyce Hamilton

  • Mother and Father have both remarried and wish to co-host the wedding (Mother's name always appears first):

Mr. and Mrs. John Jones
and
Mr. and Mrs. Dale Hamilton
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of
Marlene Joyce Hamilton

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Bride and Groom issue their own invitation:

Miss Marlene Joyce Hamilton
and
Mr. Joseph Gorman
request the honour of your presence
at their marriage

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Groom's family issues the invitation
(Note: "Miss" is used as the Bride's title when the sponsors of the wedding are not relatives)

Mr. and Mrs. Harold Joseph Gorman
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of
Miss Marlene Joyce Hamilton
to their son
Mr. Joseph Gorman

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Second Marriages
(Note: the invitations of a divorcee or widow do not differ from those of a first marriage except that the Bride's married name is used)

Mr. and Mrs. Dale Hamilton
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Marlene Joyce Gorman

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Double Weddings

  • When the Brides are sisters:

Mr. and Mrs. Dale Hamilton
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughters
Marlene Joyce
to
Mr. Joseph Gorman
and
Carolyn Susan
to
Mr. Raymond Kurtz

  • When the Brides are not sisters:

Mr. and Mrs. Dale Hamilton
and
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hill
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughters
Marlene Joyce Hamilton
to
Mr. Joseph Gorman
and
June Janelle Hill
to
Mr. Bruce Burkey

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Recalling a Wedding Invitation:

Mr. and Mrs. Dale Hamilton
regret that due to illness in the family
the invitation to
their daughter's wedding
Saturday, the twentieth of January
must be cancelled

 

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