By Mustafa Bilgic · Last updated 20 June 2026

Wedding Invitation Wording When Both Families Host

Q: What is the best wording when both families host the wedding?

The most popular and most flexible is 'Together with their families, Olivia Carter and James Bennett invite you to celebrate their marriage.' It credits both families at once, works no matter who paid, and gracefully covers divorced, remarried, or blended households without listing every name. If you prefer to name everyone, list each set of parents on its own line instead.

Q: What is the difference between 'both families' and 'both parents' wording?

'Both parents' wording names the two sets of parents explicitly on the host line. 'Both families' is the broader, inclusive framing — it can either name both sets of parents or use the catch-all 'together with their families,' which also covers grandparents, stepparents, and blended households. Use the families framing when listing every individual would be long or complicated.

Q: How do you list both sets of parents on a wedding invitation?

Put the bride's or first partner's parents on the first line and the other partner's parents on the next, joined by 'and' or 'together with.' For example: 'Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Carter and Mr. and Mrs. David Bennett request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their children.' Use 'their children' once two families are named.

Q: When should you just say 'families' instead of naming parents?

Use 'together with their families' when there are divorces or remarriages that would make the host line long, when grandparents or others are also contributing, when you simply want a shorter elegant invitation, or when it is unclear or private who paid. It honours everyone equally and avoids any awkward ordering.

When two families come together to host — or simply to be honoured — the invitation can either name everyone or wrap them in one warm line. Here is how to choose, including the inclusive "together with their families" solution that quietly solves divorce, remarriage, and the question of who paid.

The short answer: The most flexible wording is "Together with their families, Olivia Carter and James Bennett invite you to celebrate their marriage" — it credits both families at once and covers blended households gracefully. If you'd rather name everyone, list each set of parents on its own line joined by "and," and use "their children" once two families appear. For the detailed two-sets-of-parents form, see our both parents hosting wording guide.

"Both families" vs "both parents" — which page do you need?

These two phrasings overlap, but they are not the same, and picking the right one saves you a headache:

"Both parents" wording names the two sets of parents explicitly on the host line. It is the classic, formal listing. Our detailed guide for that is both parents hosting wording.
"Both families" wording (this page) is the broader, inclusive framing. It can still name both sets of parents — but it also gives you the catch-all "together with their families," which covers grandparents, stepparents, and blended households without a long list.

Rule of thumb: if you can cleanly name two married couples and want to, use the parents form. If naming every individual would run long or get complicated — or you simply want elegance — use the families form below.

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Who's hosting → recommended host line

Match your situation to a row and lift the opening line.

Who is hosting / being honoured	Recommended host line
Both sets of parents, married, formal	Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Carter and Mr. and Mrs. David Bennett request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their children
Both families, modern and warm	Together with their families, Olivia Carter and James Bennett invite you to celebrate their marriage
Both families, one or more parents remarried	Together with their families (or list each household on its own line — see stepparents guide)
Couple paying, but honouring both families	Together with their parents, Olivia and James invite you to their wedding
Grandparents or extended family also contributing	Together with their families, Olivia and James…
You want it short and elegant, who-paid is private	Together with their families, Olivia and James request the pleasure of your company

The inclusive solution: "together with their families"

This single line is the workhorse of modern invitations, and for good reason. It honours both sets of parents, plus anyone else who helped, without naming or ranking a soul. It never reveals who paid — useful when that is private or shared — and it absorbs divorce and remarriage effortlessly.

Together with their families
Olivia Carter & James Bennett
invite you to celebrate their marriage
Saturday, September 12, 2026
at 4:30 in the afternoon
The Rosewood Garden · Charleston, South Carolina
Dinner and dancing to follow

A slightly more specific cousin is "together with their parents," which still avoids names but narrows the credit to the four parents.

Naming both families in full (formal)

If you do want everyone's names on the card, list each couple on its own line. The first partner's parents lead; "their children" replaces "their daughter" once two surnames appear.

Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Carter
and
Mr. and Mrs. David Bennett
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their children
Olivia Grace Carter
and James Michael Bennett
Saturday, the twelfth of September, two thousand twenty-six
Charleston, South Carolina

Divorced or remarried, at a glance

When families are blended, you have two clean paths. Either lean on "together with their families" and skip the puzzle entirely, or list each household on its own line, keeping every parent paired with their current spouse.

Mrs. Eleanor Hayes and Mr. Robert Hayes
together with
Mr. Jonathan Carter
and Mr. and Mrs. David Bennett
invite you to the marriage of
Olivia Carter and James Bennett
Saturday, September 12, 2026 · 4:30 PM
Charleston, South Carolina

For the full set of blended-family rules — stepparents on the host line, "[Parent]'s daughter," ordering — see how to word a wedding invitation with stepparents. For divorced parents who have not remarried, see divorced parents wedding invitation wording.

When to just say "families"

Reach for "together with their families" when: a divorce or remarriage would make the host line long; grandparents or others are also contributing; you want a shorter, more elegant invitation; or who paid is private or shared. It is not a shortcut for the unsure — it is the most gracious answer in a great many real families, and it puts the couple's names front and centre where many people now prefer them.

If the couple is hosting alongside the families

Plenty of weddings are funded by the couple and both families together. "Together with their families" handles this perfectly, but if you want to lead with your own names while still thanking everyone, see our guide to wedding invitation wording when the couple is hosting, which covers couple-first openings that still credit parents. For the underlying structure of every host line, our wedding invitation wording guide lays out all six building blocks.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best wording when both families host the wedding?

The most flexible is "Together with their families, Olivia Carter and James Bennett invite you to celebrate their marriage." It credits both families at once, works no matter who paid, and covers divorced, remarried, or blended households without listing every name. To name everyone, list each set of parents on its own line instead.

What is the difference between "both families" and "both parents" wording?

"Both parents" names the two sets of parents explicitly. "Both families" is the broader, inclusive framing — it can name both sets of parents or use "together with their families," which also covers grandparents, stepparents, and blended households. Use the families framing when listing everyone would be long or complicated.

How do you list both sets of parents on a wedding invitation?

Put the first partner's parents on the first line and the other partner's on the next, joined by "and" or "together with" — for example "Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Carter and Mr. and Mrs. David Bennett request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their children." Use "their children" once two families are named.

When should you just say "families" instead of naming parents?

Use "together with their families" when divorces or remarriages would make the host line long, when grandparents or others are contributing, when you want a shorter elegant invitation, or when who paid is private. It honours everyone equally and avoids awkward ordering.

Whose family is listed first when both families host?

By tradition the bride's family is listed first in a different-sex wedding. With "together with their families," ordering disappears. For same-sex couples, or by preference, choose any order — the families are equal hosts and the listing is a courtesy, not a ranking.