Wedding Invitation Wording When Both Sets of Parents Host

By Mustafa Bilgic · Last updated 20 June 2026

When both families come together to host — and pay — the invitation should honour all four parents gracefully. Here is exactly how to list both sets of parents, with and without titles, the standard "marriage of their children" phrasing, and how it works for same-sex couples and couple-plus-parent co-hosting.

The short answer: List the bride's parents first, then the groom's parents on the next line, and use the request line "request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their children." Titles (Mr. and Mrs.) are traditional but optional. For same-sex couples, order the families alphabetically or however reads best — and when everyone co-hosts, "Together with their families" credits all sides at once. More host-line patterns are in our main wording guide.

The standard both-families host line

When both sets of parents host, the two households are named on separate lines, joined by "and." Because the couple belong to both families collectively, the request line refers to "their children":

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

The phrase "the marriage of their children" is the hallmark of a both-families invitation — it lets neither family claim "their daughter" or "their son" alone, and gives both sets of parents equal standing. The bride's parents appear first by long convention.

Without titles — a warmer, modern look

Titles lend formality, but plenty of couples prefer full first-and-last names, which feel more personal and read beautifully on a modern design. The structure is identical; only the titles drop away:

Jonathan and Margaret Carter
and Susan and David Bennett
invite you to celebrate
the marriage of their children
Olivia Carter
&
James Bennett
Saturday, September 12, 2026 · Charleston, South Carolina

The rule of thumb: be consistent. Use titles for both couples or neither — mixing "Mr. and Mrs. Carter" with "Susan and David Bennett" reads as an oversight. For a fully formal version with every courtesy title spelled out, see our formal wedding invitation wording guide.

When the couple and parents all co-host

Often the couple contributes too, or the lines blur between who's paying for what. Rather than wrestle with a four-parent list, the cleanest solution credits everyone in one warm phrase:

Together with their parents
Olivia Grace Carter
and
James Michael Bennett
invite you to share in their joy
as they are united in marriage
Saturday, the twelfth of September, two thousand twenty-six
The Rosewood Garden · Charleston, South Carolina

"Together with their parents" (or the even broader "together with their families") is the most popular modern host line precisely because it sidesteps the question of who paid while honouring all sides. It's correct, gracious, and increasingly the default.

Same-sex couples: ordering both families

For same-sex couples there's no "bride's side first" default, which is freeing — you simply choose an order that feels fair and sounds good. Two reliable approaches: list the families alphabetically by surname, or list them in the order the couple's names appear.

Mr. and Mrs. David Bennett
and Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Carter
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their sons
James Michael Bennett
and
Daniel Carter

Note "the marriage of their sons" (or "their daughters") — the same collective phrasing, simply matched to the couple. Whatever order you choose, keep it consistent with the order of the couple's names elsewhere in the suite so the whole set reads as intentional.

Host-line options compared

Host situation	Opening line	Request / couple line
Both families, formal	"Mr. and Mrs. [Bride's parents] and Mr. and Mrs. [Groom's parents]"	"request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their children"
Both families, no titles	"[First Last] and [First Last] and [First Last] and [First Last]"	"invite you to celebrate the marriage of their children"
Couple + parents co-host	"Together with their parents"	couple's names + "invite you to share in their joy"
Everyone, simplest	"Together with their families"	couple's names + "invite you to celebrate their marriage"
Same-sex couple	both families, alphabetical or couple-order	"at the marriage of their sons / daughters"

Keep both surnames clear when families share the host line

When two sets of parents are named, guests should be able to tell which family is which at a glance. If both fathers happen to share a first name, or if a parent uses a different surname from their child, spell out enough to remove ambiguity. And remember the couple's full names — including last names — earn their place lower on the card precisely because the host line is doing the family introductions. For complicated families with divorce or remarriage in the mix, our divorced-parents wording guide handles the trickier combinations.

A quick word on "honour" vs "pleasure"

The same rule applies no matter who hosts: use "request the honour of your presence" if the ceremony is in a house of worship, and "request the pleasure of your company" for a secular venue. With both families hosting a church wedding, you'd write "request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their children." Our religious wedding invitation wording guide covers the faith-specific phrasings.

See both families' names on a real invitation

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Frequently asked questions

How do you word a wedding invitation when both sets of parents host?

List the bride's parents first, then the groom's parents on the next line, joined by "and." Use the request line "request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their children," then the couple's names. 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."

Whose parents are listed first when both families host?

Traditionally the bride's parents are listed first, reflecting the historical custom of the bride's family hosting. For same-sex couples there's no default — list the families alphabetically by surname, or in whatever order reads and sounds best. The order is a courtesy convention, not a ranking.

What does "at the marriage of their children" mean?

When both sets of parents host, the couple are "their children" collectively, so the request line reads "at the marriage of their children" rather than naming one parent's son or daughter. The couple's full names then follow on the next lines. It's the standard phrasing that lets both families share the host role equally.

Do both sets of parents' names need titles?

Titles (Mr., Mrs., Dr.) are traditional and lend a formal tone, but they're optional. A modern invitation might use full names without titles — "Jonathan and Margaret Carter and David and Susan Bennett" — which feels warmer and suits less formal families. Be consistent: title both couples or neither.

How do you word it when the couple and both sets of parents co-host?

The simplest solution is "Together with their parents" or "Together with their families," followed by the couple's names and the invitation. This credits everyone — both sets of parents and the couple — without a long list of four names, and works no matter how the costs are shared.