Expert: Richelle Albrecht - 1/25/2008

Question
hi my best friend is getting married and she is having a hard time wording the invites. her mom and dad are divorced and her mom has had a boyfriend for 20 something years they are not married and they both have different last names, but he practically raised her and of course she wants to include him in the invites, she is having a hard time figuring it out. it sounds a little funny if you say for example Mr. first name last name and Ms. first and same last name and Mr. first and different last name would like you to so on and so forth. so please try to help it would be a great help if this was lifted off her shoulders.
thank you......the matrion of honor

Answer
Hi Kristina,
Thanks so much for your question.

In a situation like your friend's, each of her parents (including her mother's long-term boyfriend) should be listed on a separate line, without the word "and." (In wedding invitations, "and" indicates that two people are married to each other.) Therefore, the top of her invitation should read like this:

Ms. Jane Jones (her mom)
Mr. Sean Smith (her mom's partner)
Mr. John Anderson (her dad)
request the honor of your presence/pleasure of your company
at the marriage of
Karen Anne Anderson
and
George Elliott Markus
etc.

I hope this helps -
Sincerely,
Richelle Albrecht

Girl Metro, Inc.