Invitation Wording For Blended Families?

Dear Diva,

We are struggling with the wording for our invitations. The wedding expenses are being shared between ourselves, my parents, my fiance’s dad and my fiance’s mother and step-dad. His mother is insisting that her husband be included. Is this the proper thing to do and if so how do we word the invitation to include both my fiance’s father and step-father?

C. Wiebe
Saskatoon, SK

With today’s blended families, this is a common question. Proper etiquette is that the individuals how are paying for the wedding are the hosts and are honored as such in the invitations. In situations where there is both a father and a step-father helping pay for the wedding, both should be included. The father and his spouse if applicable are listed first followed by the mother and her spouse.

The wording for this particular situation should look something like this:

Together with their parents
JANE SMITH
daughter of John & Jen Smith
and
BOB JONES
son of Jim Jones and Ben and Anne Samson
request the honor of your presence as they unite in marriage.

Be Fabulous,

The Wedding Diva