[cwsbride]

I am wondering if there are any wording variations to newspaper engagement announcements. My mother died when I was in high school and my father has since remarried. I am not close at all with his wife .(I tolerate her) Throughout the wedding planning she has been insisting her name be under everything to do with a parent. I do not consider her to be such. I want to put an engagement announcement in my local newspaper but only want to put my father and mother down. I realize this goes against etiquette.

I know some couples skirt around the issue in their wedding invitations by only including the bride and groom's names. Is there a way I can either just include my parents names (ex. daughter of Mr. Stan Smith and the late Kathy Smith) or how do we (my future husband and I) word our engagement announcement to exclude ALL parents names?

Thanks for your help.

[Etiquette Now]

Dear Cwsbride,

This is an excerpt from one of my bridal etiquette booklets:

Theresa Lynn Jones, teacher for the Wayne Valley School District, is to be married in December to Mr. Michael Smith, senior counsel for the law firm of Smith, Smith and Lee. Ms. Jones is the daughter of James Jones of Sierra and (the late) Jane Jones of Wayne valley. Mr. Smith is the son of…..

Most newspapers have examples or templates of what they accept though. And, these may include ways of excluding parents. If it were me, I'd just not mention parents, only us, what we do, and the fact that we are marrying.

Best wishes,