Is it bad to leave his parents off the invite?

You don't technically need to include them. If you want to be nice, you could word it like this:

Mr and Mrs. Bride'sParents

Request the blah blah blah

Blah blah their daughter

Bride

to

Groom

son of Mr. and Mrs. Groom'sParents

Just think of it this way....will it offend his parents? Do you want to start a marriage off by upsetting parents?

I don't have a good relationship with my future in laws. They arnt paying for the wedding at all. My parents are. But my invites say Mr and mrs last name invite you to the wedding of their daughter heather A to Blake p son of me and mrs last name.

It made his family so happy and not left out. For such a small thing for me to do, why not just make them happy.

Agree with Heather.

@heather, I think you right! Sometimes I just get so angry at them because how they treat me. But it's better to be the bigger person and that a good compromise instead of putting them at the top with mine.

This isn't the hill you want to die on, to use someone else's metaphor. I think it's an act of grace actually.

Maybe they will realize what they are doing. I posted something regarding having issues with my FMIL and his sister. They have never been open or welcoming to any type of relationship with me. I had accepted it and refused to let the situation affect me any more than it already had. I knew that I had done nothing to deserve it so there was nothing that I could do to fix it. Fast forward a couple of months and I get a call from his mother apologizing for everything she had done and the way she treated me. She said that I didn't deserve it and hoped that I would forgive her. She also said that she will treat me as a daughter from now on. She even came to church with us on Easter. So things can definitely change. Good luck!

@almostmrsbentley thanks! I hope so! His mom just seems bizarre to me and has said I'm fake because I'm not mean to people and don't cuss.. So there is that. And his sister will start drama between me and his parents for no reason and all and they buy into it. FH is a great guy but I have no idea how he came from this family! I'm jealous of everyone who has great inlaws!

If you look at most invitations the groom's parents aren't on there. That's because the bride's parents are the ones that pay for everything. But if you want their names on there then add their names. it's your wedding do what you want to do.

No. It's not even considered proper etiquette to include his parents in the first place.

I dunno ... I agree with @Emily. If his parents are paying for the rehearsal dinner, then their names go on the rehearsal dinner invitation. @MissMadeline's wording suggestion is a good one and it's the suggested placement when the groom's parents aren't helping with hosting, but I would be worried it would make it ambiguous to some people about your parents' very generous contribution.

Formal invitation wording from Emily Post: http://www.emilypost.com/weddings/wedding-invitations-and-announcements/337-formal-wedding-invitation-variations-and-samples

Informal invitation wording from Emily Post: http://www.emilypost.com/weddings/wedding-invitations-and-announcements/336-wording-informal-wedding-invitations

I agree with Heather as well.

Another thought: invitations are a tool for your guests so they know who to thank for the hospitality. Strict, traditional etiquette dictates to leave off the groom's parents if they aren't hosting so that the water isn't muddy and awkward conversations are avoided. I mean, how would his parents respond if someone accidentally thanked them for hosting the evening? They wouldn't want to make the guest feel weird for thanking them incorrectly, but they wouldn't want to take credit for something they didn't do, either. *awkward turtle* Ultimately, if they said point blank they'd be upset if their names weren't on the invitation, that's your call about what the best outcome and course of action would be, but it's not typical to assume that the groom's parents would be listed on an invitation for an event they weren't hosting.

Actually, it's very common to list it just the way Madeline said -

Mr and mrs brides parents INVITE YOU (oh they must be hosting)

To the wedding of their daughter bride

To groom

Son of mr and mrs grooms parents (all it says is who the grooms parents are, not that they are the hosts, it's info)

Then again, my wedding everyone is paying, and FH's parents are divorced,a nd FFIl is remarried so we went with,

Together with their families

We are doing the opposite, his parents on mine off. His parents wanted to be on (they are paying) and mine really didn't care if they weren't so we just flipped tradion.

We would have included my parents if they cared though

My parents paid for most of our wedding with DH's parents paying for the rehearsal dinner, cake and a few odds and ends. Our wording was just like what Miss Madeline and Pezzy suggested. No one had an issue with it and we got both sets of parents approval before they were ordered. But then I also like my in-laws and get along with them quite well.

It's names on a piece of paper, IMO, so I just did what would make everyone happy. I just didn't care.

On ours I started with "Together with their parents..."

Both of our parents are helping, they are splitting the cost of the reception. My parents are divorced and I didn't like how it looked trying to add my step mom in and if I wouldn't have she would hold a grudge about it. So i just said screw it and went with, together with their parents.

We went with "Together with their families..." because my parents are divorced, my mom is remarried and everything is complicated, haha.

Our invitations don't list our parents at all. My parents are giving us some money, and so is his mom - but the majority is coming out of our own pockets. Nobody has said anything to us about their names not being there.

We went with "Together with their parents..." but if you're wanting to actually use names I personally see it as a kind gesture to do as Madeline suggested.