Quick Answer
Generally, you do not put an apostrophe after a last name when using it to indicate a wedding. For example, if Jane Doe and John Smith get married, their names on invitations and other wedding materials would likely read “Jane Doe and John Smith’s wedding” without an apostrophe after Doe. The apostrophe is only used after Smith’s name to show possession.
Explanation
When referring to a wedding, the standard practice is to list the bride’s full name, followed by the groom’s full name + ‘s wedding. The apostrophe is only used after the groom’s last name to show that it is his wedding. Here are some examples:
- Jane Doe and John Smith’s wedding
- Sara Johnson and Alex Tan’s wedding
- Emily Wright and Christopher Davis’ wedding
Notice that in each case, there is no apostrophe after the bride’s last name. The apostrophe only comes after the groom’s last name.
This follows the standard possessive apostrophe rules. The wedding belongs to the groom, so his name takes the apostrophe to show possession. The bride’s name does not take an apostrophe because it is not meant to show possession on her part.
Some key points about last names and apostrophes for weddings:
- The bride’s last name does not take an apostrophe
- The groom’s last name does take an apostrophe to show possession
- This applies to formal invitations, programs, announcements, websites, and anywhere their names are paired
- The apostrophe goes after the groom’s full last name: O’Brian, McDonald, etc.
There are some exceptions where the bride’s name may also take an apostrophe, such as if both spouses are keeping their last names and jointly possessing the wedding. However, the standard practice is that only the groom’s name gets the apostrophe when listing out a couple’s wedding.
When to Use the Apostrophe for a Bride
While the groom’s name always takes the apostrophe for a wedding, there are some rare cases where the bride’s last name may also take an apostrophe:
- If she is keeping her maiden name after marriage, the wedding can be “the Johnson’s and Tan’s wedding.”
- If she has a distinct middle name she goes by, it may read “The wedding of Jane ‘Elizabeth’ Doe and John Smith.”
- If both spouses see the wedding as equally belonging to them, they may use the apostrophe for both names: “The Doe’s and Smith’s wedding.”
However, these cases are non-traditional and the standard practice still does not use an apostrophe for the bride’s last name, even if she is keeping it. Using the apostrophe only for the groom is the widely accepted format.
Examples of Wedding Names Without Apostrophes
Here are some examples of formally listing out names for a wedding without apostrophes after the bride’s name:
- The wedding of Katherine Bell and James Ford
- Andrea Scott & Christopher Martin’s Wedding
- Celebrating the marriage of Julie Thompson and Samuel Clark
- Emma Watson and Daniel Brown’s wedding ceremony
- You are cordially invited to Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s wedding
In each case, only the groom’s last name gets the apostrophe to show possession of the wedding. No apostrophe comes after Julie Thompson, Jennifer Lopez, or any of the brides’ names.
This keeps the formal wedding announcement consistent and easy to understand. The bride’s full name is listed, followed by the groom’s full name + apostrophe + wedding.
Reasons to Not Use Apostrophes for Brides
There are a few key reasons why brides’ last names do not typically take apostrophes when formally paired with grooms’ names:
- Avoid confusion: Using apostrophes only for the groom makes it clear who the wedding belongs to.
- Tradition: Long-standing custom has favored only using the apostrophe for grooms’ names.
- Simplicity: It keeps formal wedding announcements clean and consistent.
- Possession: The groom’s name better shows possessiveness of the event.
Unless the bride is specifically keeping her last name or wishing to jointly possess the wedding, the standard practice is to leave the apostrophe off her name. This maintains a simple, traditional format.
The groom’s name with the apostrophe sufficiently shows who is hosting and possessing the wedding. There is no need to add confusion by placing apostrophes after both names.
Special Circumstances
There are some unique cases where brides’ names may take apostrophes:
Hyphenated Last Names
If the bride has a hyphenated last name, treat each portion as a separate name:
- The wedding of Sara Jones-Kim and Alex Tan
The bride’s hyphenated name does not take an apostrophe. Only the groom’s name does.
Middle Names or Initials
If using a bride’s middle name or initial, it may be denoted with apostrophes:
- The wedding of Jennifer ‘Elizabeth’ Doe and John Smith
- Jane A. Doe and John Smith’s wedding
This indicates it is not the bride’s full last name taking the apostrophe.
Same-Sex Weddings
For same-sex weddings, the names are typically structured as:
- Olivia Newton and Emma Stone’s wedding
Where the second spouse’s name takes the apostrophe to show possession of the wedding. The first name listed does not take an apostrophe.
Conclusion
The standard practice is to only use an apostrophe after the groom’s last name when formally pairing names for a wedding. The bride’s name comes first without an apostrophe, followed by the groom’s full name + apostrophe + wedding. This gives a clean, consistent format that shows the groom’s possessiveness of the event. Exceptions can be made if the bride is specifically keeping her name or in unique circumstances, but in most cases apostrophes are only needed for the groom’s name. Following this simple formatting allows wedding announcements and materials to be clear and error-free.