Gov't minister's invites lack heart

WESTMINSTER, England, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- A British government minister took a decidedly unromantic slant when alerting acquaintances of his impending wedding, it was reported Sunday.

The Mail on Sunday said that when 40-year-old International Development Minister Shahid Malik created his own wedding invitation, the first Muslim minister in Britain's history left out the romance entirely.

"Just to be clear, you won't be expected to stay for the full stint (although I probably will!)," the invitation to the Feb. 10 nuptials reads. "But even if you're just able to drop in for a short while to test the cuisine and say hello, you would be very welcome, indeed."

Malik is marrying 23-year-old Sundus Sheikh, but the British newspaper said the trainee lawyer's name was not even included on the couple's wedding invitations.

The labor minister said those who plan to attend the wedding would later receive a "posh invite" complete with the bride's name, a move that apparently was enough to keep his soon-to-be wife happy.

"I am very excited. I'm looking forward to being a politician's wife, but Shahid is not just a politician, he's a man I can connect with," Sheikh said of her fiance.