Addressing Wedding Invites: Doctors And Their Wives

When addressing wedding invitations to a married couple where one spouse is a doctor, the doctor's name should be listed first. For example, Dr. Kate Randolph and Mr. Brian Randolph. If both spouses are doctors with the same last name, the outer and inner envelopes can be addressed to The Doctors Rosenthal. If they have different last names, list both names alphabetically on separate lines: Dr. Rosenthal and Dr. Schwartz. For a female doctor who has kept her maiden name, the invitation would be addressed to Dr. Barbara Hanson and Mr. James Werner.

Husband is a doctor, wife is not: Dr. & Mrs. [Name]

When addressing wedding invitations, it's important to get the names and titles of your guests correct. Here are some examples of how to address invitations to a married couple when the husband is a doctor and the wife is not, with the fictional surname "Giovani" used as an example:

Formal Addressing

For a formal invitation, you would use the husband's title and full name, followed by the wife's full name.

• Outer envelope: "Dr. Bill Giovani and Mrs. Bill Giovani"
• Inner envelope: "Dr. and Mrs. Giovani" or "Bill and [Wife's first name]"

Informal Addressing

For a less formal invitation, you have a few options:

• Outer envelope: "Dr. & Mrs. Bill Giovani"
• Inner envelope: "Dr. and Mrs. Giovani" or "Bill and [Wife's first name]"
• Outer envelope: "Dr. Bill and Mrs. Bill Giovani"
• Inner envelope: "Dr. and Mrs. Giovani" or "Bill and [Wife's first name]"

Other Considerations

If the wife has chosen to hyphenate her last name, you would include both names in the address:

• Outer envelope: "Dr. Bill Giovani-Smith and Mrs. Bill Giovani-Smith"
• Inner envelope: "Dr. and Mrs. Giovani-Smith" or "Bill and [Wife's first name]"

If you are inviting children along to the wedding, you should note this on the envelope as well. If you do not include the children's names, it is implied that they are not invited.

Wife is a doctor, husband is not: Dr. [Name] and Mr. [Name]

When addressing wedding invitations to a married couple where the wife is a doctor and the husband is not, and they share the same last name, the correct etiquette is to list the wife's title and name first, followed by the husband's name.

For a more formal invitation, the outer envelope could be addressed as:

> Dr. [Name] and Mr. [Name]

If the names are too long to fit on one line, you can list them separately:

> Dr. [Wife's Name]

> Mr. [Husband's Name]

The inner envelope can be more casual and include first names only:

> Dr. [Name] and Mr. [Name]

> OR

> [Wife's Name] and [Husband's Name]

If the couple has different last names, the general rule is to list the person you are closest with first, or alphabetically. The outer envelope could be addressed as:

> Dr. [Wife's Full Name] and Mr. [Husband's Full Name]

Again, if the names are too long, you can list them separately:

> Dr. [Wife's Full Name]

> Mr. [Husband's Full Name]

The inner envelope can be more informal:

> Dr. [Wife's Name] and Mr. [Husband's Name]

> OR

> [Wife's Name] and [Husband's Name]

"Dr." is generally used as the title when a more casual tone is desired, while "Doctor" is more formal.

Both spouses are doctors, same last name: The Doctors [Name]

When addressing wedding invitations to married couples where both spouses are doctors and they share the same last name, there are a few options for how to format their names.

For the outer envelope, you can address the couple as "The Doctors [Last Name]," or "Drs. [Wife's First Name] and [Husband's First Name] [Last Name]." For example, "The Doctors Smith" or "Drs. Jane and John Smith." It is important to note that the wife's name should come before the husband's name.

For the inner envelope, you can simply use their first names, such as "Jane and John," or use "The Doctors [Last Name]," or "Drs. [Wife's First Name] and [Husband's First Name]." For example, "The Doctors Smith" or "Drs. Jane and John."

Outer envelope: "The Doctors Smith" or "Drs. Jane and John Smith"

Inner envelope: "Jane and John" or "The Doctors Smith" or "Drs. Jane and John"

Both spouses are doctors, different last names: Dr. [Name] and Dr. [Name]

When addressing wedding invitations to married doctors with different last names, it is proper to list both names in alphabetical order on separate lines. Here is an example:

Outer envelope: "Dr. [Surname]" followed by "Dr. [Surname]"

Inner envelope: "Dr. [Name] and Dr. [Name]" or "[Names]"

For example, if the doctors' names are Dr. Smith and Dr. Jones, the invitation would be addressed as follows:

Outer envelope: "Dr. Jones" followed by "Dr. Smith"

Inner envelope: "Dr. Jones and Dr. Smith" or "Jones and Smith"

If you are inviting a couple with different last names, it is customary to list the person you are closest with first. If you are equally close to both parties, list the names in alphabetical order.

One spouse is a doctor, different last names: Dr. [Name] and Mr./Mrs. [Name]

When addressing wedding invitations to a married couple with different last names, the general rule is to list both names in alphabetical order. However, if one spouse is a doctor, the invitation should be addressed with their title and name first. Here is how to address wedding invitations when one spouse is a doctor and the spouses have different last names:

Outer envelope:

If the names fit on one line:

> "Dr. [Name] and Mr./Mrs. [Name]"

If the names do not fit on one line, list them separately:

> "Dr. [Name]

> Mr./Mrs. [Name]"

Inner envelope:

> "Dr. [Name] and Mr./Mrs. [Name]" or "[Name] and [Name]"

Example:

If the doctor's name is Tami Takata and their spouse's name is Christina Smith, the invitation would be addressed as follows:

Outer envelope:

> "Dr. Tami Takata and Mrs. Christina Smith"

Or, if the names are listed separately:

> "Dr. Tami Takata

> Mrs. Christina Smith"

Inner envelope:

> "Dr. Takata and Mrs. Smith" or "Tami and Christina"

It is important to note that the standard is to start with the higher title, regardless of gender. In the case of doctors, "Dr." is considered a higher title than "Mr." or "Mrs.". Therefore, the doctor's name should always be listed first when addressing wedding invitations to a couple when one spouse is a doctor.

Frequently asked questions