Addressing Wedding Invites: Lieutenant Colonel Edition

When addressing a wedding invitation to a lieutenant colonel, it is important to follow the correct etiquette to ensure your guests feel respected. Military wedding invitations generally follow the same guidelines as civilian weddings, with the main difference being the use of titles. If the lieutenant colonel is the parent of the bride or groom, their title is usually included, and they are referred to as Lieutenant Colonel [Name]. If the lieutenant colonel is attending with their spouse, the standard format is Lieutenant Colonel and Mrs. [Name]. It is important to note that military titles should never be abbreviated and the branch of service is typically omitted when addressing the invitation to a couple.

Addressing a retired lieutenant colonel

When addressing a retired lieutenant colonel in a wedding invitation, it's important to follow the correct etiquette. Here are some guidelines to ensure you get it right:

Names and Titles

The invitation should include the full name of the retired lieutenant colonel without abbreviating the title. Address the retired lieutenant colonel as "Lieutenant Colonel [Full Name]" on the outer envelope. On the inner envelope, you can use the abbreviated form "Lt. Col. [Full Name]."

If the retired lieutenant colonel is a parent of the bride or groom, their title is usually retained, and their retired status is only noted if the invitation is issued solely in their name. For example: "Lieutenant Colonel Richard James Dixon, United States Air Force, Retired, requests the honor of your presence..."

Spouse Included

When addressing a retired lieutenant colonel and their spouse, the branch of service is typically not mentioned. The correct form would be "Lieutenant Colonel and Mrs./Mr. [Surname]" on the outer envelope. On the inner envelope, you can use the abbreviated form "Lt. Col. and Mrs./Mr. [Surname]."

Social vs. Official Correspondence

It's important to distinguish between social and official correspondence when addressing a retired lieutenant colonel. On social invitations, such as wedding invitations, you can omit the branch of service and retired status. However, for official correspondence regarding an official action by a retired officer, you would include the branch of service and retired status, such as "Lieutenant Colonel John M. Smith, USA, Retired."

Salutation

When addressing a retired lieutenant colonel in conversation or in a salutation, you can use "Colonel [Surname]." This is the correct form for both official and social contexts.

Additional Tips

• Avoid using "Mr." to address or refer to an officer on active duty.
• When addressing a married couple with the same rank and service, you can use "Captains [Surname]" or "The Captains [Surname]."
• If the couple has different last names or the wife has retained her maiden name, use "Rank and Full Name" for each person, followed by their branch of service on the same line.

Abbreviating the rank

When addressing a wedding invitation to a lieutenant colonel, it is important to follow the correct format and guidelines. While the specific format may vary depending on the branch of the military and the country, there are some general rules and considerations to keep in mind when abbreviating the rank.

In the United States, the abbreviation for lieutenant colonel varies slightly between different branches of the military. In the Army, the abbreviation is typically "LTC," while in the Marine Corps, it is "LtCol" or "LtCol." In the Air Force, the abbreviation is "Lt Col" or "Lt. Col.," with a space between "Lt" and "Col." These abbreviations are used by the U.S. Armed Forces and recommended by different style guides.

When addressing a wedding invitation to a lieutenant colonel, it is important to spell out the full rank and not use abbreviations. This means writing "Lieutenant Colonel" followed by the person's name. For example, "Lieutenant Colonel John Smith." However, when addressing the outer envelope of the invitation, it is acceptable to use the abbreviated form, such as "LTC John Smith" or "Lt. Col. John Smith," depending on the branch of service.

It is also worth noting that in some cases, social conventions may dictate that you address a retired lieutenant colonel differently than an active-duty one. While it is not necessary to indicate their retired status on the invitation, you may choose to do so. In such cases, the abbreviation "Ret." can be added after the rank, as in "Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) John Smith" or "Lt. Col. (Ret.) John Smith."

Additionally, when addressing a married couple where one or both partners are lieutenant colonels, you have a few options for abbreviation. If they have the same last name, you can write "Lieutenant Colonels John and Jane Smith" or "Lt. Cols. John and Jane Smith." If they have different last names, you can write "Lieutenant Colonel John Smith and Lieutenant Colonel Jane Doe" or "Lt. Col. John Smith and Lt. Col. Jane Doe."

In conclusion, when abbreviating the rank of lieutenant colonel on a wedding invitation, it is essential to consider the specific branch of service and follow the appropriate abbreviation style. However, it is generally best to write out the full rank and only use abbreviations on the outer envelope or when indicating a retired status. By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your invitations are both respectful and accurate.

Including the service branch

When addressing a wedding invitation to a Lieutenant Colonel, it is important to follow the correct etiquette, especially when including their service branch. Here are some guidelines to ensure your invitations are properly formatted:

• Senior Officers: If the Lieutenant Colonel is a senior officer, their title should appear before their name, followed by the service branch on the line below. For example, "Lieutenant Colonel John Smith, United States Army". Here, 'Lieutenant Colonel' is the title, 'John Smith' is the name, and 'United States Army' is the service branch.
• Junior Officers: For junior or company-grade officers, the format is slightly different. Their title should appear under their name, followed by the service branch on the same line. For instance, "Andrea Barnett, Second Lieutenant, United States Army". In this example, 'Andrea Barnett' is the name, 'Second Lieutenant' is the title, and 'United States Army' is the service branch.
• Retired Officers: When addressing a retired Lieutenant Colonel, they generally keep their title and include 'Retired' after the service branch. For example, "Lieutenant Colonel Richard James, United States Army, Retired".
• Abbreviations: While military titles should never be abbreviated, service branch abbreviations are acceptable and even preferred by the U.S. Armed Services. For instance, you can use "USA" for "United States Army."
• Spouse's Name: When the Lieutenant Colonel's name is used with their spouse's name, the service branch is typically not mentioned on the line underneath. For example, "Lieutenant Colonel and Mrs. John Smith".
• Outer and Inner Envelopes: It is worth noting that wedding invitations often include an outer and an inner envelope. The outer envelope should be addressed with full names and no abbreviations. The inner envelope is more concise and can use abbreviations for ranks.

These guidelines will help you properly address your wedding invitations to Lieutenant Colonels, ensuring that the correct etiquette is followed and your guests feel respected.

Addressing a married couple with different ranks

When addressing a married couple with different ranks, it is important to follow the correct etiquette, especially when it comes to military titles. Here are some guidelines to ensure your wedding invitations are addressed correctly and respectfully:

Outer Envelope Addressing:

The outer envelope is the one that will be seen by the postal service and should follow traditional etiquette. When addressing a married couple with different ranks, list their names on the same line, with the person holding the higher rank or distinguished title first. Here are some examples:

• Different ranks, same last name: "Lieutenant Colonel Jane Doe and Major John Doe" or "Lt. Col. Jane Doe and Maj. John Doe" (using abbreviations if preferred).
• Different ranks, different last names: "Captain Maria Green, United States Army and Major Thomas Marquette, United States Air Force" or "Capt. Maria Green, USA and Maj. Thomas Marquette, USAF" (using abbreviations and service initials if needed).
• Different ranks, wife has retained maiden name: "Major Maria Green, United States Army and Captain Thomas Marquette, United States Air Force" or "Maj. Maria Green, USA and Capt. Thomas Marquette, USAF" (using full names and service branches).

Inner Envelope Addressing:

The inner envelope is typically more informal and can be abbreviated. For couples with different ranks, you can use the following formats:

• Informal with ranks: "Lt. Col. and Maj. Doe" or "Lieutenant Colonel and Major Doe" (using full titles or abbreviations).
• Informal with names: "Jane and John" (using first names only).
• Abbreviated ranks and names: "Lt. Col. Jane and Maj. John" (using a combination of ranks and names).

Additional Considerations:

• Branch of Service: When addressing a couple with different ranks, it is not necessary to include the branch of service (e.g., Army, Air Force) on the invitation.
• Retired Personnel: If one or both members of the couple are retired, you can omit this information from the invitation. However, if the invitation is issued in the name of a retired officer, you can add "(Retired)" or "(Ret.)" after their rank, e.g., "Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jane Doe".
• Spouse's Name: Traditionally, the wife's first name was not included in the address, and only the husband's name was mentioned. However, modern etiquette allows for including both the wife's and husband's first names, especially if the couple prefers this.
• Abbreviations: While it is customary to spell out military ranks and titles in full on the outer envelope, abbreviations can be used on the inner envelope to save space, e.g., "Lt. Col. and Mrs. Doe" or "LTC and Mrs. Doe".

Addressing a married couple with the same rank

When addressing a wedding invitation to a married couple with the same military rank, there are a few etiquette rules to follow. Firstly, it is important to include the couple's full names, without abbreviating their titles or ranks. For example, if the couple are both captains, you would address them as "Captains Thomas and Maria Marquette" or "Captains Thomas Marquette and Maria Marquette". If their names are too long to fit on one line, you can separate them into two lines, for instance, "Captain Thomas Marquette

And Captain Maria Marquette". Alternatively, you can refer to them as "The Captains Marquette".

If the couple has different last names, you would write their full names with their respective ranks, such as "Captain Thomas Marquette and Captain Maria Green". If the wife has retained her maiden name, this should also be indicated, for example, "Captain Thomas Marquette and Captain Maria Green (or Maria Jones, her maiden name)".

In the case of different services and ranks, the format would be "Captain Thomas Marquette and Major Maria Marquette". If the wife has a higher rank, her name would come first, followed by her husband's, for example, "Major Maria Marquette and Captain Thomas Marquette".

It is worth noting that when addressing military personnel, their branch of service is usually not included on wedding invitations as these are considered social correspondence.

Frequently asked questions