Addressing A Wedding Invite To A Lieutenant Commander: A Guide

When addressing wedding invitations to military personnel, it is important to follow certain etiquette guidelines to ensure your guests feel respected. Here are some tips on how to address wedding invitations specifically to a Lieutenant Commander:

- For formal invitations, the guest's full name is written, followed by their rank and service branch: Lieutenant Commander John Smith, United States Navy.

- If the Lieutenant Commander is married, and their spouse is a civilian, the invitation can be addressed as Lieutenant Commander and Mrs. John Smith.

- If the Lieutenant Commander's spouse is also in the military, modern formal invitations use separate lines for each individual: Lieutenant Commander John Smith, United States Navy and Major Jane Smith, United States Army.

- When addressing the outer envelope, use the full name and address of the guest(s). On the inner envelope, use courtesy titles and surnames only, e.g., Lieutenant Commander and Mrs. Smith.

- Abbreviations for ranks, such as Lt. Cmdr., are typically used on the outer envelope to save space but can be spelled out in full.

- If the Lieutenant Commander is retired, this can be indicated as Lieutenant Commander John Smith, United States Navy (Ret.) or Lieutenant Commander John Smith, USN (Ret.).

If the lieutenant commander is the groom

Outer Envelope

The outer envelope should include the full name(s) of the recipient(s) and their personal title(s). For a lieutenant commander who is the groom, you can address the invitation as follows:

• Lieutenant Commander [Full Name]
• Lieutenant Commander [Full Name], United States Navy (or the appropriate branch of service)
• [Full Name], Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy

If the lieutenant commander is married, you can include their spouse's name on the same line:

Lieutenant Commander [Full Name] and Mrs./Mr./Mx. [Spouse's Full Name]

Inner Envelope

The inner envelope is more informal, and you have more flexibility with the formatting. Here are some options:

• Lieutenant Commander [Full Name] and [Spouse's Name]
• Lieutenant Commander and Mrs./Mr./Mx. [Last Name]
• [Full Name] and [Spouse's Name]
• [First Names] only

Invitation Wording

When including the names of the couple in the wedding invitation wording, the groom's name and title should come first, followed by the bride's name. Here's an example:

Lieutenant Commander [Full Name] and [Bride's Full Name] request the honour of your presence at their wedding...

Alternatively, if the couple is hosting the wedding together with their parents, you can use a phrase like:

"Together with their parents, Lieutenant Commander [Groom's Full Name] and [Bride's Full Name] request the pleasure of your company..."

Remember to include the branch of service (e.g., United States Navy) on the same line or the line below the name, and avoid abbreviating the title.

If the lieutenant commander is the bride

If the bride is a lieutenant commander, her wedding invitations should follow the same general guidelines used for civilian weddings, with the main difference being the use of titles. Here are some detailed instructions and examples to help you address the wedding invitations correctly:

Outer Envelope:

The outer envelope is the more formal of the two envelopes and should include the recipient's full name and personal title. If the bride is a lieutenant commander in the Navy, for example, the outer envelope could be addressed as:

"Lieutenant Commander Jane Doe"

Or

"Lieutenant Commander Jane Doe, United States Navy"

If the bride is a junior officer, her name can be presented on two lines, with the full name on the first line and the rank and branch of service on the second line:

"Jane Doe

Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy"

Alternatively, you can follow a more contemporary style and place the title before the full name on the same line, followed by the branch of service on the next line:

"Lieutenant Commander Jane Doe

United States Navy"

Inner Envelope:

The inner envelope is more informal, and you have more flexibility with the format. You can include the personal title and last name or use just the first name. For example:

"Lieutenant Commander Doe"

Or

"Jane"

Additional Considerations:

• If the bride is soon to be promoted, use her future rank on the invitation.
• Military titles should not be abbreviated unless necessary due to space limitations.
• If the bride's parents are retired military personnel, they can include their titles on the invitation, followed by "Retired" (e.g., "Lieutenant Colonel Richard James Dixon, United States Air Force, Retired").
• When addressing a married couple where both spouses have military ranks, list the person you are closest with first, or go in alphabetical order if you are equally close to both.

If the lieutenant commander is the bride's father

If the bride's father holds the rank of Lieutenant Commander, his title and full name should be included on the wedding invitation. Here are some guidelines and examples to help you with the wording and formatting:

Wording and Formatting:

• The bride's father's title should appear before his name, followed by his branch of service on the line below. This format is used for senior officers:
• Lieutenant Commander [Father's Full Name]
• United States [Branch of Service]
• Military titles should not be abbreviated. Ensure you spell out "Lieutenant Commander" in full.
• If the bride's father is retired, you can include this information. One way to do so is by noting "Retired" after his name:
• Lieutenant Commander [Father's Full Name], Retired
• If the invitation is issued solely in the father's name, you may want to specify his retired status. In this case, the branch of service is also included:
• Lieutenant Commander [Father's Full Name]
• United States [Branch of Service], Retired

Examples:

• Here is an example of how to word the invitation if the bride's father is hosting:
• Lieutenant Commander [Father's Full Name] requests the honor of your presence at the marriage of his daughter [Bride's Name] to [Groom's Name]
• If the bride's father is issuing the invitation with his spouse, you can use this format:
• Lieutenant Commander [Father's Full Name] and Mrs. [Spouse's Surname] request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter [Bride's Name] to [Groom's Name]
• Alternatively, when space is a concern, you can use a more concise version:
• Lieutenant Commander and Mrs. [Father's Full Name] request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter [Bride's Name] to [Groom's Name]

Remember to adapt these examples to fit the specific details of your wedding and the bride's father's information.

If the lieutenant commander is the groom's father

If the groom's father is a lieutenant commander, the wedding invitation should include his rank and service details. The general format for retired officers is as follows:

> Lieutenant Colonel Richard James Dixon United States Air Force, Retired requests the honor of your presence...

However, if the groom's father is not retired, the invitation would look like this:

> Lieutenant Commander [Name] United States Navy requests the honor of your presence...

When addressing the outer envelope, the lieutenant commander's full name should be used without abbreviations:

> Lieutenant Commander John Smith

> [Address]

On the inner envelope, abbreviations are acceptable:

> Lt. Cmdr. John Smith

> [Address]

If the groom's father is issuing the invitation with his spouse, the format is as follows:

> Lieutenant Commander and Mrs. John Smith request the honor of your presence...

On the outer envelope:

> Lieutenant Commander and Mrs. John Smith

> [Address]

And on the inner envelope:

> Lt. Cmdr. and Mrs. John Smith

> [Address]

If the lieutenant commander is a widow/widower

If the lieutenant commander is a widow or widower, the same general guidelines for addressing military invitations apply, with some adjustments. Here are some points to consider:

• Address Format: The address format for a wedding invitation to a widow/widower lieutenant commander would typically include their full rank and name, followed by their branch of service on the next line. Abbreviating the rank is generally not done in formal invitations.
• Rank and Name: If the lieutenant commander is a widow/widower, their invitation would be addressed as "Lieutenant Commander [Full Name]." The use of "Mr." or "Mrs." before the rank is not necessary and may be omitted.
• Branch of Service: The branch of service (e.g., United States Navy) is included on the line below the name. It is essential to spell out the entire name of the branch and avoid using abbreviations in formal invitations.
• Marital Status: If the widow/widower lieutenant commander has remarried, their spouse's rank and name should be included in the invitation. The invitation would be addressed as "Lieutenant Commander [Full Name] and [Spouse's Rank and Full Name]."
• Retired Status: If the lieutenant commander is retired, this information is usually not included in a social invitation. However, if the invitation is issued solely in their name, the "Retired" notation may be added after their rank and name.
• Envelope Addressing: The outer envelope should be addressed with the full names and ranks, while the inner envelope may use abbreviations for the ranks. For example, "Lieutenant Commander [Full Name]" on the outer envelope and "Lieutenant Commander [Abbreviated Rank] and [Spouse's Abbreviated Rank]" on the inner envelope.
• Widow/Widower Addressing: When addressing a widow/widower lieutenant commander, it is appropriate to use their deceased spouse's first name and last name (e.g., "Mrs. John Jones"). Alternatively, you can use their own first name and married last name (e.g., "Mrs. [First Name] [Married Last Name]").
• Casual Events: For more casual events or correspondence, such as bridal showers or thank-you notes, a less formal address can be used. You can address the widow/widower lieutenant commander by their first name and married last name or simply use their full name without any prefixes.

Frequently asked questions