Addressing Letters

[linzfoody]

Hello all

Any thoughts on how to address a letter to a married couple?  Do you still use the husband's initial, ie  Mr and Mrs A Foody, or would you use both the husband's and wife's initials, ie  Mr A and Mrs L Foody?

What's the "correct" way of doing this?

Cheers

Lindsay

[ecogirl]

When addressing a letter or invitation to a married couple who use the same last name, it is correct to write Mr and Mrs Tom Cruise. You list their first names only if the woman uses her maiden name or a hyphenated name. In those instances, you list the man first and write Mr Tom Cruise and Ms Katie Holmes or Mr Tom Cruise and Ms Katie Holmes-Cruise.

However, if a woman outranks her husband, her name comes first, as in The Honorable Kate Holmes and Mr Tom Cruise.



caroleanne

[gee4]

Correct.

[colint]

It's usual to use the ampersand (&) instead of the word "and" within the address.

[Jackie G]

I would really only use the ampersand (&) in a company name;  otherwise I think it looks like the person simply hasn't take the time to write 'and' which, after all, isn't a long word!

Jackie, Peer Moderator
www.iqps.org

[kellinm]

This caused me to look back at cards and letters I have received and the more traditional and formal contacts, mail is addressed as "Mr. & Mrs. William Smith".  Friends and people <40 seem to address the envelope as "Mr. & Mrs. Smith".  

My name is hyphenated at work and mail is then sent to my home as "Mrs. Kelli Sutton-Smith and Mr. William Smith".  Try to fit that on the average envelope!  The "&" works for the Mr. & Mrs. but "and" seems more appropriate when the names are spelled out.

[diotima]

I always address a letter to 'Mr A and Mrs S Foody', unless Mrs Foody had told me otherwise. No-one ever has. The 'traditional' style comes from an age when women were chattels and only existed in their husband's identity. That isn't so now, and to me, addressing a woman by a form that clearly misidentifies her, is just plain wrong. I do feel strongly about this one. When I was married all our regular correspondents were instructed, if writing to us jointly, to write to us as Mr R and Mrs P, and anything else would be considered bad manners and trashed without opening.  My 2p worth.