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Mr and Mrs John and Jane Smith
:)
ETA: Here's why we decided against all 3 of your options: the first one is his parents, haha; the second isn't gender equality friendly, and we're pretty big on that; we do like the sound of Mr and Mrs, since it'll be our wedding day, and the third leaves that out.
I'm all for "Mr. and Mrs. John Smith" I am big on tradition and I think it sounds classy. :)
@daydreamwanderer: I prefer this version too, so I didn't vote in the poll.
@daydreamwanderer: We talked about that version, too. But it isn't grammatically correct so I ruled that one out because I'm sort of a grammar nerd.
I also briefly entertained Mr John and Mrs Jane Smith, but only briefly. :)
Call me a grammar rebel I guess.
We're not because we'll be introduced at the end of the ceremony which is in the same venue as the reception and we are not having additional people at the reception, which seems to be the current trend. Plus neither of us have seen reception introductions in real life as they are redundant. To each their own.
Go with whichever you like best.
At the end of the ceremony, the officiant said something like "and now, the newly married [His first name] and [my first name]" - I kept my last name.
We didn't get introduced into the reception, it didn't seem necessary, and everyone was mingling and being seated when we entered.
I'm old-fashioned, I like the idea of "becoming one" and taking his name. Everyone already knows your names as separate entities, but after you're married it's a new introduction under a new, shared, name. Just my 2 cents :)
I love how there are no options for a woman who kept her name.
We did "For the first time as husband and wife, hisfirst and myfirst."
@Beelieve: I agree with what you said, but that doesn't alter the fact that I'm not taking his first name. I'm not becoming Mrs. John Smith, I'm becoming Mrs. Jane Smith.
We were introduced as Mr. and Mrs. John and Jane Smith. And I'm also a grammar nerd.
@chicagobride092010: Even if you keep your last name, such that you *legally* don't share your husband's last name, socially, you still can be Mrs. Jane/John Smith. Thus, being introduced as Mr. and Mrs. John and Jane Smith is still an okay thing to do--but it may not be your preference.
Shellee & Nick Last Name
I hope no one ever calls Mrs Nick last name I HATE that!
We're lucky because we will have the same title. So, we're doing Drs. John and Jane Smith. Personally, I like both first names, no matter the titles.
We'll be doing Mr. and Mrs. John Smith!
I would prefer not to have introductions, but my mother is pushing for them. If we have one, I really just want to be introduced as John and Jane Smith. I have no desire to be called "Mrs." by anyone until I have children (whose friends and teachers are likely to refer to me that way).
We're doing Mr. & Mrs John Smith....I can't wait!!!
We did Mr. and Mrs. John and Jane Smith
This has really made me think! I am fairly traditional, but also do not really like "Mr. and Mrs. John Smith"... I like the option of just John and Jane Smith, we might go that way!
We're going to be Mr. John Smith and Ms. Jane Jones, which isn't very exciting to announce (same as we were before!)...so we're skipping the introduction!
We did "Mr and Mrs John Smith" after the ceremony and "John and Jane Smith" entering the reception.
Mr and Mrs John and Jane Smith is not grammatically correct.
@LittlestBirds: You are NOT actually becoming Mrs. Jane Smith. Mrs. Jane Smith is how you would describe a divorced woman. I wouldn't want to be referred to like a divorcee on my wedding day (another reason, besides simply grammer, that I'd never use Mr and Mrs John and Jane Smith).
As a married woman (who takes her husband's last name) you are either Mrs. John Smith OR simply Jane Smith. Nothing else is technically a proper way to address someone.
@FutureKMM: I think you're correct about the name technicalities, but I also think today those rules are being bent a bit. Many people understand why a woman might not want to be called "Mrs. John Smith" and don't consider "Mrs. Jane Smith" a grammatical error, just a choice by the woman to convey both her marital status and her own name.
@chicagobride092010: we did the same, since I also kept my own name.
I kept my own name, but socially we were introduced as Mr. and Mrs. John Smith. it only happens once, so i totally didn't mind!
@Mrs.KMM:The rules you are citing have been obsolete for nearly a century. They were offensive then, and are offensive now. My name is Mrs. Jane Smith. If what you stated were currently accepted etiquette/grammar, then it would be impossible for a woman to be addressed with an honorific while using her first name while she is married. How insulting.
One of many available sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mrs.
------------------------
Note the use of past tense in the following:
------------------
Traditional usage
“Mrs.” was most often used by women when married, in conjunction with her husband’s first and last names, e.g. “Mrs. John Smith”. A widow was and still is addressed with the same title as when she was married. "Mrs." was rarely used before a woman's first name, maiden name, or before a hyphenated surname her husband was not using. For example, “Mrs. Jane Miller” (wife of John Smith), "Mrs. Jane Smith" or “Mrs. Jane Miller-Smith” were considered incorrect by many etiquette writers, especially of the early 20th century.
------------------------
Note the use of present tense in the following (emphasis mine):
------------------------
Modern usage
It is now uncommon for women to be addressed using their husband's first name, except when the couple is being addressed jointly, such as in “Mr. and Mrs. Rhett Butler”.
Many married women still use the title with their husband's last name, but retaining their first name, "Mrs. Jane Smith," while many have eschewed the title completely in professional life, utilizing "Ms." Any choice of title, first, and last name is considered acceptable both socially and professionally today, and should be honored once it is made known.
Modern etiquette has no absolute rules as how to address married couples in which the wife uses her own last name, or uses a title such as “Dr.” or "Mayor". Etiquette writer Judith Martin (“Miss Manners”) generally advises that in non-standard situations, the individuals be addressed in separate lines on invitations (Dr. Sue Martin / Mr. John Martin).
-------------------------
[ETA] We've received several pieces of mail since we got married that were addressed, not surprisingly, to "Mr. and Mrs. John Smith." I always turn to my husband and remark, "Baby, did you know that my name is John now? Just thought I'd let you know."
@LittlestBirds: I do not find what I posted to be offensive in the least (nor does a single person I know in real life). While I respect your choice to go by whatever you'd like, just because people commonly refer to themselves as Mrs. Jane Smith doesn't make it correct. There is often a big difference between what people do and the correct way to do things.
@chicagobride092010: The options on the poll were the options we were discussing. I shoud have made my wording more clear. I was certainly not trying to offend anyone.
I think we'll keep it simple with the Mr. & Mrs. Smith option (I don't think the Mr. & Mrs. John Smith because it leaves me out).... but my FI has such a HUGE family (and a ton of them live around the wedding town) that we will probably do a little twist when we enter the reception as the "the NEWEST Mr. & Mrs. Smith" -- haha. :)
@Mrs.KMM: I can understand being unwilling to accept Wikipedia as a source of authority in proving that this etiquette rule has been updated. Emily Post, however, joins Wikipedia in disagreeing with you.
http://www.emilypost.com/forms-of-address/titles/96-guide-to-addressing-correspondence
Emily Post, emphasis mine:
Addressing a Woman
Maiden name
Ms. Jane Johnson
Miss Jane Johnson*
*usually 'Miss' is for girls under 18
Married, keeping maiden name
Ms. Jane Johnson
Married, uses husband's name socially
Mrs. John Kelly
Mrs. Jane Kelly*
*Nowadays this is acceptable
Ms. Jane Kelly
--------------------------
Much like the U.S. Constitution is a living document, subject to revised interpretation through the centuries as judges reflect upon changes in social understanding of morality, etiquette evolves. The rules you cite were correct many decades ago, but current etiquette recognizes the importance of a woman's right to identify herself using an honorific and her first name if she so chooses. I agree that simply because everyone is doing something doesn't make it correct, but every so often, the rules themselves change in order to better reflect a massive turn of the tide of society.
[ETA] @lilybay:Apologies for hijacking your thread! I think that you should be introduced in whatever way sounds best to you and your FI. Unfortunately, as you can see, this is a bit of a controversial topic, so this is one case in which the boards can't give you a straight answer one way or the other.
We'll be introduced as Jane Smythe and John Smith (our last names sound similar and I will be keeping my last name).
Mr. and Mrs. John and Jane Smith is how we were introduced!
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We'll be introduced two times (that I can think of) on our wedding day: at the very end of the ceremony and when we come into dinner. FI and I can't deicde how we should be introduced:
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Mr. and Mrs. John Smith
John and Jane Smith
What are you all doing for your introduction?
(FI sent me here to ask! We were talking about it and he said, "Doesn't your message board know about these things? Can't you ask them?" !!
)