Groom's Name

The groom always uses his full name, preceded by his title. There are no abbreviations, except for "Mr." All other titles, such as "Doctor" and "The Reverend" should be written out, although "Doctor" may be abbreviated when used with a long name. If "Doctor" is used more than once on an invitation, its use should be consistent. If it is necessary to abbreviate it with one of the names, it should be abbreviated with all names.

Initials are never properly used on formal wedding invitations. Men who dislike their middle names and use their middle initial instead should be discouraged from doing so. If your fiance refuses to use his middle name, it is better to omit his middle name entirely than to use just his initial.

Can "junior" be abbreviated or must it be spelled out?

Properly, "junior" is written out. Abbreviating "junior" to "Jr." is less formal but still acceptable. When written out, a lowercase j is used. When abbreviated, the J is capitalized. The abbreviation is commonly used when the groom has an exceptionally long name. A comma always precedes "junior," whether written out or abbreviated.

My fiance is a "junior." His father, however, has passed away. Does my fiance continue to use "junior"?

Since your fiance and his father shared the same last name, your fiance used "junior" to distinguish himself from his father. Now that his father has passed away, he no longer needs to use "junior" and may drop it from his name. Of course, if either your fiance or his father was a well-known public or private figure, your fiance would continue to use "junior" to avoid any confusion.

When are "II" and "III" properly used?

Although it may seem as though "junior" and the "II" can be used interchangeably, they are actually different designations. "Junior" is used by a man whose father has the same name that he has, whereas the "II" is used by a man who has the same name as the older relative (usually a grandfather) other than the father.

The "III" is used by the naemsake of a man using "junior" or "II." When used on an invitation, a comma usually precedes the "II" or "III." Some men prefer to omit the comma. Either way is correct.

My fiance is a doctor. Does his title appear on our invitations?

Medical doctors properly use their professional titles on wedding invitations, whereas Ph.D.'s do not.

Medical degrees, such as M.D. or D.D.S. are never mentioned. They are professional designations that do not belong on a social invitation. Their use should be reserved for business cards and professional letterheads.

My fiance is a lawyer. May he use "esquire"?

While some lawyers have adopted "esquire" as a title to designate their status as attorneys, "esquire" is not recognized as a proper title for social invitations in the United States. In England, the title means "gentleman" and is used to honor a man when addressing him. For a man to bestow that designation upon himself is presumptuous and not in good taste.

My fiance is known by his nickname. Since none of our friends know his real name, would it be appropriate to put his nickname in parentheses?

Nicknames are never properly used on traditional wedding invitations. The names on your fiance's birth certificate should be used.