# Addressing an Invitation...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addressing-an-invitation/623594>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [May 30, 2012, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addressing-an-invitation/623594 "2012-05-30T23:14:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addressing-an-invitation/623594/1 "2012-05-30T23:14:41Z")

</div>

I have a gay, married cousin. How does one address a formal invitation? Mrs. & Mrs Campbell? Or, simply use their first names Jane & Mary Campbell, for example

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addressing-an-invitation/623594/2 "2012-05-31T02:35:45Z")

</div>

Considering they’re not going to see anyone else’s invite and whether or not everyone else’s invite has “Mr. & Mrs.” or “John & Martha” I think it’s perfectly fine to put their first names unless you’re sure they go by “Mrs. & Mrs.”

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addressing-an-invitation/623594/3 "2012-05-31T02:57:45Z")

</div>

And if one didn’t take the name of the other, Mrs. X and Mrs. Y

When in doubt, identify them as individuals. It’s always a safe bet, IMHO.