place card etiquette--guests with identical names

mlcvln129 Posted: Jul 01, 2009 05:59 PM

place card etiquette--guests with identical names

On my side of the family, there are many men with the first name 'John,' whereas on FMIL's side of the family, many males have the first name 'Edward.' I know that place card etiquette dictates that we should write out 'Mr. & Mrs. John Doe,' but how am I going to differentiate between 'Mr. & Mrs. John Doe' at table 7 and 'Mr. & Mrs. John Doe' at table 8 if I don't know their middle names? Do I break the etiquette rules and use first names for those occasions?

geegee827 Posted: Jul 01, 2009 06:12 PM

Re: place card etiquette--guests with identical names

good question - I'm going to have the same issue....

FutureMrsG Posted: Jul 01, 2009 06:13 PM

Re: place card etiquette--guests with identical names

I plan to use first name middle initial for people who have the same first name

springsandra Posted: Jul 01, 2009 06:25 PM

Re: place card etiquette--guests with identical names

If you don't know their middle names and they have identical names and are coming with a date, I would put both names on the cards so they will know.

If it's just the first name that's different, I'd write out the name on the card.

I'll be putting 'Mr. and Mrs. Steven Fxxx' on FH's parents' place cards and 'Mr. and Mrs. David Fxxx' on FH's uncles' place cards.

Hope that helps.

mlcvln129 Posted: Jul 01, 2009 07:52 PM

Re: place card etiquette--guests with identical names

I guess that I'm going to have to do that. That's the only way around this, since we're not putting all of the Johns and all of the Edwards at one table. Obviously, I know my father's middle initial as well as my brother's, so I think that helps solve the 'John' problem (there are 4 Johns). If two of them have middle initials (one Mr. & Mrs. John and one Mr. John) and the other two (second Mr. & Mrs. and second Mr.) don't, I think they'll get it. In the case of the Edwards, I'm going to have to write out names!!!
I think FH and I are going to make sure that our kids don't have 'family' first names. . .lol!!!

scottslove Posted: Jul 01, 2009 09:54 PM

Re: place card etiquette--guests with identical names

I have this problem too. My uncle and my 2nd cousin are Mr. & Mrs. Joseph B. I am adding the wifes name to differentiate. Like Mr. and Mrs. Joseph and Annette B. This is the best thing I can think of.