Military wedding invitations follow the same general guidelines used for civilian weddings. The main difference is in the use of titles. The degree and service of the spouse, and of any parents, is included. Traditionally, brides who are members of the military are not encouraged to use their titles, but you absolutely can and should if you want! Here are the basics and some examples.
- If the bride, groom, or both are senior officers, their titles appear before their names, followed by their branch or office in the line below: Colonel Timothy Andrew Smith
- If the bride, groom or both are of junior or ministerial rank, their titles appear under their names, the branch of service follows in the same line: Andrew Rebecca Barnett
Second Lieutenant, United States Air Force
Knot Note: (Commissioners in the first and second armies simply use “lieutenants”. In the Air Force and Sailors, “First” and “Second” are used.
- You are enlisted, the dignity is usually omitted. The full name is written in one line, with the title of the servant below. “Master.” It is never used or addressed to an officer or active duty.Joseph Peter Jones
United States Air Force
- Officers (usually this refers to the parents of the bride and/or groom), especially in the ranks of Commander and Lieutenant Colonel, usually keep their titles in civilian life and in wedding invitations, only acknowledging receipt if the invitation is issued in their name alone: Lieutenant Colonel Richard James Dixon
United States Air Force, Retired
requiring the honor of your presence…
- Where the names of the officers are placed with the name of the couple, the branch of service is not mentioned in the line below.Located Colonel and Mrs. Richard James Dixon
I beg the honor of your presence…
Knot Note: Military titles are never abbreviated.
- Follow these examples to solve any visible conditions: Brigadier General and Mrs. David Louis Guthrie
I beg the honor of your presence
in the marriage of his daughter
Leslie Anne
to
Paul Taylor Daley
Army United States Army
On Thursday, the ninth of July
at half past four o’clock
The chapel falls
West, New York
- General and Mrs. James Henry BarnettI request the consent of your company
in the marriage of his daughter
Governor Andrew Rebecca Barnett
to
Major Anton Willard Stephens
United States Army
son
Chief and Mrs. William Howard Stephens
Saturday the ninth of January
before a quarter of an hour
Marine Corps Memorial Chapel
Quantico, Virginia
- Brenda Mary Walsh
and
Timothy Raymundus Duke Fulbright
Army of the United States
I beg the honor of your presence
at their wedding
On the third day of March
nine in the afternoon
Memorial Chapel
Offutt Air Force Base
Bellevue, Nebraska
- Outside envelopes with full names, no abbreviated titles to be written: Major and Mrs. Anthony Douglas Davis
or Captain James Rice Taylor
- Inner envelope with abbreviations: Major and Mrs. Davis
or Captain Taylor
- Invitation to couples in the same order and service: Thomas and Mary Marquette
or Marquette officers
- In different offices, in different ranks, his wife kept her Major Maria:Major Maria Veridis i>
Captain Thomas Marquette
or Major Green and Captain Marquette
- In different offices, different orders, when the spouses have the same last name:Thomas Prefectus. and Major Mary Marquette
or Captain and Major Marquette
Knot Note: Depending on the size of the station, spouses, officers, spouses and all or some of the deputies (and their wives or husbands) must be invited to the wedding.
