Community› Wedding Discussion Boards› Wedding Etiquette Forum
Wedding Etiquette Forum
New Discussion

Address card to Mr & Mrs. - He's a 'smith II'

EllenG27EllenG27
First Comment
in Wedding Etiquette Forum
I'm going to a wedding tomorrow and the groom is John Smith II.
Do I address the card - Mr. & Mrs. Smith II or just Mr. & Mrs. Smith?
I feel like Mr. & Mrs. Smith is the groom's parents?
Or since I'm unsure, should I just write 'Jane & John Smith II'?

I'm sure I'm the only one who will even notice or care about this!
TIA
Report Reply to Post

Re: Address card to Mr & Mrs. - He's a 'smith II'

  • kcscejalkcscejal member
    First Comment
    I would do Mr. and Mrs. John Smith II
    image
    Report Reply
  • ootmother2ootmother2 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Answer Name Dropper

    Just write Mr. and Mrs.John Smith, II



    His father is not necessarily John Smith, that may have been his grandfather or an uncle.


    He would be Junior if his father was John Smith

    Report Reply
  • ootmother2ootmother2 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Answer Name Dropper
    *note there is a comma after the surname
    Report Reply
  • tenofcups4metenofcups4me member
    5 Love Its Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited April 2011
    I'd address it Jane and John Smith II. Gets rid of the question of how to handle the II and recognizes that she still has a first name. (Of course, that's assuming that you're sure she's changing her last name.)

    Oh wait, you're talking about addressing the card? I assumed you meant the check. For the inside of the card, I'd just put Dear Jane and John; I don't usually put anything  on the outside. 
    Report Reply
  • SparrowSongSparrowSong member
    5 Love Its First Comment
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_address-card-mr-mrs-hes-smith-ii?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:b9168728-80bb-423b-8dbe-a2e2133ff3a4Post:d9f58439-cdf4-4fa5-abcd-526bac171ebf">Re: Address card to Mr & Mrs. - He's a 'smith II'</a>:
    [QUOTE]Just write Mr. and Mrs.John Smith, II His father is not necessarily John Smith, that may have been his grandfather or an uncle. He would be Junior if his father was John Smith
    Posted by ootmother2[/QUOTE]

    Ditto. If they did it correctly, he is named after his grandfather or uncle. A direct line would make him a Jr, not a II.
    Report Reply
  • kcscejalkcscejal member
    First Comment
    I know someone who did it wrong and is named after his father and is a II. I don't get it.
    image
    Report Reply
  • ootmother2ootmother2 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Answer Name Dropper
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_address-card-mr-mrs-hes-smith-ii?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:b9168728-80bb-423b-8dbe-a2e2133ff3a4Post:fc370f3e-abe1-4eca-8844-e13dfd4c5082">Re: Address card to Mr & Mrs. - He's a 'smith II'</a>:
    [QUOTE]I know someone who did it wrong and is named after his father and is a II. I don't get it.
    Posted by kcscejal[/QUOTE]

    There is acutally a choice to name a son Junior or II, meaning the second.

    My ex was the third by that family name so he was John Smith, III

    I only had a daughter so one of his nephews with the same last name could name a son, John Smith,  IV and be perfectly correct
    Report Reply
  • SparrowSongSparrowSong member
    5 Love Its First Comment
    "Sons with a different middle name or initial may also be called Junior as a nickname, but unless the names are identical, the Jr suffix is never used. The suffix II is used when the child has an identical name to a relative, but who is not the child's father. The relative may be an uncle, cousin or grandfather. The suffix III is used after either Jr or II and like subsequent numeric suffixes, does not need to happen in one family line."
    Report Reply
  • DramaGeekDramaGeek member
    5 Love Its First Comment
    H is technically a Junior but they didn't designate that anywhere so he doesn't use it.  I call him Jr to piss him off :-P  I learned about the II, III thing when I met a guy that was a second.  He was named after his uncle.
    Report Reply
  • marinabreezemarinabreeze
    First Comment
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_address-card-mr-mrs-hes-smith-ii?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:b9168728-80bb-423b-8dbe-a2e2133ff3a4Post:fc370f3e-abe1-4eca-8844-e13dfd4c5082">Re: Address card to Mr & Mrs. - He's a 'smith II'</a>:
    [QUOTE]I know someone who did it wrong and is named after his father and is a II. I don't get it.
    Posted by kcscejal[/QUOTE]
    I get it.  My parents did that for my brother, and my late cousin did that for his son.  The reason was because although Jr. is technically correct, they didn't want for their respective sons to be called "Junior" (they felt it sounds "country" and "backwoodsy").  So they went with II instead.
    Wedding Photos and Vendor Recs 6 August 2011

    Wedding

    Report Reply
  • Alcyone1Alcyone1
    First Comment
    Same with my FH, marinabreeze.  He's a II and was named after his father.  Whether it's right or wrong, that's his legal name!
    imageWedding Countdown Ticker
    Report Reply
  • EllenG27EllenG27
    First Comment

    I think I learned what was right now!
    I ended up addressing the card to Jane & John Smith.
    I do not know if the groom's dad is in fact the original John Smith or not...I didn't ask - the invitation just said John Smith II.
    Totally confusing! I'm sure no one really noticed! Thanks for all the help though!

    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards