USMC Etiquette For Invitations, when the groom is an officer...?

Question

I have searched far and wide to find out if I am supposed to write out "Second" before Lieutenant, United States Marine Corps on our wedding invitations. Can anyone help me to find the correct answer to this. The service etiquette book does not specify. And I have been told both with and without the designation of "First" or "Second" is correct. Thank You.

In expanding on this. I am the bride, and the groom was prior enlisted.. went through OCS and is currently in IRAQ. So.. I am trying to do this with little communication from him. Any help from you all would be great! Thanks!

Answer 1

It's proper to write out First Lieutenant or Second Lieutenant. They are two different ranks; and two different salaries; and two different levels of responsibilities.

Answer 2

Usmc Wedding Invitations

Answer 3

I was an NCO in the Army and assisted a couple of my young Lt.'s with researching the proper format of a Wedding Invitation.



Hopefully this copy from the Young Marines Web site on Formal Invitation will help. This is the formal Wedding Invitation and how it should be worded. NOTICE THE RANK OF THE OFFICER SHE IS MARRYING. On most Navy paperwork he would sign a Lt.jg. Notice it says junior grade. Your would say to John Stag, Second Lieutenant, United States Marine Corps.

Wedding Invitations. Wedding invitations as a type of formal invitation are generally fully engraved, ‘Ihere are a multitude of styles and colors of paper available to the bride for wedding invitations and the standard plain white card is no longer a must. The following examples are suitable formats:

Commander and Mrs. Joseph Brian Comelly
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Margaret Louise
to
Paul Anthony Jones, Junior
Lieutenant, junior grade, United States Navy
Saturday, the seventh of January
at eleven o’clock
Holy Cross Church
Washington, District of Columbia

I did a Google search for "How do I properly write a wedding invitation for a young Marine Officer?" (without the quotes). It took google 0.32 seconds to show this site. Notice that I asked about a young Marine Officer and it took me to the Young Marines web site for writing Formal Invitations of all kinds. Maybe you should Bookmark this site for future use.

I will pray for your young MAN and with Gods Blessing your marriage will be as wonderful as mine (38 yrs) has been.

The wife just walked by and made the comment "that depends".

I never could stand her being such a fast reader. It only took her 12 hours to read "SHOGUN", took me 12 days.

Answer 4

You can try the FRG for some help, they are usually very kind from what I understand. The advise you've gotten is correct, in that it is right in formal invitations with or without. Traditionally it is without as it is written how it would be said. If it is a signature line as in MR & MRS John Smith, it would also just be Lt & Mrs. If it is Mr John & Mrs Betty Smith, that would be 2Lt John & Mrs.

Besides the formal protocal manual, you can look around the net at historial formal correspondence (1800s, which is all formal) as a guide. You can also check the other services which will be basically the same in this area. If you have a pressing question after that, you might also try the o-club where they will have someone for event planning that knows everything. Most people will be very willing to help out. And, Congrat & Good luck!! Watch out for that sword line.

Answer 5

I would say it would depend on the formality of your wedding.

Are you going ultraformal, with mess dress, tails, cathedral, engraved invites, country club, the works? Then go for Second Lieutenant, United States Marine Corps.

Is the wedding small, quaint, standard dress or suits, alot less formal? Then go for Lieutenant, United States Marine Corps or even Lieutenant, USMC (that is what my cousin did, but her invites were done on a computer and her wedding was in a park)

CONGRADULATIONS :)