Abbess,
    Christian Orthodox       
Abbot,
    Christian Orthodox        
Accountant        
Acting Official       
Adjutant General     
Admiral         
Admiral, Texas Navy   
Adventist Minister       
Alderman         
Archbishop, Catholic        
Archbishop,
   Christian Orthodox        
Archdeacon, Episcopal        
Archimandrite        
Architect
Archpriest        
Ambassador to the U.S.
   from a foreign country      
Ambassador of the U.S.        
American Indian Chief        
Assemblyman
   U.S., State / or           
   Assemblywoman            
Associate Justice,
   U.S. Supreme Court          
Associate Justice of a
   State Supreme Court
Astronaut      
Attorney         
Attorney General           
Attorney General,
       Assistant   
Attorney, U.S.         
Australian Officials    

Baron, Baroness           
British Officials,
   Royalty, Nobility     
Brother, Catholic         
Brother,
   Christian Orthodox          
Bishop, Catholic            
Bishop,
   Christian Orthodox         
Bishop, Episcopal        
Board Member     
Boy        
Brigadier General       
Business Cards      

Canadian Officials    
Candidate    
Captain,
   USA, USAF, USMC     
Cardinal             
Chairman
    Federal Reserve      
Chairwoman      
Chancellor      
Chaplain in the
    Armed Services        
Chaplain of Congress          
Chargé d’Affaires         
Chief Executive Officer 
Chief Judge          
Chief Justice,
      U.S. Supreme Court 
Chief Justice, of a State
      Supreme Court             
Chief of Police          
Chief of Staff     
Chief Operating
   Officer          
Child            
Chiropractor     
City Manager    
Clergy & Religious
    Officials     
Club Official          
Colonel, Kentucky      
Colonel, USA, USAF,
    or USMC     
Commandant       
Commissioner, Court     
Commissioner         
Commodore of a         
      Yacht Club         
Congressman, U.S.               
Congresswoman, U.S.   
Consul and or
   Consul General    
Consultant      
Corporate Executive         
Councilman
    Councilwoman      
Counselor (Diplomat)      
Countess     
County Officials       
Couples     
Curator        

Dalai Lama          
Deacon         
Dean, academic            
Dean, clergy            
Deceased Persons        
Delegate, U.S., State            
Dentist             
Deputy Chief of Mission      
Deputy Marshal          
Designate, Elect,
    Pro Tempore      
Diplomats      
District Attorney           
Doctor, Chiropractor     
Doctor of Dentistry           
Doctor of Medicine              
Doctor, Military           
Doctor of
   Veterinary Medicine          
Doctor of Osteopathy            
Doctor, Other Disciplines     
Doctorate        
Doctorate, honorary      

Earl            
Elect, Designate
   Pro Tempore      
Emeritus/emerita      
Eminence     
Emperor    
Engineer    
Etiquette    
Excellency           

Family     
Fiancee      
Firefighter    
First, Second,
   Third, etc.        
First Lady, Spouse
   of the President of
   the United States 
First Lady, Member
    of Her   
    White House Staff      
First Lady, Spouse
   of a Governor
   or Lt. Gov.    
First Lieutenant   
Flag Protocol     
Former Officials    
Freeholder       

Gay Couple      
Geshe
General
    USA, USAF, USMC
Girl
Governor General         
Governor, Lieutenant 
Governor, Lt., Spouse   
Governor, Tribal Council          
Governor, U.S. State       
Governor, Former    
Governor
    Spouse of     
Governor's Staff,
    Member of      
Governors, Board of 

High Commissioner    
Honorable, The          
Honorary degrees    
Honourable, The       

Indian Chief         
Inspector General    
Interim Official   
Introductions       
Invitations  
   Writing &  
   Addressing  
Invitations
    Military:
    Writing &
    Addressing

Judge, former     
Judge of US City or
        US Count     
Judge, US Federal            
Junior, Senior,
    I, II, III, etc.       
Justice, Associate
     Federal
     Supreme Court
Justice, Associate
     State
     Supreme Court

King     
Knight      

Late, The
   (deceased persons)        
Lawyer      
Lesbian Couple    
Lieutenant      
Lieutenant Colonel,     
   USA, USAF, USMC          
Lieutenant General,
   USA, USAF, USMC      
Lieutenant Governor         

How to Write Place Cards
Questions & Answers, Frequently Asked Questions, and Blog

Do Place Cards Have the Name on One Side,
Or on Both Sides?
       It was decided we would use the informal form of address on the place cards, i.e. John Doe instead of Mr. John Doe or Mr. Doe. Should that go on one side or both sides?
            -- Marietta Stone

Dear Ms. Stone:
       Protocol officers typically use the word place card for the small card (maybe flat, maybe folded) ... perhaps 1" x 3" ... with just the name facing the individual. That's just to tell the person which seat is theirs.
      And use the word tent card or table tent for a larger folded card with the names on both sides to facilitate networking.  It needs to be larger so what's on it can be read from across the table.
      Anyway, that's the way we keep them defined. Both are used all the time ... which style is used is determined by the requirements of the event.
      On a place card the name is written with the name facing the person ... the 'conversational form" is used .... Mr. Doe.
      The only time you would use Mr. John Doe on a place card is when you have a Mr. John Doe and a Mr. William Doe BOTH coming and you need to be specific.
      On a tent card how the name is written: call-by name; full name; name & title; name, title & organization; -- all depends on what's the right for the event.
     -- Robert Hickey

How to Write a Military Officer's Name on a Place Card?
       For an U.S. Army General ould you recommend using on the place card General John Doe or LTG John Doe? 
            -- Marietta Stone, again

Dear Ms. Stone:
       On a formal place card, the form of the name use is the form used in conversation or in a salutation: basic rank + his surname:
              General Doe
       If you were going to use slightly less formal place cards and were going to include his full names for everyone (for whatever reason) with a full name you could include his full rank, or use the service-specific abbreviation:
             Lieutenant General John Doe
                  or
             LTG John Doe
       The letters in LTG are capped because it is a Army-specific abbreviation. LTG means he is a US Army Lieutenant General.  If he were a Marine Lieutenant General the Marine-specific abbreviation is LtGen.
       I have all this spelled out in my book in the chapter on place cards.
              -- Robert Hickey

How to Write an Official's Name on a Place Card?
       Can you tell me how to address a Lieutenant Governor on a formal place card?
       Do I refer to him as:
              Lieutenant Governor Darr
                     or
              Lieutenant Governor Mark A. Darr
       -- Nicole in Little Rock

Dear Nicole:
       I provide all the forms (invitations, letters, introductions, saluations, conversation) for a Lieutenant Governor on page 191 of my book if this sort of thing comes up often.
       If it is a formal place card that is being used just to identify for the Lieutenant Governor which is his seat, write on it his name as he'd be addressed in conversation:
                     Mr. Darr
       Lieutenant governors are most formally addresses as Mr./Ms./etc.  However, as a practice when there is some reason to need to identify him among guests, Lieutenant Governor Darr might be used.
      Another option is to write just title of the office the official holds.  E.g., at The White House the President's place card reads The President.
                     The Lieutenant Governor
       At some events, larger, double-sided tent cards (text on both sides, meant for others at the table to see who is who) can have much more information:
                     Mark A. Darr
                     Lieutenant Governor
      or
                     Mark A. Darr
                     Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas
      But that's not actually a 'formal place card."
        -- Robert Hickey

How to Write an Official's Name on a Place Card?
       I am co-hosting a dinner with a U.S. Senator. For purposes of preparing my place cards, how should they be addressed? For example, Senator Dianne Feinstein? Or Senator Feinstein?
      For the other guests  I plan to use first and last name: Debbie Menzer. Is this proper ettiquette?
       -- Debbie Menzer in Corporate Affairs

Dear Ms. Menzer:
        It would be better for all the place cards to be the same style. Senator Feinstein is the most formal form to use on a place card (it's the conversational form).:
                        Senator Feinstein
                        Ms. Messemer
                        Mr. Hickey
        If you are going to include honorifics on some, you should do them all with honorifics.
        The form I show above provides just the information needed for a guest to find his or her place.
        But I see you are in corporate affairs. If it is your company style to include first and last names on place cards, how about giving the official her courtesy title:
                        The Honorable Barbara Feinstein
                        Debbie Messemer
                        Robert Hickey
        It's not technically 'the most formal style" but you get first and last names ... anyone entitled to a courtesy title gets theirs ... and the place cards can be done consistently and I like consistency.
       -- Robert Hickey

How to Write Place Cards for a Rabbi & His Dr. Wife?
       How do I write the names of a Rabbi and his Dr. wife on place cards?   The names are Rabbi David and Dr. Sarah Schmidt.
              -- Tonya Krell

Dear Ms. Krell:
     A most formal social place card ... one that is intended just to identify for the guest where he or she is to sit ... you write what you would call the guest in formal direct address:
        Ms. Krell
        Mr. Hickey
        Rabbi Schmidt
        Dr. Schmidt
    At business events a place card often becomes an ID Placard or Tent Card ... with the guest's name front & back ... for everyone at the table to be able to see the guest's name. In these situations you write the form of their name that will be the most useful to facilitate networking:
        Rabbi David Schmidt
             or
        Rabbi David Schmidt
        Beth Israel Congregation
             or even ....
        Rabbi David Schmidt
        Beth Israel Congregation
        Henderson, Nevada
    It's no longer the by-the-book Emily Post Ultra-Formal Place Card ... but certainly is useful!
    FYI, your question is answered in my book in Chapter Six: Name Badges & Place Cards.  
               -- Robert Hickey

How Do I Write Place Cards for a Formal Event?
Dear Robert:
    I'm putting together place cards for a memorial dinner on April 17.  In general, I'm using the form:
           Mr. Andy Clark
    I choose to use Andy rather than Andrew because this is a social event (actually a formal dinner). Although the event has business overtones as I have a mix of corporate, government, and guests at our tables. Should I use the Andrew form instead of the Andy form?
    --- Thanks, Andy

Dear Andy:
     If you want to use nick names because it's the right tone for the evening -- do it.  Just because it's a place card doesn't mean you have to formalize it. Just write:
           Andy Clark
     -- Robert Hickey

How To Write a Former Ambassador's Escort & Place Cards?
      I would like to know how to print an escort card and a table place card for a former Ambassador.
              - Ruthie W.


Dear Ms. W.:
     Former ambassadors are addressed with the honorific Ambassador at their preference ... and most I've encountered to prefer to be addresses as such.
    So an escort card could read -- if you are using first and last names ...
        Ambassador Mary Mel French
    and a place card should read -- if you are using just last names ....
        Ambassador French
                     -- Robert Hickey

How to Write an Foreign Ambassador's Place Card?
        The Ambassador of Japan visiting our agency and having a meeting with our director in a boardroom.  For a proper place card which would be correct:
                The Ambassador to Japan
                Ichiro Fujisaki
        Or
                His Excellency Ichiro Fujisaki
        -- PM @ Fort Belvoir

Dear PM:
        I think you have a copy of my book. See page 431 where I give all the forms of address .... letter, invitation, place card, introductions, etc. ... for a foreign ambassador. A traditional social place card might have just enough information for him to find his seat -- name or office. But since you mention it's a meeting and this perhaps will also serve as identification card for other attendees -- then structure it like a formal introduction or how his name would appear on an envelope:
                His Excellency Ichiro Fujisaki
                The Ambassador of Japan
        Name first -- with HE preceding the name, then, the office second.
               -- Robert

How to Write Names on Tent Cards for a Panel?
       We are preparing place markers for a panel discussion.  Among the panel are three attorneys (one of whom is also a state representative) and the Chief Justice of the Wyoming Supreme Court.
       The only two “civilians” are members of the press.
       Would we simply list their names on the first line, followed by the title on the second line??
            -- Anne Leslie.

Dear Ms. Leslie:
       I am assuming by place markers -- you mean tent cards with their names on them so the audience can tell who is who?
      If so, give the elected official and Chief Justice their formal forms:
            The Honorable (Full Name of State Representative)
            (Office)
            Chief Justice (Full name)
            The Supreme Court of Wyoming
      Give the attorney the post-nominal used to identify practicing attorneys:
            (Full Name), Esq.
            (Office)
      And since the others are getting a courtesy title, honorific, or post nominal ... give the reporters an honorific too:
            Mr. James Wilson
            (Name of newspaper)
    -- Robert Hickey