Names on Place Cards

How to Write an Official's Name on a Place Card?
       Can you tell me how to write a mayor's name on a formal place card? Do I refer to him as:
              The Honorable Mayor Darr
       or is it:
              Mayor Mark A. Darr
       -- Nicole in Little Rock

I am hosting a dinner for a U.S. Senator. How should her place card be written? Is it Senator Dianne Feinstein? – or – Diane Feinstein, U.S. Senator ?
-- Debbie in Corporate Affairs

Can you help me with the proper form to use on a place card for the following person?: H.E. Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, Minister of Foreign Affairs in Qatar.
-- William at the Statehouse

Dear Nicole, Debbie & William:
       I provide complete details on how to write place cards in my book if this sort of question comes up often.
       A formal place card simply identifies a person's seat. The name is written on one side of the card: the side facing the guest. You write his or her's name as he or she is addressed in conversation:
                     Mr. Hickey
                     Mayor Darr
                     Senator Feinstein
                     Sheikh Mohammed
       At formal events there's likely a centerpiece/floral arrangement so other guests can't see one another's cards anyway. So there is no functional purpose to putting a name on both sides.
      At official events, when the guest holds a high office, it is traditional to write just title of the office the official holds. E.g.,:
                     The President
                     The Chief Justice
                     The Mayor of (City)
                     The Minister of Foreign Affairs
       At less-formal events larger double-sided tent cards or placards (text on both sides, so others at the table can see who is who and network) can have whatever information the host decides is useful:
              The Honorable Mark A. Darr
              Mayor
      or
              The Honorable Mark A. Darr
              Mayor of (Name of City)
      or
              The Honorable Mark A. Darr
              Mayor of (Name of City), State, Country
      or
              H.E. Sheikh Khalid bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani
      or
              H.E. Sheikh Khalid bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani
              Minister of Foreign Affairs
      or
              H.E. Sheikh Khalid bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani
              Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar
    So don't ask "what do I put on the card?"
       Ask -- What is the function of the card?
           What information will best support that function?
         Does it only need to show the guest which their seat?
           To provide 'call-by name' for others to see and use?
          ... Or does it need to provide identification for networking?
          -- 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. I can imagine all the following be the right form for one event or another:
           Mr. Clark
           Andy Clark
           Andy
   -- Robert Hickey

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 the Names of a Rabbi & His Dr. Wife?
How do I write the names of a Rabbi and his Dr. wife? The names are Rabbi David and Dr. Sarah Schmidt.
-- Tonya Krell

Dear Ms. Krell:
   When people have special honorific such as "Rabbi" or "Dr." you don't combine their name with other names. So you write the name of the person with the higher precedence first, and the name of the person with the lower precedence second. A member of clergy outranks a person with an academic degree.
    Rabbi David Schmidt
    and Dr. Sarah Schmidt.
   The conversational forms of their name ... what you'd also use on a formal place card or in a salutation would be:
        Rabbi Schmidt
       and
        Dr. Schmidt
    FYI, your question is answered in my book in Chapter Nine: Joint forms of Address.
               -- 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

Not Finding Your Question Answered?
Below are other topics covered in my blog and at right is a list of officials, Between the two I probably have what you are looking for.
     After hunting around a bit, if you don't see your question answered send me an e-mail. I am pretty fast at sending a reply: usually the next day (unless I am traveling.)
      If I think your question is of interest to others, I will post the question & answer – with your name and any personal specifics changed.
    -- Robert Hickey

USE OF NAMES & HONORIFICS
Mr., Miss, Jr., III, & Names
Married Women
Deceased Persons
People with Two Titles
Post-Nominal Abbreviations and Initials
Sequence Post-Nominal Abbreviations: Sr., Jr., etc.

Couples: Private Citizens / Joint Forms of Address
Couples: U.S. Military / Joint Forms of Address
Couples: U.S. Officials / Joint Forms of Address

USE OF SPECIFIC OFFICIAL TITLES
Former Officials
Professionals and Academics

United States Federal Officials, Currently In Office
United States State Officials, Currently In Office
United States Municipal Officials, Currently In Office
       All About The Honorable with U.S. Officials
       Former United States Officials of all types
United States Armed Services
       Addressing Active Duty Personnel
   Addressing Retired Personnel
       Use of Rank by Retired Personnel
       Use of Rank by Veterans

Tribal Officials
Clergy and Religious Officials
Canadian Officials
Australian Officials
British Officials, Royalty, and Nobility
Diplomats and International Representatives
Foreign National Officials and Nobility

SPECIFIC SITUATIONS
Author's Name on His/Her Book
Business Cards, Names on,
Couples
Introductions, Names in
Invitations: Names on
Invitations: Names of Armed Service Personnel on
Name Badges & Tags
Names on Programs, Signs, & Lists
Naming a Building or Road
Place Cards
Plaques, Awards, Diplomas, Certificates, Names on
Precedence: Ordering Officials
Tombstones, Names on

Site updated by Robert Hickey on 17 April 2019

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Robert Hickey is the author of Honor & Respect:
The Official Guide to Names, Titles, and Forms of Address
Published by The Protocol School of Washington®
Foreword by Pamela Eyring

Contact the Author Link to The Protocol School of Washington