I vividly remember being in the second grade in Miss. Maxwell's classroom wondering why her name wasn't "Mrs." like the other teachers I had previously. Someone explained that Mrs. was just a married title but I never felt like I got a further explanation. Well, I'm here to explain it to you all in further detail JUST IN CASE you guys were as uneducated about it as I was! Why does this matter for wedding planning you may ask? When addressing your wedding invitations, it's helpful to know which title is appropriate for each person. Especially if you're having a more formal wedding.
The three titles - Miss, Mrs., and Ms.
Throughout history, the title "Mrs." has been used for a woman who is currently married or
who has been widowed. "Miss" is the formal title for a woman who either has never been married or has been divorced and her surname has been returned to her maiden name. Now, where it gets tricky is when a woman has the title of "Ms.". This could be used for either a married, or unmarried woman.
So will I be a "Mrs." or a "Ms." after my wedding?
This is a question that I actually have recieved pretty often from my brides that I wasn't expecting when I first became a wedding planner. The answer is - there really isn't a rhyme or reason to which you should choose! It is most common for women to change their surname after their nuptuals. Most people choose to use "Mrs." as it is most common for the couple to be referred to as "Mr. and Mrs. So-and-So". Some women prefer to be referred to as "Ms." as they do not want their name to be associated with their marital status.
How do I decide what to write on my wedding invitations?
For a girl under the age of 18, you should refer to her as "Miss". For any couple who is coming who is unmarried, you shall refer to them as "Miss. So-and-So & Mr. So-and-So". If you have a couple who is coming that is dating but may have previously been married to someone else, you may refer to the woman as "Ms." if you're unsure what they refer to themselves as. Should you have a woman attending that has recently been divorced, is seperated from her marriage, or you are just unsure of her title, your safest bet is so refer to her as "Ms.".