The most traditional approach is using "Mrs." followed by her spouse's full name. In business correspondence, it's better to use her first name instead of her deceased spouse's. If you feel comfortable enough, you can ask the widow what she prefers.
Most of the time, you should use the honorific, “Mrs.” (missus), when you're addressing a widow. Use the prefix “Mrs.” and the woman's married name, if she changed her last name to her spouse's.
These women are still referred to as Mrs. A widowed woman is also referred to as Mrs., out of respect for her deceased husband. Some divorced women still prefer to go by Mrs., though this varies based on age and personal preference. Traditionally, this title would accompany the husband's title, first and last name (Mr.
Traditionally, a widow retains her husband's name until she remarries. When addressing an invitation to her, you can use her husband's full name ("Mrs. John Stanley") for formal situations, or her own first name and married last name (Mrs. Elizabeth Stanley).
Addressing a Couple
NOTE: Traditionally, a woman's name preceded a man's on an envelope address, and his first and surname were not separated (Jane and John Kelly). Nowadays, the order of the names—whether his name or hers comes first—does not matter and either way is acceptable.
If a woman has chosen to keep her maiden name and hyphenate her married name, they can be addressed using "Ms." or "Mrs.". Try to keep the couple's names on one line. However, you may have to use two lines for this option. Be sure to use the conjoining "and" if so.
For married women keeping their maiden name, use her first name and maiden name and her spouse's first and last name. Emily Post advises using Ms. in this case. For women who are engaged and those living with a spouse, use Ms.
Traditionally, the man's full name is written out, with the titles of “Mr. and Mrs.” included. You can also opt to include both first names individually for a less traditional spin on how to address wedding invitations.
Miss: Use “Miss” when addressing young girls and women under 30 that are unmarried. Ms.: Use “Ms.” when you are not sure of a woman's marital status, if the woman is unmarried and over 30 or if she prefers being addressed with a marital-status neutral title. Mrs.: Use “Mrs.” when addressing a married woman.
For the two years following the year of death, the surviving spouse may be able to use the Qualifying Widow(er) filing status.
widower in Insurance
A widower is a man whose wife has died and who has not married again.
Deceased people are listed simply by their name – (Full Name) – typically the form of their name they had when they died – without an honorific, courtesy title, rank or post-nominal abbreviation for degrees, licenses, honors or membership.
A widow is the end of a paragraph (a single line of text consisting of one or more words) that appears at the top of a column.
Address a widow by her spouse's first name or her own.
Traditionally, a widowed woman is addressed by her late husband's name—for example, “Mrs. Pete Wright.” However, it you'd rather use a slightly more modern but still formal style, address her as either “Mrs. Jane Wright” or “Ms. Jane Wright.”
Married Couples: Formal
Traditionally for married couples, you include the male's first and last name (i.e. Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Arendt). It's likely the most familiar and the most common way to address envelopes.
Married couples who both use the husband's last name should be Mr. and Mrs. followed by his first and last name (Mr. and Mrs.
There's an easy workaround: Address the envelope with “To the newlyweds,” “To the Mr. and Mrs.,” “To the Mr. and Mr.,” or “To the Mrs. and Mrs.”
To a Married Couple
Should you choose to include both persons' names, the outer envelope can be addressed as Mr. and Mrs. HIS FIRSTNAME LASTNAME. An alternate version includes both names as Mr.
According to Emily Post (in this case, I think it's still a reliable source) it's technically Ms. But personally, I agree with @Sars06. I know several married women who kept their maiden name but wish to be called Mrs. rather than Ms., so I do because it's what makes them feel more comfortable.
Outside of the traditional, formal “Mr. & Mrs. John Doe”, the wife's name is ALWAYS first when using first names: “Jane and John Doe” (1). In social importance, the woman is always first, then males, then children.
If she retains her former husband's last name (and many women do so that their surname will be the same as their children's) then Mrs. [or Ms.] Susan Reynolds is correct. If she reverts to her maiden name, Ms. is the correct title, as in "Ms.
The basics to remember are: Your name or your family name and address go in the top left corner of the envelope. The recipient's family name and address goes in the center of the envelope. You should always include last names on an envelope address.
Generally, there are no set rules or etiquette when it comes to deciding exactly how your hyphenated last name will read. You can go the "traditional" route and list your "maiden" name first, or you could choose to list your new last name first, followed by your original last name.