How Do You Address a Letter to Doctors Who Are Married?

Addressing a letter or invitation accurately is an important element of etiquette, particularly when the correspondence is for a formal event, business communication, or other matters of importance. Though addressing an envelope for a single person, married couple, or family can be straightforward, when special titles come into the mix, it can get confusing. When addressing a letter to doctors who are married, the doctor title must be kept in mind and may change the order of the names, depending on which spouse is the doctor.

Here are some of the options for naming doctors who are married:

  1. If the husband is a doctor, name him first
  2. If the husband is the doctor, address the envelope just as you would normally, but trading the “Mr.” title for “Dr.” This address should read, for example, “Dr. and Mrs. John Smith.” If the woman prefers to be named separately, the address would read “Dr. John and Mrs. Jane Smith.” 
  3. If the wife is a doctor, name her first
  4. If the wife is the doctor, reverse the names, and mention her first, including the husband’s first name as well. In this situation the address should read, “Dr. Jane and Mr. John Smith.” 
  5. If both are doctors, refer to both
  6. If both spouses are doctors, you can use one title for both. Address the envelope either as, “Doctors John and Jane Smith” or “The Doctors Smith.” In this situation, the latter is considered less formal.