People know me by different names — what do I put on the invite?

February 3rd, 2008 · Offbeat advice · 9 comments

My real name is Michelle Jennifer, but i grew up going by jennifer and then when i was 20-ish my friends started calling me Rainbo. My fiance’s parents don’t feel comfortable with the Rainbo thing, so they call me Michelle. So when sending out invites, do I do three separate designs, one for each name? If i just go with what most people call me, there will be a whole slew of peeps on my fiance’s side that won’t have a clue who that person is.

Dude, just include all of your names on the invitation, ie Michelle Jennifer “Rainbo” Smith. Or whatever your last name is. Easy! …Next!


Comments

9 responses to this entry
  • 1

    Shel

    February 3rd, 2008 · 6:59 PM · #

    Yes, that is exactly what I suggest. To the letter.

  • 2

    Molly

    February 3rd, 2008 · 7:22 PM · #

    Definitely. Ariel is full of smarts. :)

  • 3

    Jaymie

    February 3rd, 2008 · 11:10 PM · #

    So “to the point.” This is why we love Ariel <3

  • 4

    Emily

    February 4th, 2008 · 2:55 AM · #

    I think I will also be doing something like this! Given that most people don’t know my middle name, and fewer still call me by it, I opted to drop my middle name for my nickname in quotations.

  • 5

    Yoko

    February 4th, 2008 · 1:03 PM · #

    My given name is Emily, which I went by until college when I started going by Emma. Literally half the ppl in my life know me as one and half as the other. For our invites the top line said “Cory & Emma are geting married!” followed by my awesome handmade flower stamp:) then Emily — & Cory — requested your presence…blah, blah, blah. Worked perfectly for us!

  • 6

    Brady

    February 6th, 2008 · 12:28 PM · #

    I changed my name as I entered adulthood (and this is something I struggle with as I discuss future last names with my partner).

    I split the hyphenated last name of my youth into a first and last name and am quite happy with the result.

    I have successfully abandoned my first name (only relatives who know my lineage instead of my first name know me by it).

    My marriage invitations will include my chosen name.

    That, along with the names of my parents, will certainly clue my further relatives in as to my identity.

    And any future relatives/friends will know me as I like best to be called.

    Names have power.

    Here’s just another suggestion.

  • 7

    ame

    February 26th, 2008 · 12:45 PM · #

    my friend who’s doing our invitations came up with an awesome combination (without even me telling her i was struggling with the idea!). the invite is a brochure-like format, held together with a sleeve. when you pull the sleeve off (before you open the invite) it says my better known, informal name. on the inside where the official invitation is, it says my given, more formal name. yay!

  • 8

    Cyn

    March 13th, 2008 · 2:12 PM · #

    My full name is Lucinda (barf!) but everyone knows me as Cyndy. My invite has my full name on it (eeewww), but I did an outer tag that has Cyndy & Jeff on it.

  • 9

    Celishia

    May 15th, 2008 · 10:00 AM · #

    My name is Celishia, but one side of my family calls me Cilly and family friends do too. My finance’s name is Mike but ALL his friends call him Norm and have for 18 years. The front of our invitation says Michael & Celishia and all the formal stuff, but flip it over and it says Norm & Cilly are getting married! and gives more detail. As one bride said, names have power and we both like our names!

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