I offer my clients the convenience of a wedding registry. You will need to provide me with a “wish list” and instruct your friends to call me regarding their order. I will let them know the portion of your order that has not been filled.
Earlier generations of women worked for years, almost from the time a daughter was born, to prepare the linen for her wedding day; and, obviously it was impossible to know the groom’s last name. Therefore, the linens were marked with the daughter’s maiden initials. When you are a single woman, you would use the first letter of your given, middle and family surname to create a monogram. A woman might make her surname initial oversized and use it in the middle, flanked by her given and middle names. For instance, Anne Thurston Smith, would be AST.
When a woman marries, she drops her middle name and adds her husband’s surname. So, if Anne were to marry George Perot, her initials would change to APS. A man is lucky; he keeps his same three initials throughout his life - unless, his wife and he share a monogram on certain wedding gifts. For example, as a married monogram on engraved silver, etched crystal, or embroidered linens. In this case the monogram would be APG. Until recently, anything the bride received as a wedding gift before she was actually married was marked with her maiden initial. Now, some brides prefer to mark their flat silver, for example, with their married initial or monogram. Even linen may be so marked if you wish. Either is correct, depending on your personal preference.
It is not considered socially proper to use your married monogram before the ceremony. Many couples use either their first two initials or their last two initials for the invitations and throughout the wedding. If you prefer to use only the married monogram, it is considered more appropriate to use this during and after the reception.