Stupid baby annoucement wording question

[darby24]

I'm in the process of making baby announcements for my sister and bil. I know I'm really nice! I'm stuck on this one part, I bet it's meaningless.

When putting parents name near bottom who is first? Mother & father or father & mother. I had started with mother & father but every announcement I've looked up online has father & mother.

BTW the last name is put at top with baby name and so I won't be double writing their last name. Anyone understand me at this late hour? And I will add, Big brother J at the end.

Is there some rule I'm missing here?

[kijip]

While I know of no rule specific to baby announcments here is my understanding of the general norms for couple's names in general on invitations etc:

Children don't have last names on cards except for envelopes addressed to them.

So this means:

Baby - Sue Joan

Parents- Jack and Jill Doe

or if parent last names are different:

Jill Thomas Doe and Jack Doe

If using just the first names I would go with Jill and Jack, similar to the familar greeting form on a letter sal. But there is nothing stipulating that you can not use Jack and Jill.

One thing to consider is announcing atypical last names for baby. My husband and I both use both names as in Jack and Jill Thomas Doe. With our baby we decided that 2 names was too many- especially if he gets married and combines names. So our son just has my maiden name. We picked this name becuase it is a nicer, easier name. We wanted to get this across so we used this on the announcements:

Jack and Jill Thomas Doe

Sue Joan Thomas

This did not stop the cards coming to Sue Joan Doe or from more modern folks to Sue Joan Thomas Doe.

[amp]

We didn't consult any proper ettiquette books or anything, but we did ours like this.....John & Andrea are proud to announce the arrival of Jacob Ryan Pendergraff....and then his stats. Don't know if it was proper, but it sure looked cute, balanced and "right" to us.

[HGraceMom]

When I was having all our announcements printed, the consultant insisted you "NEVER" split up the man's name, so that would be:

Jane and John Doe

without the last name, then it's John and Jane

If it's a handwritten note, whoever is writing the note's name is signed first (I always sign letters love, Jane, John, and (baby) Judy - always include the second comma, and the greeting is in the same order as the salutation - dear Jane, John, and Judy

[darby24]

Thanks everyone. Here I'm quickly posting what I've got, my sister likes it so it stays. I did this on Photoshop and I'm happy with it seeing as it's my first real try at something like this. I will take it down by tomorrow - you can see my nephew's names for once though.

ETA; to remove announcement. thanks for the kind words.

[pritchettzoo]

WOW! That's fantastic!

Anna
Mama to Gracie (9/16/03)

[papal]

That looks FABULOUS!

[new_mommy25]

What a beautiful announcement!

[starrynight]

I love it!! How nice of you to do those for them :).

I never followed the rules and always did my name first on announcements because 1)I did all the work ;) 2) I was the one writing them out and 3) my name first sounds better kinda like Jack and Jill sounds better than Jill and Jack.

[kwc]

Gorgeous!

Yes, you are super nice! :)

Karen

[darby24]

Thanks for all the wonderful compliments. Now to figure out my printer to get this sucker off in the mail!

[kijip]

I was taught, and have learned, that for the most part people should never sign another person's name on correspondence. Judith Martin, the formidable and great Miss Manners says that the only time you can sign another person's name is on a holiday card and then you sign your own name last regardless of gender.

I have never come across your consultant's rule per se. But it holds true if using titles now that I think of it. I don't think it applies without titles- John and Jane Doe is a pretty accepted norm.