I received a wedding card from then-President Reagan when I married. Still have it in a box somewhere . . .
My grandmother wore a long loose-fitting dress (she was a short and stout woman) in a toile pattern to my wedding. When we lined up for the receiving line we discovered the pattern on her dress matched exactly the wallpaper at the reception venue! We have a photo of her against the wallpaper and it makes me smile.
Even if it is not right, I would still go with the form that alh suggested in #994, for an invitation to the Clintons.
In my experience, people are very rarely insulted if I use a title to which they are not actually entitled, and it is a social setting. In an academic setting, one needs to be careful–but in correspondence with authors listed on papers, if I address the ones I know as Prof. (whether or not), and the ones who appear to be junior authors as Dr. (whether or not). If the salutation is not right, people typically correct it, but they generally seem pleased to be mis-identified.
What you would really want to avoid is addressing the invitation to President and Mrs. Clinton.
I agree ^ especially with regard to academic titles.
However, thinking about this particular case (a rather pleasant distraction at the moment) it occurred to me it may be important to recognize her unique position and not minimize it in any way, even on an invitation. In this hypothetical, SHE is the president, there is only one president at a time, and that is pretty important on several levels. imho.
Lookingforward: I really enjoyed your link. 
Their only daughter is married. I don’t think there is any need to worry about how to address invites.
In her post, Marilyn is inviting both elder Clintons to her son’s hypothetical wedding and she seems to be imagining using fairly traditional wedding invitations. If they make the invite list, Chelsea and her husband get their own invite. We don’t know if their children will be included, because maybe it will be one of those “no children” weddings.
After all these wedding threads, I wouldn’t dare presume to say “Hillary and Bill Clinton” is incorrect on the invitation envelope. And I would never call it tacky. I am supporting Marilyn and the bride and groom whatever they decide.
crossposted with nottelling
Thumper1 – I think people are pleasantly dreaming about how to invite the (hypothetical future) current and former presidents to their own children’s weddings. Or to their backyard barbecue. So the fact that Chelsea is married is irrelevant.
I personally would use President for both, even though the link says that is not technically correct. Accordingly to that link, after Obama leaves office, we should address our invitations to Senator Obama. That seems weird to me.
That a lot of etiquette is weird is my takeaway from the wedding threads.
If it is a casual barbecue, I’m going with Hillary and Bill Clinton. I have pretty much quit using titles on anything except really formal correspondence. I am following the lead of a 91 year old friend who is an etiquette expert. If she is eliminating titles in casual correspondence, I’m thinking there are really good reasons for doing so.
Of course, it will all depend on your individual social circle.
adding: “Hillary and Bill” are not part of my social circle.
Ah…I see now. Well…they are not on my A guest list.
Well, we can always wait and see if we get more declines than anticipated, and then we can invite them
Is it tacky not to provide meals for the secret service? Or will they be on duty and unable to sit down? That would be useful to know beforehand. I don’t even know how many security would be required for such an event. Will they be sent invitations in their own names? Or just included on the inner envelope: President Hillary Clinton, Governor (or The Honorable) William Clinton, and secret service… ?
The president doesn’t have a protocol staff for nothing.
I’d probably go with
President Clinton
The Honorable William Clinton
But I’d probably also look for other sources about this. After all.
But it’s going to be some interns or sub junior protocol staffer who open them, so wth. I like these “rules,” but can still breathe and let go. Next to zero chance my bullseye formality would get them to come.
I like to think we on College Confidential are becoming the go-to source for answers to these types of wedding etiquette questions.
It does seem calling their offices to ask would be the easiest and best solution. But not nearly so entertaining.
Should we go with fast food instead of a formal sit down? Former Pres. Bill liked McDonald’s. If we saved money on the food, we could upgrade the Port-a-potties.
Oh dear, we’ve been addressed things wrong for dual docs. We am have written,
Dr and Dr Special Person on the invitation and not given each their own line. I guess they are used to our clumsiness as they always attend anyway.
I remember my great aunt getting angry at me when I addressed an invitation to my wedding to her as “Mrs. Mary Jones” instead of “Mrs. Robert Jones.” My great uncle Robert had been dead for decades. But in her mind “Mrs. Mary Jones” implied she was divorced.
Along the same lines – I was in charge of a big, formal law firm party a couple of years ago and I asked our incompetent in-house event planner to send out the place cards to the calligrapher. (I was a partner in the firm at the time). Didn’t think that more explicit instructions about the place cards were needed. I showed up at the event to see that my place card read “Mrs. (Husband’s First and Last Name).” I thought that this was a prank that the event planner had pulled on me alone, but no – all the married women’s place cards were addressed this way – even women who did not use their husband’s last names!!! Believe me, every married female partner at the firm called me the next day to complain, and many of the married men – whose wives were furious – did too. This was about five years ago, so way past the days that it would ever be appropriate to refer to a woman in a professional (or even social) setting by her husband’s first name!
I would go with “Hillary and Bill Clinton” to the backyard barbecue, too.
Yeah but he’s vegetarian now, no?
In China, D2 saw sit down wedding receptions at KFC.
I have no earthly idea if what I was taught is correct. I am fairly certain at this point in time it really doesn’t matter a bit.
“Correct” is what is done in your bubble. I am pretty sure about that. Or as sure as I am about anything.
Yes, have read that Bill Clinton is now vegetarian and imagine we may hear more after November.
The “old” rule for divorced was, if Mary Smith had married John Jones, address formal written invites as Mrs.Smith Jones. Always seemed awkward to me. I’m going to keep the side interest in etiquette but go with alh’s bubble idea.
But anyway, http://emilypost.com/advice/guide-to-addressing-correspondence/
Everyone should have an Emily Post link, I guess.
nottelling: I think I may have just had to dispense with the place cards!!! Either a master list up front, or just sit any old how. How horrible. So very sorry that happened to you.
My first informals, 37 years ago, were engraved with: Mrs. new husband’s first name; new last name and I signed my notes: alh last name. I can’t even imagine using such stationary these days. I keep the plate as a sort of historical document.