Monograms for Married Ladies

Reese Witherspoon charmingly captures the Southern love for monogramming in her delightful book, Whiskey in a Teacup, and I couldn't agree more. In the South, monograms are a staple of classic, well-appointed homes.

Without them, towels, sheets, and pillowcases seem bare, like cupcakes missing frosting. This goes for silverware, stationery, and photo frames too—there really are no limits!

For married couples, the monogram order is the bride's first initial on the left, the shared last initial in the center, and the groom's first initial on the right. This shared monogram is perfect for items used together, like bedroom sheets and bathroom towels.

When a woman adopts her husband's surname, she has two monogramming options: her first name on the left, her new surname in the center, and either her maiden or middle name on the right. I personally chose the latter. As the hostess, a woman's initials often adorn most household items, and using her maiden initials is perfectly acceptable even after marriage.

For singles, it's simple: first name on the left, last name in the center, and middle name on the right. If the name includes more than three initials, as my father's did, they are aligned in a straight line instead of centering the last name.

Script fonts are popular for women and babies, while a block font beautifully suits men. With so many fonts and styles to choose from, a monogrammed gift is always special and personal.