A Guide to Grammar for Your Holiday Cards

Pro tips from our resident proofing extraordinaire—and actual former professional proofreader—COO Brittany Werth

Hi, friends! I am so excited to be here on the Simplified Substack today! I am the Chief Operating Officer for Simplified (unofficial title: Chief Wearer of Many Hats) and have been here 10+ years. Before I landed this dream job, I worked as a professional proofreader for a direct mail marketing company. That’s how I kind of side-stepped into the company—Emily posted on Facebook back in 2015 that she needed someone to do freelance proofreading for her planners, and I was *luckily* the first to respond. We hit it off so well and I was determined that she would love me and hire me, and thankfully, she did! Many years and many roles later, I now find myself here helping her run the day-to-day of this wonderful company!

I have a Bachelor’s degree in English Writing and have honestly always been a grammar nerd. Spelling was my actual favorite subject when I was a kid, and grammar has always interested me. So as the resident Simplified proofreader (I still proof every single planner page file that we print here!), I am clocking in today to answer any and all questions about holiday card grammar.

The holidays can be such a sweet, special time to spend with friends and family. And for those who you won’t get the chance to see, holiday cards are a really wonderful way to keep in touch. One of my absolute favorite small joys of the season is walking to the mailbox to see which holiday cards were delivered that day. In the warmth of our home, I savor a few moments reading each and every one, smiling at the photos of the growing families and delighting at the special notes that tell the story of how their lives have changed since the last card.

One of the small pain points of sending holiday cards (or really any announcement, card, or invitation) is knowing how to format family names—both on your own cards you’re printing and also on the recipient names as well. Let’s talk about it!