DEAR ABBY: I recently attended a wedding after which the bride chose not to adopt her husband's last name. After the wedding we met them for dinner. When they strolled up to the restaurant to meet us, I happily exclaimed, "Oh, here come Mr. and Mrs. Smith!" after which I was quickly informed that I was wrong because the bride was keeping her maiden name.
Abby, even if a woman goes by her maiden name, is it so wrong to refer to her as "the Mrs."? -- STEPPED IN IT
DEAR STEPPED: Your mistake was an innocent one. Now that you know this couple is sensitive about their individual identities, address them by their names ("Linda" and "Robert") if you wish to maintain a social relationship.