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This Party Tip submitted by cmolino - Apr 13th, 2009
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Invitation Etiquette
Proper Etiquette when Addressing Wedding Invitations
By: Ciarla MolinoThe first thing your wedding guests see when they receive your beautiful, hand selected wedding invitation is the outside of the envelope. Therefore, it is of utter importance that, before sending out your invitations, you do plenty of research so you execute proper invitation etiquette when addressing wedding invitations. After all, that envelope is the first impression your guests will get of your wedding.
The first thing to know is that properly addressing your wedding invitations is equally as important as the wording for the invitation itself. Traditional wedding invitations are mailed in two envelopes which may be written in either your own handwriting (preferably black ink) or that of a calligrapher. The outer envelope, which is the mailing envelope which will have the stamp on it, should have the recipients name and address on it, either staggered or centered (I prefer staggered). On the back side of the mailing envelope, you should have your return address only, with no name (note: while the USPS prefers return addresses to be placed on the front, top left hand corner of an envelope, the proper placement for a wedding invitation is on the back flap of the envelope). As for the inner envelope (the second envelope), the only text that should appear on this envelope is the recipient’s last name, preceded by a title.
Now, before you continue reading the examples of properly addressed wedding invitations, there are a few additional important etiquette rules you should know when you are addressing your wedding invitations. For one, abbreviations should never appear on envelopes with the only exception being the case of a title (ie. Dr., Mr., Mrs., Ms., or Jr.). Second, using the terms “and guest” and “and escort” (ie. Miss Fairfield and escort” or “Mr. Washington and guest” should never be used on wedding envelopes. The proper thing to do is to send a separate invitation to the guest as it is much more personal. Likewise, “and family” should also never appear on an envelopes as it too, is quite impersonal (see suggested wording for addressing invitations to families), and children over the age of 18 who are living at home with their parents should always receive separate invitations.
A few examples of how to address Wedding Invitations.Married Couple Invitation Etiquette
Outer Envelope
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Dale Sinclair
123 Habersham Road, N.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30305
Inner Envelope
Mr. and Mrs. SinclairMarried Couple with Children Under 18 Living at Home
Outer Envelope
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Dale Sinclair
123 Habersham Road, N.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30305
Inner Envelope
Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair
Lisa and Laura…Children Over 18 Living at Home
Outer Envelope
The Misses (or Messrs.) Sinclair
123 Habersham Road, N.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30305
Inner Envelope
The Misses (or Messrs.) SinclairMarried Couple—Woman Kept Maiden Name
Outer Envelope
Ms. Lucinda Elizabeth Adams
Mr. Edward Dale Sinclair
123 Habersham Road, N.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30305
Inner Envelope
Ms. Adams
Mr. SinclairMarried Couple—Both are Doctors
Outer Envelope
The Doctors Sinclair
123 Habersham Road, N.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30305
Inner Envelope
The Doctors SinclairMarried Couple—Woman is a Doctor
Outer Envelope
Dr. Lucinda Elizabeth Adams
Mr. Edward Dale Sinclair
123 Habersham Road, N.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30305
Inner Envelope
Dr. Adams
Mr. SinclairDivorced Woman Invitation Etiquette
Outer Envelope
Mrs. (Ms.) Lucinda Adams Sinclair
123 Habersham Road, N.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30305
Inner Envelope
Mrs. (Ms.) SinclairWidow Invitation Etiquette
Outer Envelope
Mrs. Edward Dale Sinclair
123 Habersham Road, N.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30305
Inner Envelope
Mrs. SinclairMan and Woman Living Together
Outer Envelope
Ms. Lucinda Elizabeth Adams
Mr. Edward Dale Sinclair
123 Habersham Road, N.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30305
Inner Envelope
Ms. Adams
Mr. SinclairSingle Man Invitation Etiquette
Outer Envelope
Mr. Edward Dale Sinclair
123 Habersham Road, N.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30305
Inner Envelope
Mr. SinclairSingle Woman Invitation Etiquette
Outer Envelope
Miss (Ms.) Lucinda Elizabeth Adams
123 Habersham Road, N.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30305
Inner Envelope
Miss (Ms.) AdamsSources
Crane’s Blue Book of Stationery
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