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Outer Envelopes
Outer envelopes should be addressed using full names
and formal titles. Do not abbreviate or use symbols. Spell out all
words, including the street name and state. Use numerals only when
writing house numbers and zip codes.
Wedding invitations should be mailed out six to eight
weeks prior to the event.
Out-of-town guests? I suggest
eight weeks to give your guests the courtesy of making reservations and
travel arrangements.
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Inner Envelopes
Inner envelopes inform your guests exactly who is
invited to the occasion. It is more formal to use the title and last name
such as “Mr. and Mrs. Johnson”. However, it is ok to be less formal using
only first names such as “John and Sue” or “Aunt Melissa”.
All family members invited should be included on the
inner envelope. If children are invited their names are to be listed
below the parent’s in order of age. Children over the age of 18 should
receive a personal invitation.
If an invitation to a single guest extends to an
unknown escort, address the inner envelope with your friend’s name
followed by “and guest”.
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Click here for a detailed sample page
Click here for a pre-formatted .XLS
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GENERAL INFORMATION |
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Your
invitation sets the tone for your event—not only does it say a lot about
your personal style—it also gives your guests an idea of what to expect from
your event, and even what to wear!
Formal? Contemporary? Whatever style you choose,
etiquette is easy to observe when you follow some basic rules.
Take a look at the templates on this website. Choose the
category to find the perfect verse for your invitation. If you do not
find the exact wording you want, select an example that is close and
change it to read exactly the way you want it to. If you are feeling
creative, write your own.
Can’t decide on crisp block lettering, or
calligraphy-style script? Select a combination of typestyles to highlight
your names within your wording for a unique look. Or use the same
typestyle in varying sizes to highlight names, date, and location.
Remember, it is your celebration,
customize your invitation to reflect your personality and spirit. Most
anything goes!
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Always spell out full names, dates, times and
addresses. Nicknames or abbreviations should be avoided when possible
except for Mr., Mrs., Jr., etc. You may use an initial if you do not know
the full name or if the person never uses his given name. Cities, states,
and numbered streets are written out in full. In regard to addresses, the
only optional abbreviations are for Saint (St.) or Mount (Mt.), which can
be written either way.
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General wording dos and don’ts:
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No periods (.) at the end of a line
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First letter of each line is not capitalized unless
it is a proper noun (for example, “Sunday, the fifth of October” is
correct, or, “on Sunday, the fifth of October” is correct
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Time and date are written out (half after five
o’clock, September first, two thousand and three; two thousand three is
also correct and more formal) |
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Although all the basic information that you communicate
to your guests remains the same, an invitation that includes a
personalized verse, favorite sonnet, or informal introduction gives your
invitations a contemporary flair.
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Announcements should be used to let friends, family and
possibly professional colleagues who were not invited to the wedding, for
whatever reason—budget constraints, travel, etc--know that the wedding
took place. Invitations are sent to those people who the families want at
the wedding. This is when the versatility of “print your own” really
works to your advantage--you can always add more at any time!
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To
save time and money in the long-run, order at least twenty-five (25) extra
invitations when you place your order, pick up your supplies or print.
Printing costs are much lower, and inevitably there may be mistake, or you
may have invitations returned for
whatever reason.
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Follow some basic rules for addressing your invitations:
| Couples who live together receive a single
invitation. Address it the same way you’d address the invitation of a
married couple with different last names—alphabetically, on separate
lines of the envelope |
| Address an invitation to a married couple, both
doctors like this: The Doctors Smith. It’s that simple. If they are
married, but have different last names, list both names in alphabetical
order (on separate lines): Dr. Benton, and on the next line, Dr. Smith
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| Married couple, one a doctor: the spouse with the
professional title is listed first. Dr. Kate Lawler and Mr. Brian
Lawler or Dr. and Mr. Lawler |
| A widow is traditionally addressed as “Mrs. John
Smith”, but if you feel the guest may not want to be addressed that way,
ask how she prefers to be addressed |
| A divorced woman who has kept her married name should
be addressed as Ms. Jane Alden |
| A couple who does not live together technically
should be sent their own invitation, but it’s not incorrect to simply
send the invitation to the person you are closer to with both names
listed alphabetically (each on its own line)
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Mail “Save the Date” cards
to out-of-town guests as soon as your wedding date and location are set.
Including information about hotels now, instead of sending it with your invitations. This will save
you money on postage later, and give your guests ample time to arrange for a
trip to your big event! Mail invitations six to eight weeks before
your wedding date. If you have a large number of out-of-town guests,
eight weeks will give them time to complete reservations and secure travel
arrangements more economically.
Date your response cards to be returned to you at
least two to three weeks before your big day.
(Expect that family
members will not respond). The etiquette gurus aren't certain why this
is true - but you can count on it. Perhaps they assume you know
they'll be there...!?
Don't mail
your invitations without a
return address printed or labeled on the back flap of your mailing
envelope. The return address should be that of the person whom you’ve
designated to receive response cards—be it the bride’s mother, the groom’s
mother, or the couple themselves. The response card envelope should
be printed with the same address.
There is nothing more frustrating than having a
beautifully addressed invitation returned to sender with postage markings
all over it because of an incorrect address. Be sure to double-check your
addresses and zip codes. To check zip codes online go to
http://www.usps.com/zip4.
Assemble one complete invitation, including any
additional insertions, maps, and the stamp on the return response envelope
and take it to your local post office for weight and measurement.
Sometimes it is the size of the envelope and not the weight that
determines the amount of postage, so we encourage you to take it to the
window and have a postal worker weigh and measure it for you.
Important Note: Request
hand-cancelling by the post office. This will eliminate heavy
ink marks that automated canceling could cause.
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