A Dating Or Unmarried Couple Living Together:
In the case of a dating or unmarried couple living together, both names should be included on the envelope. If youre opting for the formal option, each name should get its own line . If youre opting for something more casual, the names can go on the same line without the last names included.
Formal:
Melanie & Sean
How To Address Bridesmaid
If you are wondering how to address a bridesmaid and her husband on wedding invitations, or a single bridesmaid, simply follow the earlier etiquette for married couples and singles if you are using formal wedding invitations. If you are striking a more casual tone or want to specifically honour a member of your bridal party, you could prefix their name with something like to my honoured bridesmaid/groomsman but some people find that a little clumsy.
When In Doubt Write Things Out
Tradition says not to use abbreviations on an invitation, writing “Twenty Main Street” rather than “20 Main St.” For very casual weddings, there’s the option of choosing to ignore this rule. However, using the long-form can help an invitation stand out as a special occasion. It marks an invite as something that took a little extra time to address, which is never a bad thing to communicate.
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Treat Married And Unmarried Couples The Same
There are increasing numbers of people who enter into long-term commitments without ever tying the knot, so the modern and new etiquette rule says to treat them all the same: If they’re a couple, write them on the same line. If their names don’t both fit on the same line, write them on separate lines.
Additional Formal Addressing Etiquette Rules
There are a few rules youll want to follow, even if your wedding is on the casual side:
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The Request To Attend
There are many ways to ask for the pleasure of your guests’ company. The British spelling of “honour” traditionally indicates the ceremony will be held in a church or another house of worship. Here are few options:
- “the pleasure of your company”
- “at the marriage of their children”
- “would love for you to join them”
- “invite you to celebrate with them”
- “honor of your presence”
Whats The Deal With Inner & Outer Envelopes
These days, outer envelopes are typically reserved for only the most formal, black-tie weddings. While the inner and outer envelope method is more traditional, it can be seen as wasteful and less than eco-chic. There was a time when outer envelopes were actually a necessity in the old days of mail delivery , it was much more common for an envelope to be damaged en route from rain, dirt or mud. This just isnt the case these days! Theres no rule saying you need both envelopes, so if you prefer a very traditional feel or are having a black tie event, youll want to use them otherwise, you can leave this convention in the past!
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How To Address A Divorcee
Wondering how to address foil stamped wedding invitations to divorced women?
If she currently goes by her married name use the title Mrs. If she has gone back to her maiden name, use Ms.
If she has divorced and remarried, it is usually considered rude not to invite her new husband if you are inviting her. The same etiquette applies to a man who has been divorced and remarried.
How To Address To A Single Person Without A Guest
It is perfectly fine to not offer plus ones to your single guests, especially if your budget wont allow for it. While it is considered rude to state on the invitation that the guest is not allowed to bring a plus one, you can hint at it in a few ways.
On your invitation: Ms. Mary Bennet
On your RSVP cards: Please indicate the number of guests able to attend the wedding.
____ of __1__ guests will be attending.
If you are worried that some guests wont take the hint you can talk to them in person and say something like, While we would love for everyone to be able to bring a plus one, unfortunately our wedding budget just doesnt allow for any more than we have invited.
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How To Address Wedding Invitations Guide
Our How to Address Wedding Invitations Guide addresses not only wedding invites but also save the dates notes.
So, youve picked a date and the big day is on the calendar, but now what? Where do you begin? Do you create a list of things to do? Should you create a guest list first? Which family members will you invite? What is the budget? Where will the wedding ceremony take place? Will it be a local wedding or a destination wedding? So many questions and so little time.
Were here to help you with one critical component of your wedding: the wedding invitations. The best place to start is to create a comprehensive guest list in alphabetical order. The reason to put the list in alphabetical order is it will be easier to track when you have completed specific tasks for each guest. Also, it gives you a reference guide for the seating chart .
You may want to begin by determining how many people you will invite youll want to factor in your budget. List the person you are planning to invite, make sure if it is a couple to list both of their names together. If you believe that the person you are inviting will bring a date, but youre not sure who, make a note of plus one. This will give you an evolving headcount so you know when youve reached your limit of guests.
To A Married Woman Doctor Or Two Married Doctors
If the woman uses her husbands name socially, the address is Dr. Barbara and Mr. James Werner. If she uses her maiden name both professionally and socially, it is Dr. Barbara Hanson and Mr. James Werner. If the husband is also a doctor, the address is either The Drs. Werner or Drs. Barbara and Robert Werner.
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Things You Should Know Before Addressing Assembling And Mailing Your Wedding Invitations
If you’re in the middle of wedding planning, you likely have your big-day stationery suite picked out and ready to go. Before you eagerly pop those fresh-off-the-press paper goods in the mail, however, you’ll want to research everything there is to know about properly formatting all of the information typically included on the invite. Like with most things wedding-related, there’s a code of conduct to follow when addressing wedding invitations and guests, assembling invitation pieces in a specific order, and choosing a time to send.
Thankfully, these must-know wedding invitation tips will help you mail your invites without a hitch. Trust usyou’ll find this cheat sheet particularly helpful when it comes time to put together all of the elements that actually go inside the envelopeincluding that second “inner” envelope. If you’re already confused, don’t be. While these invitation customs have history, there are endless ways to make your paper suite your ownbut it’s important to nail down a few of the bigger rules, to ensure that the invites make it into your guests’ hands safe and sound.
Since you paid good money for your invites, you also want to be certain that they remain in pristine condition throughout their journey. Here, you’ll learn about requesting hand-canceling, which prevents heavy machines from damaging soft paper goods. Ready for more invitation suite tips and tricks? Click through for all the paper good details, big and small.
Overall Guidelines For This Group:
A) You should NEVER use Mr., Ms., or Mrs. to address anyone with a special title, nor should you ever drop it altogether. These people have worked hard to earn their designation, so give them the respect they deserve.
B) For couples, always list the person with the special title FIRST. Like with the New Age Amendment group, gender does not matter.
C) If a couple shares a last name and the same special title, then spell out the shared title first . Then list their first and last names.
D) If the couple has different last names and the same title, OR if both have different special titles, then apply the same guideline from group 2: – List the couple by alphabetical order OR- List the person youre closest to first. *See exception for military below.
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When To Send Wedding Announcements
Depending on if you want to send these wedding announcement cards as an engagement announcement or marriage announcement, the time to send each out will vary. For example, if you want to send your cards as engagement announcements, the best time to send them is before sending out save the date announcements. Things to include in your engagement cards can include pictures of your fiancé proposing to you, you showing off your new engagement ring, or a beautiful picture with the two of you embracing the moments after your proposal. If you choose to send wedding announcement cards after your wedding, you would want to send out the cards a few weeks after the wedding. Utilize photos from your small ceremony to include in your wedding announcements. Since most of the people youre sending your cards to didnt attend your big day, its nice to include some beautiful memories that was captured on your special day.
How To Stuff The Envelopes
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To A Single Person With A Plus One
Traditionally, Ms is used by women regardless of their marital status and Miss for unmarried women, usually those under 18. Of course, these are old-fashioned rules, and today you can go with whatever you like!
Outer envelope: Ms. Lillie Ellis
Inner envelope: Ms. Ellis and guest or Lillie & guest
Is It Okay To Offer Some Guests A Plus One And Others Not
We say yes, as long as you are discreet. Dont feel as if you have to offer every single guest a plus one. How to address invitations when you only know one person can depend on a few things, most importantly how well you know them, and your wedding budget. If you are trying to tighten the purse strings, it is okay to offer only some guests a plus one, such as family members or bridal party, for example. .
The only way your guests without the plus one are going to know is from the guests with the plus one, so if you are worried about the discretion of any of your guests, maybe have a chat with them in person or give them a call about keeping it on the down low.
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How To Address Wedding Invitations To A Family
When addressing the wedding invitations of family members, there are some easy ways to handle this. If an invitation is going to an entire family, it can be addressed to the parents on the outer envelope, Mr. Timothy and Mrs. Barbara Gordon. Then, on the inner envelope, Timothy, Barbara, Miss Colleen, and Graham. Female children under 18 are addressed as Miss, and male children do not receive a Mr. until they reach 18.
If adult children of wedding guests are invited, they should receive their own separate invitationsfor example, Ms. Colleen Gordon and Mr. Graham Gordon. If you do not want to invite children to your wedding, that should be printed clearly on the invitations.
Invitations to Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins should be addressed formally on the outer envelope. On the inner envelope, it is perfectly acceptable to address Grandpa Joe and Grandma Bette, Uncle Bob, Aunt Karen, or Cousin Jesse.
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How To Address To A Married Couple
How do you address invitations to a married couple? If you want to go traditional or formal you would say something like Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Bekken, but if you want to know how to address wedding invites to a married couple in a more casual manner, you could forego the titles and just list the names: Daniel and Jacqueline Bekken. When wondering how to address to a married couple listing both names, the most common option is usually: Mr. Daniel and Mrs. Jacqueline Bekken.
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The 411 On Double Wedding Envelopes & Why They Arent Necessary For Pocket Invitations
Whats a Double Wedding Envelope?
Double wedding envelope sets consist of an outer mailing envelope and a slightly smaller inner envelope. Traditional wedding invitation etiquette states the following uses for inner and outer envelopes:
Outer Envelope
- Formally addressed for mailing purposes Mr. James Jones
- Protects inner envelope from marking/tearing/weathering during mailing process
Inner Envelope
- Informally addressed and includes guests and children James Jones and Guest
- Houses and organizes invitation and components and is protected by outer envelope
Why Arent Double Envelopes Necessary for Pocket Invitations?
Inner and outer envelopes arent necessary for pocket invitations for two reasons:
So there you have it if youre making modern pocket invitations, lighten up! Nix the inner envelope and use just an outer mailing envelope. But herein lies the next problem. . .
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How To Address With A Plus One
Tackling how to address the invitations with a guest is the least awkward single option because you are offering for them to bring a date/friend. A simple tip on how to address wedding invitations to include a guest is to write Ms. Bennet and guest. It sounds nicer than plus one and is clear that they are allowed to bring someone. This phrase is only necessary for the inner envelope and on the outer envelope you can just put Ms. Mary Bennet and the address. If you already know the guests full name, you can write it on the invitation .
Hot tip: when you write and guest on your invitation, both words are left lowercase.
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