Mr and Mrs Wedding Invitations

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    How to Address Your Wedding Invitations?

    We take our marriages—as well as our marriage etiquette—very seriously. Understanding the proper titles and abbreviations for formal wedding invitations is a major headache. As if organizing your perfect wedding was difficult enough. The statutory guidelines for correctly addressing your wedding invitations can be intimidating.

    The day you send out invites is eight weeks before your wedding (talk about making it feel real!). After addressing the wedding invitation text on the card, it’s time to consider the wedding invitation address. Yes, there is etiquette governing how you address an envelope.

    You should be sure to properly address the inside and exterior envelopes before going to the post office. You might ask who should be named first on the invitation when you start mailing wedding invites. What if the entire family, including the kids, is invited?

    Before we get started, a few final pieces of advice: Give yourself enough time to organize the addresses so you can get your invitations out on time (and double-check anything you’re unsure about).

    To assist, we have created a simple guide for addressing wedding envelopes.

    Examples of How to Address Wedding Invitations

    When addressing a wedding invitation, there are a few easy rules to remember. It is customary to use separate etiquette for the inner and outside envelopes. While the inner envelope should be more casual, the outer envelope should be formal with titles and/or complete names (leaving out first names, titles, or last names).

    Titles are not required; you are allowed to use your visitors’ names without the titles since they can be limiting and exclusive for some (especially if specific guests don’t identify as “Mrs.,” “Ms.,” “Miss,” or “Mr.”). Use the title “Mx,” which is gender-neutral, to address wedding invitations in the modern style.

    How to Address a Family in Wedding Invitations

    For One Envelope
    • Consider whether you want to be clear about who in the family is invited before sending wedding invitations to them. You can simply address the envelope to the complete family if you don’t want to single out any particular family members:
        • The Adam Family
    • Write the names of each family member in a list if you do want to indicate who is invited. Your wedding invitation should begin with the name(s) of the parent(s), followed by the names of the invited children, listed below in ascending age order. Under-18-year-old females should be addressed as Miss:
        • The Adam Family Mr. and Mrs. Anthoney Adam
          Mr. Louie Adam
          Miss Trish Adam
    For Two Envelopes
    • If the entire family is invited, the outer envelope should just contain the family name or the names of the parents:
        • The Adam Family
          —or—
          Mr. & Mrs. Anthoney Adam
    • Then, on the inside envelope, write down the initial names of every invited family member:
        • Mr. and Mrs. Adam
          Louie, Trish, and Nika
          —or—
          Adam, Julie, Louie, Miss Trish, and Miss Nika

    How to Write a Married Couple's Name on a Wedding Invitation

    For One Envelope
    • When listing a married pair, use the husband’s first and last name only if they share the same last name:
        • Mr. and Mrs. William Johnson
    • Alternatively, if you want to refer to the husband and wife equally, you can use BOTH of their first and last names:
        • Mr. William Johnson and Mrs. Olivia Johnson
          —or—
          Mr. William and Mrs. Olivia Johnson
    • Depending on your desire, the person you are closest to, or the alphabet, you can place either last name first if a married pair has different last names. The title “Mrs.” is typically used to denote a married woman or man:
        • Mrs. Emma Fech and Mr. Noah Malich
    • List the hyphenated name of the partner who has it last if it exists. You may use “Ms.” or “Mr.,” if appropriate:
        • Mr. Benjamin Dimick and Ms. Evelyn Harjo-Dimick
    • If one partner is a judge, put “The Honorable” after the judge’s name before using “Judge” for the inside envelope:
        • The Honorable Amelia Jones Brown and Mr. Henry David Brown
    • No matter the partner’s gender, the distinguished title takes precedence if one of them holds a distinguished title, such as a member of the clergy, rabbi, or military personnel:
        • Rabbi and Mrs. Richard Glass
          —or—
          Rabbi Richard and Mrs. Rosina Glass
          —or—
          The Honorable Senator Elizabeth Ann Warren and Mr. Bruce Mann
    • If both partners hold eminent positions, use the same format for the same or different last names as for the doctors listed above. If two titles have the same rank, the one with the greater rank should appear first; otherwise, the woman should be listed first:
        • Colonel Peter Jefferies and Reverend Margaret Jeffries
          —or—
          Lieutenants Amy and Jake Peralta
          —or—
          Captain Benjamin Pierce and Major Margaret Houlihan, US Army
    For Two Envelopes

    Use the options listed here to address the outer envelopes for each married couple scenario. You have two less formal alternatives for inner envelopes: titles and last names, or first names alone (but only if you are very close with the couple). Here are some illustrations of how married couples might address inside envelopes:

    • Couples with the same last name should use:
        • Mr. and Mrs. William Johnson
          —or—
          William and Olivia
    • In the case of a couple with several last names:
        • Mrs. Fech and Mr. Malich
          —or—
          Emma and Noah
    • For a pair whose last names are hyphenated:
        • Mr. Benjamin and Ms. Harjo-Dimick
          —or—
          Benjamin and Dimick
    • Regarding a couple and a judge:
        • Judge Brown and Mr. Brown
    • A joint distinguishing title for a couple:
        • Rabbi and Mrs. Glass
          —or—
          Senator Warren and Mr. Mann
    • Couple with the same last name and two prestigious titles:
        • The Lieutenants Peralta
          —or—
          Colonel and Reverend Jefferies
    • A couple having two honorable positions and different last names:
        • Captain Pierce and Major Houlihan

    How to Write a Married Doctor's (or Two's!) Address on Wedding Invitations

    For One Envelope
    • Regardless of gender, list the doctor first if one of the partners is a doctor. If you want to be more official, you might choose to spell out “Doctor” rather than hyphenate it to “Dr.” Please take note that for academic doctors, you should never spell out the title “Dr.” If the doctor is a woman and she has adopted (or otherwise uses) her husband’s last name, then:
        • Doctor Michaela Quinn and Mr. Byron Sully-or-Doctor Rainbow and Mr. Andre Johnson, Sr.-or-Doctor and Mrs. Perry Cox-or-Doctor Perry and Mrs. Jordan Cox
    • If both spouses are medical professionals with the same last name, you can be more formal by addressing their invitation to “Doctors” in the plural and not abridged. Traditionally, the name of the woman is stated first:
        • Doctors Monica and Alan Quartermaine-or-Drs. Monica and Alan Quartermaine
    • If the partners are doctors and have different last names, the woman’s name is often listed first. Alternatively, you could list their names in alphabetical order:
        • Dr. Meredith Grey and Dr. Derek Shepherd
    For Two Envelopes
    • For a couple seeing a single doctor:
        • Dr. Quinn and Mr. Sully For a couple with two doctors, same last name:
        • (The) Doctors Quatermaine For a couple with two doctors, different last names:
        • Dr. Grey and Dr. Shepherd

    Addressing Wedding Invitations to a Couple Who Are Not Married

    For One Envelope
    • You have two choices if a couple is not married but is living together. On different lines, you can list each person’s name in alphabetical order by last name:
    • Ms. Ava Miller, Mr. James Davis
    • Alternatively, you can place both names on the same line, starting with the relative to whom you are closest. Continue alphabetically if you are equally close to both:
    • Mr. Ross Geller and Ms. Rachel Green
    • If a couple is not married and does not share a home, each guest should receive a separate invitation.
    For Two Envelopes
    • For the outer envelope, adhere to the aforementioned rules. Use courtesy titles and last names for the inner envelope, or just the couple’s first names if you know them well.
        • Ms. Miller and Mr. Davis —or— Ava and James

    A Same-Sex Couple's Wedding Invitations: How to Address Them

    For One Envelopes
    • Same-sex couples are treated with the same respect as any other couple, whether they are married or not. List both names on the same line if they are married or cohabitating. List the hyphenated name last if one of the partners has it:
        • Ms. Susan Bunch and Ms. Carol Willik-Bunch
        • You can list guests’ names either alphabetically or in order of proximity if a same-sex couple has different last names:
        • Mr. Mitchell Pritchett and Mr. Cameron Tucker
    For Two Envelopes
    • For the outer envelope, adhere to the aforementioned rules. Use courtesy titles and last names on the inner envelope, or only the couple’s first names if you know them well:
        • Mr. Pritchett and Mr. Tucker —or— Mitchell and Cameron

    Addressing Wedding Invitations To A Specific person

    For One Envelope
    • Use “Ms.” if the visitor is an unmarried woman unless she is under the age of 18; in this situation, “Miss” spelled out is preferable:
        • Ms. Donna-Jo Tanner or Ms. Elizabeth Lemon
    • Unless the male guest is under 18, in which case there is no need for a title, address him as “Mr.”
        • Mr. George Constanza
    • If your guest identifies as nonbinary, they must follow the same basic guidelines as when speaking to women or men. In most cases, you can address someone as “Mx.” If you’re unsure, ask them to use their preferred pronoun.
        • Mx. Courtney Andrews
    • It’s essential to find out from a close friend or relative whether a widowed guest still likes to be addressed by her husband’s name or by her marital name. Make sure to ask because some widows could also want to address people as “Ms.”
        • Mrs. Blanche Deveraux, or Mrs. George Devereaux
    • If the guest is a woman who has recently been divorced, you have similar options; you can address her envelope with “Ms.” or “Mrs.” and either her ex-last husband’s name (if she still uses it) or her maiden name, depending on her desire.
        • Mrs./Ms. Cookie Lyon, Mrs., or Ms. Cookie Holloway
    • Use “The Honorable” before the guest’s full name if they are a judge:
        • The Honorable Sonia Sotomayor
    • Use “Father” before the guest’s full name if he is a priest:
        • Father Damien Karras
    For Two Envelopes

    When it comes to inner vs. outer envelopes, the same conventional etiquette standards that apply to couples also apply here. The guidelines above are followed for outer envelopes. Only if you are very close to the recipient should you utilize first names alone or exclude them from inner envelopes. Here are some illustrations of proper individual inner envelope addressing:

    • For a single female:
      • Ms. Lemon —or— Elizabeth
    • For an underage single female:
      • Miss Chase
    • For a single male:
      • Mr. Costanza —or— George
    • For a widow:
      • Mrs. Devereaux —or— Blanche
    • For a female divorcee:
      • Mrs./Ms. Lyon —or— Mrs./Ms. Holloway
    • For a single judge:
      • Judge Sotomayor
    • For a priest:
      • Father Karras

    How to Write a Guest's Name on a Wedding Invitation

    For One Envelope
    • Send just one invitation—to the person you are inviting—to the address of each guest to whom you have granted a plus-one. If you are aware of the guest’s name, write it on the envelope just like you would for a couple who are not married:
        • Ms. Jessica Spano
          Mr. Albert Clifford Slater
    • Simply add “and guest” after your friend’s name if you are unsure of their guest’s name. You omit the capitalization on “and” and “guest: ”
        • The Guest and Mr. Zachary Morris
    For Two Envelopes
    • The preceding guidelines apply to outer envelopes, while envelopes omit first names or, if you are close with the guests, just use first names:
        • Ms. Spano
          Mr. Slater
          —or—
          Jessie and A.C.
          —or—
          Mr. Morris and guest

    HOW TO ATTACH WEDDING ENVELOPES: INNER VS. OUTER ENVELOPES

    A wedding invitation could come with two envelopes, as we previously said. But why, while trying to figure out how to address wedding invites, is this even the case in the first place? According to custom, the outer envelope is used for mailing, and the inner envelopes are used to indicate the guests to whom the invitation is sent.

    Although using merely an outer envelope offers advantages, doing so can also be beneficial. To begin with, two envelopes guarantee that the inner envelope is kept spotless and perfect. Clarifying who else is invited, such as plus ones or children, is another advantage.

    There isn’t a rule requiring the usage of numerous envelopes, though. There aren’t many benefits to using two envelopes other than those described above. When addressing wedding invites, outer envelopes are sufficient. Even using inner envelopes may be argued to be a waste of paper by some.

    I’ll now return to the current problem. Are inner envelopes really necessary for wedding invitations? Of course not! It all depends on personal opinion, but omitting the inside envelope is a common way to save money and paper.

     

    FAQs About Addressing Wedding Invitations

    Are you still confused about the proper way to address the envelopes for your wedding invitations? Here, we address the most often-asked questions, such as how to arrange your guests’ names and what to do if you only have one envelope.

    How do you address a single envelope for a wedding invitation?

    What should you do if you’re only sending one envelope? We’ve already discussed how to address inner and outside wedding envelopes jointly. If so, a list of all invited parties must be provided. This includes visitors like plus ones and children who are normally only included on the inner envelope. If you’re limited on space, you can omit the words “and Family” or just write “The Abraham Family” in place of the names of the children.

    Are your wedding invitations required to be hand-addressed?

    It’s good to hand-address each invitation individually, but it’s not required. We completely understand if you prefer to purchase pre-printed envelopes with your stationery or print guest address labels at home because assembling invitations is already a time-consuming task. Another hassle-free method to properly address wedding invitations A nearby calligrapher could complete it for you.

    How should the names of the guests be arranged on the wedding invitation envelopes?

    It’s long been a matter of etiquette which name should come first when addressing wedding invitations. Nowadays, there is no absolute law and you are not required to base any judgments on gender. Some couples like to order their names alphabetically, while others prefer to list their closest relatives first, followed by that person’s partner. You can choose to abide by one (or none) of these rules in the end. The only time this doesn’t apply is when eminent titles are in play. In this instance, the highest-ranking title holder should be mentioned first.

    On wedding invitations, where do you write the names of the guests?

    The names of the guests are not printed on the actual invites in traditional wedding invitation language. On the outer and inner envelopes, you should only use their names to address your loved ones. In this manner, you can send invitations to multiple households without printing separate copies for each one.

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