Etiquette for Addressing Party Invitations
If you're planning a party soon, now is a good time to brush up on some etiquette so that you can invite all of your guests in the proper way. The invitation is an indication of the type of party you'll be having, and exercising etiquette will help to assure guests of a wonderful time at your celebration.
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Addressing the Envelope
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The envelopes that the party invitations are sent in are the true indications of who is invited to the party. It's important to keep this in mind when inviting individuals who live in the same household. Couples can receive a joint invitation, but children living in the home who are older than 18 should receive a separate invitation.
Addressing by Hand
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All envelopes for party invitations should be hand-written, even if the invitation itself has been professionally printed. This makes the invitation more personable; using address labels is also considered bad etiquette. Traditionally, black ink is used to address the envelopes, but it is also acceptable to use blue ink.
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Inviting Additional Guests
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If the host of the party wants to allow guests to bring a date, this should be included on the invitation envelope. When addressing the envelope, the address should include the name of the invited guest, along with the words "and guest" on the same line. Writing this information on the envelope confirms that dates are welcome to the party.
Response Cards
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It is appropriate to include response cards in the party invitation in order to get an accurate head count for the social gathering. Smaller envelopes should be included in the larger invitation envelope for guests to mail the response card back in. The smaller envelope should always be self-addressed and stamped by the host.
Using Appropriate Addresses
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Depending on the nature of the social gathering, it is acceptable to send a party invitation to a person's work address if the event is for networking purposes or is a party to which other employees are invited, i.e. the office holiday party. For private dinner parties, it is best to send the invitation to the guest's home address. Invitations should be sent at least two weeks before the date of the event.
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