Wedding Address Etiquette
As far as traditional wedding etiquette goes, addresses for your wedding invitations should be written out by hand. Since weddings are intimate affairs, addressing envelopes by hand helps to establish that personal connection. Return addresses should also be handwritten; the proper place for them is on the back flap of the envelope. The following guidelines will help you address both the outer and inner envelopes of your invitations.
Other People Are Reading
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Single Guests
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An unmarried woman or divorced woman who uses her maiden name would be Miss (or Ms.) Jane Doe on the outer envelope and Miss (or Ms.) Doe (and Guest) on the inner. A divorced woman who uses her married name would be addressed as Mrs. Jane Doe on the outer and Mrs. Doe (and Guest) on the inner. An unmarried male would be Mr. John Doe on the outer and Mr. Doe (and Guest) on the inner.
Couples
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A married couple would be addressed as Mr. and Mrs. John Doe on the outer envelope and Mr. and Mrs. Doe on the inner. When the woman has kept her maiden name, address the outer envelope as Mrs. Jane Smith, with Mr. John Doe underneath and the inner as Mrs. Smith, with Mr. Doe beneath. For same-sex couples and unmarried couples who live together, list the names alphabetically. For unmarried couples who do not live together, address the invite to one person.
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Children
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Omit children's names from the outer envelope if they are under 18. On the inner envelope, list the children by their first names, from oldest to youngest. All children over 18 should receive their own invitation whether or not they live at home with their parents. They are referred to formally as Mr. John Doe and Miss (or Ms.) Jane Doe on the outer envelope and Mr. Doe (and Guest) and Miss (or Ms.) Doe (and Guest) on the inner envelope.
Miscellanious
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A medical doctor is addressed as Doctor John Doe on the outer envelope and Doctor Doe (and Guest) on the inner envelope. A doctor with a Ph.D. would be Dr. John Doe on the outer and Dr. Doe (and Guest) on the inner. A member of the clergy is The Reverend John Doe on the outer and The Reverend Doe on the inner. A judge is The Honorable and Mrs. John Doe on the outer envelope and Judge and Mrs. Doe on the inner.
Reminders
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Double-check your addresses as you write them; it is very easy to misread a house number or to write an incorrect zip code. After all your hard work, it would be aggravating to receive wedding invitations back in the mail because of inaccurate information. Also, bring your invitations to a post office to find out the correct postage needed to mail each one. You do not want postal markings all over your invitations as a result of insufficient funds.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit wedding image by Anna Baburkina from Fotolia.com
