Addressing Wedding Envelopes: Etiquette For Invitation Envelopes

There are a lot of things to consider when labelling envelopes for wedding invitations. From the outer envelope to the inner envelope, the format, the titles, and the invitation type, there are many ways to address your wedding invitations.

Outer envelope format

The outer envelope is what is stamped and addressed, while the inner envelope only has the names of the invitees and contains the invitation inside. The outer envelope includes all the information the postal service needs for delivery.

When addressing outer envelopes, there are some general rules to follow:

• Avoid using nicknames or name abbreviations.
• Ensure you use the correct titles or prefixes.
• Write out your guests' names in full.
• Write out all words in the address, e.g. "Street" instead of "St."
• The return address is usually printed on the envelope's back flap.

Married Couple with the Same Last Name

For a heterosexual couple, use "Mr." and "Mrs." and spell out the husband's first and last name. For a same-sex couple, either name can go first.

Outer envelope: "Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Warren"

Married Couple with Different Last Names

For a heterosexual couple, write their names on the same line with the woman's name first; if the combined names are too long to fit on one line, list them separately.

Outer envelope: "Ms. Maria Stevens and Mr. David Estevez"

Married Couple with One Hyphenated Last Name

In the case of a spouse who has chosen to hyphenate their last name, invitations should be addressed using the following:

Outer envelope: "Mr. Marcus Craft and Mr. Brian Crosby-Craft"

Unmarried Couple

Invitations to an unmarried couple living at the same address are addressed to both people on one line. List the person whom you are closest to first.

Outer envelope: "Mr. Stanley Kim and Ms. Amanda Rhee"

Single Female

Use "Ms." if she is over 18. If she is younger, then "Miss" is acceptable; it should be spelled out, not abbreviated as an initial.

Outer envelope: "Ms. Stephanie Chen" or "Miss Stephanie Chen" (if she is younger than 18)

Single Male

Use "Mr." if he is over 18. Otherwise, no title is necessary.

Outer envelope: "Mr. James Montgomery"

Married Couple, One Person Is a Doctor

If the combined names are too long to fit on one line, list them separately. Spell out "doctor" on the outer envelope, and abbreviate it on the inner envelope.

Outer envelope: "Doctor Tami Takata and Ms. Christina Smith"

Married Couple, Both Are Doctors

In the case of married doctors, it is proper to use: "The Doctors."

Outer envelope: "The Doctors Smith" or "Drs. Matthew and Angela Smith"

Couple with Other Distinguished Titles

Apply the same rules for military personnel, judges, reverends, etc. that you use for doctors. If both titles don't fit on one line, indent the second line. And remember that whichever half of the couple "outranks" the other goes first, regardless of gender.

Outer envelope: "The Honorable Josephine Wood and Mr. Jonathan Wood" or "Captains Josephine and Jonathan Wood, US Navy"

Family, Including Children

When inviting an entire family, the family name or the parents' names should be listed alone, and everyone can be included on the inside.

Outer envelope: "The Thompson Family" or "Mr. and Mrs. Alan Thompson" or "Mr. Alan Thompson and Mrs. Emily Thompson"

Inner envelope format

The inner envelope is optional and is used to indicate the names of the invitees. It is more informal than the outer envelope, which is used for mailing. The inner envelope is usually kept inside the outer envelope to ensure that it remains pristine and flawless. It also helps to clarify who else is invited, such as plus-ones or children.

When addressing a married couple with the same last name, use "Mr. and Mrs." followed by the husband's first and last name. For same-sex couples, either name can go first.

Outer envelope: "Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Warren"

Inner envelope: "Mr. and Mrs. Warren" or "Thomas and Michelle"

If the couple prefers to have both their names included, the outer envelope can be addressed as follows:

Outer envelope: "Mr. Thomas Warren and Mrs. Michelle Warren"

Inner envelope: "Mr. Warren and Mrs. Warren" or "Thomas and Michelle"

When addressing a married couple with different last names, write their names on the same line with the woman's name first. If the combined names are too long, list them separately.

Outer envelope: "Ms. Maria Stevens and Mr. David Estevez"

Inner envelope: "Ms. Stevens and Mr. Estevez" or "Maria and David"

When addressing a married couple with one hyphenated last name, the outer envelope can be addressed as follows:

Outer envelope: "Mr. Marcus Craft and Mr. Brian Crosby-Craft"

Inner envelope: "Mr. Craft and Mr. Crosby-Craft" or "Marcus and Brian"

When addressing an unmarried couple, the outer envelope should include both names on one line. List the person you are closest to first or go in alphabetical order.

Outer envelope: "Mr. Stanley Kim and Ms. Amanda Rhee"

Inner envelope: "Mr. Kim and Ms. Rhee" or "Stanley and Amanda"

When addressing a single female, use "Ms." if she is over 18. For younger females, "Miss" is acceptable and should be spelled out, not abbreviated.

Outer envelope: "Ms. Stephanie Chen" or "Miss Stephanie Chen" (if she is under 18)

Inner envelope: "Ms. Chen" or "Miss Chen" or "Stephanie"

If a single female has been given a plus one, indicate this only on the inner envelope:

Outer envelope: "Ms. Stephanie Chen"

Inner envelope: "Ms. Chen and guest" or "Stephanie and guest"

When addressing a single male, use "Mr." if he is over 18. Otherwise, no title is necessary.

Outer envelope: "Mr. James Montgomery"

Inner envelope: "Mr. Montgomery" or "James"

If a single male has been offered a plus one, reserve "and guest" language for the inner envelope only.

Outer envelope: "Mr. James Montgomery"

Inner envelope: "Mr. Montgomery and guest" or "James and guest"

Addressing a married couple

When addressing a wedding invitation to a married couple, the outer envelope is more formal and traditionally includes titles and full names. For a heterosexual couple with the same last name, the outer envelope is typically formatted as:

> Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Warren

For a same-sex couple with the same last name, the outer envelope can be addressed as:

> Mr. and Mr. Thomas Warren or Mrs. and Mrs. Thomas Warren

If the couple has different last names, the outer envelope can be formatted as:

> Mr. Thomas Warren and Mrs. Michelle Warren

For same-sex couples with different last names, the outer envelope can be formatted as:

> Ms. Maria Stevens and Mr. David Estevez

If one partner has a hyphenated name, the outer envelope can be addressed as:

> Mr. Marcus Craft and Mr. Brian Crosby-Craft

The inner envelope is more informal and can include titles and last names or first names only. For a couple with the same last name, the inner envelope can be addressed as:

> Mr. and Mrs. Warren or Thomas and Michelle

For a couple with different last names, the inner envelope can be formatted as:

> Mrs. Knope and Mr. Wyatt or Leslie and Ben

If one partner has a hyphenated name, the inner envelope can be addressed as:

> Mr. Dwyer and Ms. Ludgate-Dwyer or Andy and April

It is important to consider the couple's preferences and honour their chosen names and titles.

Addressing an unmarried couple

When addressing an invitation envelope to an unmarried couple, there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, it's important to use the correct titles or prefixes for each person. For a male guest, use "Mr." For a female guest, use "Ms." if she is over 18, and "Miss" if she is younger. For non-binary guests, use the abbreviation "Mx."

Secondly, the names should be written independently on two lines and without the word "and" in between. This is the secret cue that the couple is not married. For example:

Mr. Ross Geller

Ms. Rachel Green

If you are closer to one person in the couple, you can list their name first. Otherwise, go in alphabetical order by last name.

If the unmarried couple lives together, their names can also be listed on the same line, with a line break in between. Again, lead with the person you are closest to or go alphabetical. For example:

Ms. Rachel Green

Mr. Ross Geller

If the unmarried couple does not live together, they should receive separate invitations.

Addressing an individual

When addressing an individual, the rules vary depending on their marital status, age, and gender. Here are some guidelines to follow:

For an Unmarried Woman:

Use "Ms." if she is over 18. If she is younger, use "Miss", spelling it out rather than using an initial.

Outer Envelope:

Ms. Stephanie Chen

Inner Envelope:

Ms. Chen or Stephanie

For a Widowed or Divorced Woman:

It is best to ask for their preference. A widowed woman may prefer to be addressed using her married name or her husband's name. A divorced woman may use "Ms." or "Mrs." and either her ex-husband's last name or her maiden name.

Outer Envelope:

Mrs./Ms. Cookie Lyon

Inner Envelope:

Mrs./Ms. Holloway

For a Single Male:

Use "Mr." if he is over 18. If he is younger, no title is necessary.

Outer Envelope:

Mr. James Montgomery

Inner Envelope:

Mr. Montgomery or James

For a Non-Binary Individual:

Use the honorific "Mx." If you are unsure, ask for their preferred title.

Outer Envelope:

Mx. Courtney Andrews

Inner Envelope:

Courtney

General Guidelines:

• Avoid using nicknames or abbreviations.
• Write out all words in the address, including "Street" instead of "St." and "Post Office Box" instead of "P.O. Box."
• Spell out house numbers smaller than 20.
• If using two envelopes, the outer envelope is more formal, while the inner envelope is slightly more casual and may include first names.

Frequently asked questions