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When it comes to addressing wedding invites, there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, it's important to use the correct titles or prefixes, avoid abbreviations and nicknames, and be mindful of the relationship status of the guests. For married couples with the same last name, the traditional format is Mr. and Mrs. followed by the husband's full name. However, this can be adjusted to include the wife's name as well, especially if the couple prefers a more modern approach. If the couple has different last names, their names can be listed separately or together, with the person you are closest to, or alphabetically, coming first. For unmarried couples living together, list their names on separate lines or the same line, starting with the person you are closest to. When inviting a family, you can address the envelope to the entire family or specify the names of each family member, including children over the age of 18. It's also worth noting that the outer envelope is typically more formal, with titles and full names, while the inner envelope can be more casual, including just first names.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Outer envelope | Formal, full names, titles, and complete addresses |
| Inner envelope | Informal, first names, no titles |
| Married couple (same last name) | "Mr. and Mrs." + husband's full name |
| Married couple (different last names) | Wife's name first, followed by husband's name |
| Married couple (one hyphenated last name) | Hyphenated name last |
| Unmarried couple | Alphabetical by last name on separate lines or both names on the same line |
| Single woman | "Ms." if over 18, "Miss" if younger |
| Single man | "Mr." if over 18, no title if younger |
| Widow | Full name or husband's full name |
| Divorced woman | "Ms." or "Mrs." + ex-husband's last name or maiden name |
| Judge | "The Honorable" + full name |
| Priest | "Father" + full name |
| Children under 18 | Included on the inner envelope, "Miss" for girls |
| Children over 18 | Send separate invitations |
What You'll Learn
How to address a wedding invite to a married couple
When addressing a wedding invitation to a married couple, there are a few things to keep in mind. Traditionally, the inner and outer envelopes follow different etiquette rules. The outer envelope is more formal, and you should write out the recipient's full name, including their personal title. The inner envelope is more informal, and you can leave out one or two elements of the formal name format.
If the married couple has the same last name, you can list them together using "Mr." and "Mrs." and spelling out the husband's full name. For a same-sex couple, either name can go first. For example:
Outer envelope: "Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Warren"
Inner envelope: "Mr. and Mrs. Warren" or "Thomas and Michelle"
If the couple prefers a more modern approach, you can use both partners' first and last names:
Outer envelope: "Mr. Thomas Warren and Mrs. Michelle Warren"
Inner envelope: "Mr. Warren and Mrs. Warren" or "Thomas and Michelle"
If the married couple has different last names, write their names on the same line with the person you are closest with or in alphabetical order first. For example:
Outer envelope: "Ms. Maria Stevens and Mr. David Estevez"
Inner envelope: "Ms. Stevens and Mr. Estevez" or "Maria and David"
If one partner has a hyphenated name, list the hyphenated name last:
Outer envelope: "Mr. Andy Dwyer and Ms. April Ludgate-Dwyer"
Inner envelope: "Mr. Dwyer and Ms. Ludgate-Dwyer" or "Andy and April"
If one partner has a distinguished title, such as a judge, military personnel, or clergy, their title comes first, regardless of gender:
Outer envelope: "The Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Mr. Martin David Ginsburg"
Inner envelope: "Judge Ginsburg and Mr. Ginsburg"
If both partners have distinguished titles, the higher-ranking title comes first, and if they are of the same rank, the woman is traditionally listed first:
Outer envelope: "Colonel Peter Jefferies and Reverend Margaret Jefferies"
Inner envelope: "Colonel and Reverend Jefferies"
Remember to use the correct titles or prefixes and avoid abbreviations or nicknames. If you are unsure about a guest's preferred title, it is best to ask them directly.
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How to address a wedding invite to an unmarried couple
When addressing a wedding invitation 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. The outer envelope should be formal and include the full name(s) of the recipient(s), including their personal title(s). For an unmarried couple living together, both names should be included on the envelope, with each name on a separate line. The person you are closest to should be listed first, or you can go in alphabetical order if you are equally close to both guests. Here's an example:
On the outer envelope: Mr. Ross Geller, Ms. Rachel Green
On the inner envelope: Mr. Geller, Ms. Green or Ross, Rachel
If the unmarried couple does not live together, it is proper etiquette to send separate invitations to each guest.
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How to address a wedding invite to a single woman
When addressing a wedding invitation to a single woman, there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, it's important to use the correct title. For a woman over the age of 18, the appropriate title is "Ms." If she is younger than 18, the acceptable title is "Miss," spelled out rather than abbreviated.
Outer envelope: Ms. Stephanie Chen
Inner envelope: Ms. Chen
If the single woman has been given a plus-one, you don't need to indicate this on the outer envelope. Simply add "and guest" to the inner envelope:
Outer envelope: Ms. Stephanie Chen
Inner envelope: Ms. Chen and guest
It's worth noting that wedding invitation etiquette has evolved to become more flexible and inclusive. If you feel that titles might be restrictive or exclusive for your guests, you can choose to forgo them altogether and use only first and last names. Additionally, if your guest identifies as non-binary, you can use the gender-neutral title "Mx." after confirming their preferred personal title.
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How to address a wedding invite to a single man
When addressing a wedding invitation to a single man, the outer envelope should be formal. This means writing out the recipient's full name, including their title. For example, if the guest is over 18, use "Mr." followed by their full name. If the guest is under 18, no title is necessary.
> Outer envelope: "Mr. James Montgomery"
The inner envelope is more informal, so you can leave out one or two elements of the formal name format. For example, you could use their title and last name or just their first name.
> Inner envelope: "Mr. Montgomery" or "James"
If the single man has been offered a plus one, don't indicate this on the outer envelope. Instead, reserve "and guest" language for the inner envelope only.
> Outer envelope: "Mr. James Montgomery"
> Inner envelope: "Mr. Montgomery and guest" or "James and guest"
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How to address a wedding invite to a family
When addressing a wedding invitation to a family, there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, it is important to use formal titles and full names on the outer envelope, while the inner envelope can be more casual and include first names only. If you are inviting a family with children, the names of the parents should be listed on the outer envelope, followed by the names of the children on the inner envelope. For girls under 18, you can use "Miss" as an honorific, while boys do not need a title until they are 16. If you are inviting children over the age of 18, they should receive their own invitation.
Outer envelope: "Mr. and Mrs. Michael Abraham"
Inner envelope: "Mr. and Mrs. Michael Abraham, Daniel, Jeffrey, Miss Brittany, and Mx. Kelly"
If you do not want to specify which family members are invited, you can simply address the envelope to the entire family:
Outer envelope: "The Abraham Family"
Inner envelope: "Michael, Sarah, Daniel, and Brittany Abraham"
It is important to note that if you do not include the names of children on the invitation, it implies that they are not invited. However, some guests may still assume that their children are welcome, so it is a good idea to specify on your wedding website or through word-of-mouth that the wedding will be adults-only.
When addressing wedding invitations, it is also important to use the correct titles and relationship status for each family member. For example, if one of the family members is a doctor, you can address them as "Doctor" on the outer envelope and "Dr." on the inner envelope.
Outer envelope: "Doctor and Mrs. Smith"
Inner envelope: "Dr. and Mrs. Smith" or "John and Emily"
Remember to give yourself plenty of time to assemble and mail the invitations, as it can be a time-consuming process.
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Frequently asked questions
For a heterosexual couple using the husband's name, the outer envelope can be addressed as "Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Warren". For a same-sex couple, either name can go first.
The couple's names can be listed alphabetically by last name on separate lines, for example, "Mr. Ross Geller" and "Ms. Rachel Green". Alternatively, both names can be listed on the same line, with the person you are closest to listed first, for example, "Ms. Rachel Green and Mr. Ross Geller".
The outer envelope can be addressed to the whole family, for example, "The Simpson Family". If you want to specify which family members are invited, write the names of each family member, starting with the parents' names, and list the invited children's names in order of age below.
If the guest is an unmarried woman, use "Ms." unless she is under 18, in which case "Miss" is more appropriate. For example, "Ms. Elizabeth Lemon" or "Miss Donna-Jo Tanner". If the guest is a single male, use "Mr." unless he is under 18, in which case no title is necessary, for example, "Mr. George Costanza".
