When it comes to wedding invitations, it’s not only what’s on the inside that counts, but what’s on the outside too! That’s right—there is even wedding etiquette when it comes to addressing your envelopes. That’s why we’re giving you our blueprint for addressing your envelopes based on the different attendees you plan on having at your wedding!
Outer vs. Inner Envelopes
As a general rule of thumb, outer envelopes should be addressed with full formalities, including titles and full names. If an inner envelope is included, this can be less formal, with just titles and last names, first names, etc.
To the Married Couple With The Same Last Name
Here you want to use “Mr.” and “Mrs.” and spell out the last name. Including the husband’s middle name is not necessary, however, if you do choose to use it, you’ll want to make sure you spell it out in full and not just use the initial!
Outer Envelope:
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas King OR Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Alexander King
Inner Envelope:
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas King OR Mr. and Mrs. King OR Thomas and Kelly
To the Married Couple with Different Last Names
When it comes to a married couple with different last names, you want to include their names on the same line, if possible, and address the female first.
Outer Envelope:
Mrs. Samantha Collins and Mr. Bradley Roche
Inner Envelope:
Mrs. Collins and Mr. Roche OR Samantha and Bradley
To the Married Couple with Credentials
If the husband is a doctor, the titles will appear, “Doctor and Mrs.”
Outer Envelope:
Doctor and Mrs. Ryan Rivers
Inner Envelope:
Dr. Ryan and Elisa
If the wife is a doctor, the wife should be listed first with “Doctor” spelled out, followed by her husband’s name with “Mr.”
Outer Envelope:
Doctor Elisa Rivers and Mr. Ryan Rivers
Inner Envelope:
Dr. Elisa and Ryan
If both are Doctors, use “The Doctors” followed by the family name.
Outer Envelope:
The Doctors Rivers
Inner Envelope:
Dr. Ryan and Dr. Elisa
If one is a judge, use “The Honorable” and list him or her first.
Outer Envelope:
The Honorable Elisa Rivers and Mr. Ryan Rivers
Inner Envelope:
Judge Elisa and Ryan
To the Unmarried Couple
For an unmarried couple who is living together, both names should be included on the envelope, ideally on the first line. In this case, you can list the person you are closest with first.
Outer Envelope:
Mr. Nicholas Pernicano and Ms. Madeline Rowe
Inner Envelope:
Nicholas and Madeline OR Mr. Pernicano and Ms. Rowe
To the Same-Sex Couple
Here you will use the same rules as you would when addressing a married or unmarried couple. You can put the person you are closest with first, but you can use either name.
Outer Envelope:
Mr. Matthew Baldwin and Mr. William Tran
Inner Envelope:
Mr. Baldwin and Mr. Tran OR Matthew and William
To the Guest With a Plus-One
When deciding whether to add a plus-one to your friend’s significant others’ and dates, the choice is yours based on budget, venue capacity, and even how long the couple has been together. Address the envelope to the primary attendee then include “and guest” at the end. Leave the “and guest” off if you don’t wish to include a plus-one.
Outer Envelope:
Mr. Michael Vasquez and Guest OR Miss. Jennifer Green and Guest
Inner Envelope:
Mr. Vasquez and Guest OR Miss. Green and Guest
To a Family With Children
When inviting an entire family, the family name should be listed on the outer envelope. On the inner envelope, include everyone’s first name and children, from oldest to youngest. For female guests under the age of 18, use “Miss” in their title. Boys do not need a title until they turn 18.
Outer Envelope:
The Copeland Family
Inner Envelope:
Robert, Linda, Miss Megan, Mark
Hopefully, this guide makes addressing your wedding envelopes a little less stressful. When you order your invitation suite with PaperCrush you get free guest addressing included!
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