Wedding Etiquette

Addressing
Address your invitation envelopes with your best penmanship. For an added touch of elegance, use one of the calligraphy pens offered on our site. Refer to the following traditional rules of etiquette for addressing your envelopes.

Download your free envelope addressing guide.

Inner Envelopes
Exclude the first names of the recipients.
Example: Mr. and Mrs. Jackson

Write the first names of children to be invited below the parents' names in order of age.

Example: Mr. and Mrs. Jackson
    Tyler, Mackenzie and Madison

Children over 16 years of age should receive their own wedding invitations.

Omit children's names if you are planning an adults-only wedding celebration.

If you extend an invitation to a single guest and an unknown escort, address the inner envelope with your friend's name followed by "and Guest."
Example: Miss Marshall and Guest

Outer Envelopes
Use full names and formal titles. Do not abbreviate
(except for Mr., Mrs., Ms., Jr.).

Do not use symbols. Spell out the word "and."

Do not use initials. Spell out all names.

Do not write "and family" if children are to be included in the invitation. (See "Inner Envelopes.")
Use figures only when writing house numbers and zip codes. Example: 1516 Mountain Lake Drive

Write out the words "Street," "Boulevard," "Avenue," etc.

Do not abbreviate state names.