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Tips for Addressing & Sending Out Your Invitations

 

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They can make or break people’s expectations of your wedding. A little extra attention to the fine points of posting your invitations will impress your invitees. Your guests will appreciate how much you desire their presence at your special day.

Traditional or Contemporary

Traditional wedding invitations come with two envelopes, an inner envelope and an outer one. The inner envelope is smaller and usually doesn’t have gumming on the flap. Contemporary invitations are often square shaped and come with only one outer envelope.

Addressing the Invitations

The outer envelope should be addressed formally. This means no abbreviations should be used except for Mr., Mrs., Jr., or Dr. Write out the names of cities and states and there is no punctuation at the end of lines.

Mr. and Mrs. John Doe
1500 Main Street
New York, New York 10053

The inner envelope should read Mr. and Mrs. Doe (no first names).

If you are inviting a family with children, only the parent’s names should be included on the outer envelope. Young children’s first names should be listed on the line below their parents on the inner envelope.

Mr. and Mrs. Doe
Mary and Steven

Any children over age 16 should receive their own invitation.

Assembling Your Invitation

Enclosures, such as reception cards or directions, should be placed either on top of the invitation or inside the fold. Response cards go under the flap of the response envelope and then over the invitation or inside the fold.

In the past, tissues were used to guard against ink smears. Today’s printing methods don’t require tissue but many continue to use it for aesthetic reasons and for the sake of tradition. If you wish to include tissue, place it over the printing on the invitation.

The invitation is folded and put in the inner envelope (the smaller envelope) with the folded edge down and the front of the invitation facing the back of the envelope. The inner envelope is then placed in the outer envelope with the front of the inner envelope facing the back of the outer envelope.

Postage

Before mailing, you should bring one of your pre-stuffed invitations to the post office to determine what will be sufficient postage. Depending on the size of your invitations and the number of enclosures you include, your invitations can weigh in on the hefty side. Once you mail your invitations, you don’t want to have to think about them again!

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