Are you following these little-known tips when addressing your wedding invitations? They seem minor, but avoiding all these potential mistakes make your wedding invitations much more professional. If you have a specific question, feel free to ask us at Hitch. There are many more where these came from. Here are 10 to get you started:
1. Try to find out the name of the guest that your invitee is bringing. If you don’t know his/her name, make sure that “and guest” is lowercase.
2. Stuffing your envelopes: Make sure that each smaller insert card is stacked in order of size, facing up, on top of your invitation. When the flap is opened, all pieces should be facing up.
3. Your return address should go on the back flap of the outer envelope.
4. On a formal outer envelope you should spell out everything except Mr. and Mrs. You should spell the street name, avenue, city, state….everything in full. (Example: 123 Ashmont Road, Madison, South Dakota, 57402
5. If children are invited, use the second line of the invitation/envelope for children.
6. The correct way to address an envelope to a widow who did not re-marry is: Mrs. James Grant
7. A Catholic priest should be addressed as “Reverend Father Robert Johnson“. A minister/pastor should be addressed as “Revered Kyle Harrison“.
8. When using Junior, Senior, etc., the groom can use the the title “junior” if his father is listed as “senior” and they share the same name. When spelled out, junior and senior should be listed in lowercase. Only abbreviate (and capitalize) if there is not room on the envelope (Jr. and Sr.)
9. When addressing someone in the military, put the rank on the same line as the name, and the service on the line below. Example:
Lieutenant Commander Thomas Johnson
United States Navy
10. When listing the year, never include the word “and”. Example: Two thousand thirteen. And speaking of dates and times…a 5:30 wedding is still an afternoon wedding and should be listed as “half after five o’clock in the afternoon”.
We hope these help! See our Twitter feed and visit our other blog post for many more wedding invitation etiquette tips.
By Renee Halgerson, Owner/Designer, Hitch Design Studio