How to address Wedding Invitations and Announcements

Knowing proper etiquette when writing addresses on the inner and outer wedding invitation envelopes is extremely important for any bride. Addressing wedding invitations properly is a long-standing tradition that must be followed, especially for formal weddings. It can be a difficult task as outer and inner envelopes receive separate wordings. The inner envelopes skip the use of the first name unless that person is a child.

Addressing to a Single Person

How you write an address varies depending to whom you are mailing the wedding invitation. It is easiest to start with the single person. The title/name line is the line in which the recipient's name is written. The street number and street name follow the title line. Finally, the city/state line is the final line of the address. For example:

Mr. John Doe
12 Rockefeller Court
Burlington, Vermont 05401

In this case, the title line is pretty simple. One person with his or her correct title is used. On the inner envelope, you would simply put "Mr. Doe and Guest". It is important to allow unmarried guests to bring a friend so that they have someone with whom they can eat, dance, and talk.

Addressing for a Married Couple

If you are mailing to a married couple, they are both included on one title line:

Mr. and Mrs. John Doe
12 Rockefeller Court
Burlington, Vermont 05401

The inner envelope would then state Mr. and Mrs. Doe on one line. If the couple had children you wish to include, you would list the children's names separately beneath the first title line. For example:

Mr. and Mrs. Doe
Jennifer, Allison, and Bryan

In cases where the wife has retained her maiden name, you use two title lines.

Mr. John Doe
Mrs. Susan Smith

In this example, the inner envelope would then list the couple as:

Mr. Doe
Mrs. Smith

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Addressing for Divorced Women

Now, let's take a look at divorced women. It is essential to know if she has retained her married name or reverted to her maiden name.

Mrs. Stella Ardel Doe

The inner envelope then is listed as:

Mrs. Ardel Doe

Addressing for a Widowed Woman

If a woman's husband has passed on, the widow is addressed as "Mrs. Henry Smith" on the outer envelope and "Mrs. Smith" on the inner envelope.

Addressing for Unmarried Couples

Unmarried or same-sex couples receive two title lines.

The inside envelope would then state:

Addressing for Adult Siblings that Live Together

Adult siblings living at one address are included as a group on the outer envelope.

Misses June and July Taylor
Masters Tim and Earl Taylor

Inside, the envelope will state:

The Misses Taylor
The Masters Taylor

Addressing for Clergy, Doctors, and Judges

Clergy are listed with their title on the title line of the outer envelope:

The Reverend David Smith

Inside, you would write:

The Reverend Smith

If you are mailing the wedding invitation to a doctor:

Susan Smith, Ph.D.

On the inner envelope write:

Dr. Smith

When mailing to a judge, address the outer envelope by stating:

The Honorable Judge William Gray

On the inner envelope write:

Judge Gray