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 · In the case of married doctors, it is proper to use: "The Doctors." Outer envelope: "The Doctors Smith" or "Drs. Matthew and Angela Smith". Inner envelope: "The Doctors Smith" or "Matthew and ...
An attorney’s invitation may be addressed to either Martin Hall, Esq., or—as you would your other guests—Mr. Martin Hall. On the inner envelope simply write Mr. Hall. The outer envelope of a professor’s invitation may be addressed to Jean Kelly, Ph.D. or Professor Jean Kelly. On the inner envelope, write either Dr. Kelly or Professor Kelly.
An attorney's invitation may be addressed to either Martin Hall, Esq., or—as you would your other guests—Mr. Martin Hall. On the inner envelope simply write Mr. Hall.
Use the appropriate social titles as well, such as addressing married couples as "Mr. and Mrs." If a man's name has a suffix, write "Mr. Joseph Morales, Jr.," or "Mr. Joseph Morales IV"; "Junior" can be spelled out on a more formal invitation.
The envelope of your wedding invitation should include the name and full address of your guest(s).
If you're only including one envelope or sending an online invitation, be sure to address all invitees clearly and up-front. If the couple is in a relationship, list both guests by their full names. If you're allowing a guest to bring a casual date, write your friend's name and then “and guest.”
Traditionally the name of the bride always precedes the groom's name. Formal invitations issued by the bride's parents refer to her by her first and middle names, the groom by his full name and title; if the couple is hosting by themselves, their titles are optional.
Etiquette & Tradition Traditionalists will argue that hand addressed envelopes follow proper wedding protocol and etiquette. The key take away though is that addresses that are handwritten are thought to be more personal for such a special invitation.
Married, she uses her husband's name socially NOTE: Traditionally, a woman's name preceded a man's on an envelope address, and his first and surname were not separated (Jane and John Kelly). Nowadays, the order of the names—whether his name or hers comes first—does not matter and either way is acceptable.
The “M” Is A Prompt. This is the line where guests will write their names, the M begins the title. Mr. Mrs. Ms. and they proceed writing their names on the line after the M.
Tradition dictates that the bride's name always comes first, whether on Save the Date cards, wedding invitations or anything else. This is because the bride's parents are usually the hosts, paying a greater share of the expenses. This affords the bride's family the right to have their daughter's name first.
That all depends on whether the gift is off the registry, an experience, or cash. Upon consulting the experts, a wedding gift should range from $75 to $750—but most agree that $300+ is the sweet spot.
Wedding planner Jamie Chang, who teaches couples to mostly plan weddings on their own, tells Bustle essentially the same: that it is pretty much always rude to ask for a plus one when you weren't given one to start. "The couple has worked hard to create their guest list based on their budget and wedding," Chang says.
If any of your guests are married, or engaged to be married, they should get a plus one. It's just polite, even if you don't know one person as well as you know the other. Married and engaged couples should always be considered a package deal.
List the person you're closest with first on the outer and inner envelopes. If you're similarly acquainted with both, list them in alphabetical ord...
As with a married couple, both names should be included on the envelopes, but in this case, each name gets its own line.On the outer envelope:Mr. J...
If a woman uses her maiden name professionally and socially, the envelopes should read:On the outer envelope:Dr. Anne Barker and Mr. Peter Underwoo...
Apply the same rules you use for doctors for military personnel, judges, reverends and so on. If both titles don't fit on one line, indent the seco...
What to do: You have a few options:Use "Mr." and "Mrs." and spell out the husband's first and last name. If you decide to include the husband's mid...
What to do: Write their names on the same line with the woman's name first; if the combined names are too long to fit on one line, list them separa...
What to do: In the case of a spouse who has chosen to hyphenate their last name, then they should be addressed using Ms. (Mrs. is also acceptable)...
What to do: List her first with her title; if the combined names are too long to fit on one line, list them separately. Spell out "doctor" on the o...
What to do: In the case of married doctors and the wife has taken her husband's last name, it is proper to use: "The Doctors."Outer envelope: "The...
What to do: Apply the same rules for military personnel, judges, reverends, etc., that you use for doctors. If both titles don't fit on one line, i...
What to do: When inviting an entire family, the family name or the parents' names should be listed alone, and everyone can be included on the insid...
Invitations to a couple who are unmarried but live at the same address are addressed to both people on one line. List the person whom you are closest to first.
Apply the same rules for military personnel, judges, reverends, etc., that you use for doctors. If both titles don't fit on one line, indent the second line. And remember that whichever half of the couple "outranks" the other (say, a doctor, member of the military, or some other profession that includes a title) goes first, regardless of gender.
For a heterosexual couple, write their names on the same line with the woman's name first; if the combined names are too long to fit on one line, list them separately.
When including female children under the age of 18 , address them with a Miss. Outer envelope: "The Thompson Family" or "Mr. and Mrs. Alan Thompson" or "Mr. Alan Thompson and Mrs. Emily Thompson". Inner Envelope: Alan, Emily, Roger, Chance, Miss Jennifer, and Miss Lily.
For a heterosexual couple, use "Mr." and "Mrs." and spell out the husband's first and last name. For a same-sex couple, either name can go first. Many modern women may have a strong aversion to having their name left out and lumped in with their husbands. If you are a couple that is sensitive to this:
In the case of married doctors, it is proper to use: " The Doctors."
For example, if you were addressing a wedding invitation to John Justice, who is an attorney, and his wife Jane, you would use "Mr. and Ms. John and Jane Justice" or "Mr. and Mrs. John Justice."
Generally, you'll address an attorney just as you would anyone else. However, you'll typically use a more formal title, such as "Esquire," if you're writing to an attorney in their professional capacity. When in doubt, err on the side of formality. You can always ask the attorney how they prefer to be addressed.
If the attorney has more than one degree, list the abbreviations after their name in order from highest to lowest. For example, if John Justice has a JD and an MBA, you would list his name as "John Justice, JD, MBA.". Tip: Even though JD stands for "Juris Doctorate," a JD is not a doctoral degree.
Tip: "Esquire" is a courtesy title that only has significance in the legal field. Don't use it at all when addressing an attorney socially, either in writing or in person.
Try "Attorney at Law" as an alternative to "Esquire. " If using the courtesy title "Esquire" feels stuffy to you, "Attorney at Law" also conveys the same level of honor and respect. Instead of placing it after the attorney's name, use two lines with "Attorney at Law" directly underneath the attorney's full name.
Add "JD" after an attorney's name in an academic setting. Even if the attorney is licensed to practice law , if they're writing an article in a law journal or working as a law professor, you'll typically use "JD" instead of "Esquire.".
If you use "Attorney at Law," you should add "Mr." or "Ms." before the attorney's first name.
If you do want to specify which family members are invited, write the names of each family member in list form. Begin your wedding invitation wording with the parent or parents’ names, and list invited children's name in order of age below. Female children under the age of 18 should be addressed as Miss:
The way you address your wedding invitations is crucial not only for etiquette’s sake (you don’t want to offend your new great aunt before you’re even a part of the family, do you?), but for logistical reasons as well. You’re sending a message, quite literally, about who is invited to your wedding.
A Formal wedding invitation usually includes an outer envelope with a more personalized inner envelope that includes the invitation, RSVP card , RSVP envelope, and any additional wedding stationery of your choice.
If one partner has a hyphenated name, list the hyphenated name last. Either “Ms.” or “Mrs.” can be used:
For guests to whom you’ve allowed a plus-one, send only one invitation—to the person you’re truly inviting—to that person’s address. If you know the name of the guest, include his or her name on the envelope as you would for an unmarried couple:
Linda Belcher. If a married couple has different last names, you can list either the husband’s or the wife’s name first based on your preference, whomever your closest with, or the alphabet. “Mrs.” is traditionally used to indicate the couple’s married status : Mrs. Leslie Knope and Mr. Ben Wyatt.
If the guest is a judge, use the term “The Honorable” before his or her full name:
An envelope that's not addressed properly can actually annoy your guests. Here's how to address wedding invitations so everyone's happy.
List each guest’s full name, preceded by the appropriate title, stacked on two separate lines. It doesn’t matter whom you list first; when in doubt, go alphabetically. If it’s a long-term couple, you may put the couple’s names on the same line.
Both the “Ms.” and “Mrs.” title are acceptable, followed by her first and last name, whether she kept her married last name or goes by her maiden name.
When addressing a wedding invitation to a married couple, put both of their names on the same line. It’s customary to list the name of the person you know best first. If you’re close with both people, list their names in alphabetical order. Be sure to look into whether either guest still uses their maiden name.
When addressing a wedding invitation to someone like a doctor, it’s customary to use their professional title. You can use the doctor’s abbreviation or spell out the full title.
Make your invitations extra special by handwriting them in calligraphy. You can also hire a calligrapher if you don’t trust your handwriting .
Traditionally, children’s names are listed only on the inner envelope of their parent’s invitation. The title for a girl is “Miss,” and there is no official title for a boy. If the child is gender-neutral, use “Mx.” If you don’t list the children’s names, the implication is that children are not invited to the wedding.
On the outer envelope, write the family name or only the parents’ names. For example: The Moores. Or. Mrs. and Mr. Moore. On the inner envelope, write the parents’ names first, followed by their children’s names.
If you’re allowing guests to bring a plus one, only include the name of the primary guest on the outer envelope. On the inner envelope, include the name of the primary guest and the phrase “and Guest.” For example:
If you’re having a casual wedding, it’s certainly your choice to skip formalities like titles and surnames. Note that if you have older guests expecting formalities, they may be thrown off by a wedding invitation that only includes their first names. Ultimately, though, remember it’s your wedding, and you get to choose how you address the invitations.
Using the same basic etiquette, the Return Address is typically printed on the back flap of the wedding envelope and corresponds with the address on the RSVP Postcard or Envelope. The Return Address may be printed directly onto the envelope or an Address Label.
Casting all other mail aside, your addressee will pore over the contents and pay attention to the details.
Tip: Only use military titles for officers on wedding envelopes. Enlisted personnel such as: Private, Specialist, Corporal, Seaman, or Airman should not have their rank on the envelope. Wedding invitations are social correspondence and do not require naming the branch.
Double envelopes are no longer the standard tradition these days. Not only a cost saver, using just a single outer envelope is also environmentally friendly! Put the solo outer envelope to work by listing the names of every person invited to the wedding.
If you are inviting someone with a plus-one, try to find out the name and address of his or her date and send two separate invitations. If that's not possible, address the outside envelop e to the primary invitee, with the inside envelope reading "Ms. Jane Doe and Guest." If you know whom they will be bringing, it's more personal to include that person's name on a separate line.
Recognize a judge by using "The Honorable," and list him or her first. It gets a little tricky when both the husband and wife have different professional titles. Generally, list the wife first: "The Honorable Pamela Patel and Lieutenant Jonathan Patel, U.S. Navy."
There's no need to have the husband's middle name, but if you do, write it out in full rather than using an initial.
Spouses of attendees should always be invited . When it comes to your pals' significant others or dates, to add or not to add becomes a question. Use your discretion depending on your budget and how long the couple has been together (six months is a good gauge).