Envelope Etiquette and Formatting Tips

There are many different guidelines for how to properly address your envelopes. These guidelines assist in conveying formality and prevent offending your guests. Etiquette is all about consideration and respect. Below, I’ve compiled a list of the most common rules from several sources such as Crane’s Wedding Blue Book and Emily Post. I hope this will be helpful to you, as I believe it’s important for your envelopes to be addressed correctly. However, some rules are made to be broken. After all, these are your invitations and you should feel free to address them as you would like.

A few tips…

• Children over the age of 18 still living at home should receive their own invitation/envelope. Brothers and sisters may be sent a joint invitation.

• The title for a boy under the age of 8 is “Master”. There is no title for boys age 8-18. Boys over the age of 18 are “Mr”.

• “Miss” is used for girls under the age of 18 or girls over 18 who are still living at home. “Ms.” is used for girls over 18 who are not living at home.

• No abbreviations of names or middle initials should be used (ex: Mr. John Alan Doe or Mr. John Doe, not Mr. John A. Doe) If you don’t know the recipient’s middle name, simply omit it.

• Inner envelopes can list first names only (Ex: Jane and John) or be addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Doe

• The use of “and” signifies marriage, therefore unmarried couples living together are listed on separate lines without including “and” between them