Correct way to address invitations

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The envelope of an invitation is the first thing your guest will see and is essential in making a good impression. It is natural to judge a book by its cover and therefore, an invitation by its envelope. Addressing the envelope in a traditional, more formal style will signify its importance. The correct way of addressing invitations includes using two envelopes, a formal title of the guest, no abbreviations and no printed labels. Addressing invitations in this fashion is widely used for wedding invitations and many black tie events.

Things You'll Need

• Invitations with both an inner and outer envelope
• Black pen
• Addresses
• Stamps

Instructions

1. • 1

     Select an invitation that has both an inner envelope to house the invitation and an outer envelope that will be used for mailing. Response card envelopes will be preprinted with the address of the person issuing the invitation.

   • 2

     Write the return address of the person issuing the invitation on the back flap of the mailing or outer envelope. This should be done in black ink and hand written either by you or a calligraphy service. A blind embossing or engraved return address is also acceptable.

   • 3

     Address the mailing envelope in the center of the envelope. This should also be hand written in black. Use no more than five lines to keep things neat. The first line should be the guest&rsquo-s name and title. For example, &ldquo-Mr. John Smith&rdquo-. The second line can include another guest, if they are unmarried, or the street address. The third line will include the city, state and ZIP code.

   • 4

     Hand write the guest&rsquo-s surname and title in the center of the envelope, for the inside envelope. For example, &ldquo-Mr. Smith&rdquo- or &ldquo-Dr. Jones&rdquo-. Any children will be addressed by their first name on the inner envelope under their parents&rsquo- names and will not appear on the outer envelope at all.

   • 5

     Place the invitation in the inner envelope and then place the inner envelope, and other items such as the response card, inside the mailing envelope.

Tips &- Warnings

• Use a stamp in the upper right hand corner instead of a metered stamp.

• Do not use labels for either the return address or the mailing address.

• Do not include the hyphenated ZIP code on the invitation to avoid the look of a commercial mailing.

• Be sure to avoid abbreviations whenever possible.

Source: www.ehow.com

Tags: inner envelope, outer envelope, return address, address invitations, address person, address person issuing