Wedding invitations are traditionally sent in two envelopes: the outer for the postal address and guests’ full names and the inner with the guests’ names only, in a shortened form. The reason? It used to be that wedding invitations were delivered directly from your servant to your guests’ servant, and your guest’s servant would discard the outer envelope before presenting the invitation to your guest in its pristine inner envelope.

Tradition dictates that the envelope be addressed by hand, in lovely handwriting or calligraphy, centered on the front of the envelope, in black ink (as this is the colour in which traditional wedding invitations are printed). The return address should be on the envelope flap and is traditionally blind embossed.

One could surmise that these traditions arose to create an addressing style that complemented the look and feel of the traditional wedding invitation. For modern invitiations, this could mean simply addressing the envelopes in a way that complements the invitation style. If you don’t want to adhere to the traditional guidelines, it is worth remembering that first impressions run deep: your efforts to make the outside of the invitation complement the inside will be rewarded with a truly beautiful overall presentation.

Following is a selection of examples of how to address your guests on the invitation envelopes:

MARRIED COUPLE
Outer Envelope:
Mr and Mrs Benjamin James Hadley

Inner Envelope:
Mr and Mrs Hadley

MARRIED COUPLE | INVITED CHILDREN UNDER EIGHTEEN
Outer Envelope:
Mr and Mrs Benjamin James Hadley

Inner Envelope:
Mr and Mrs Hadley
Madeline and Paul

Invitations to adult children over eighteen should be sent separately, even if they are still living at home. If the children are not invited, this is implied by the omission of their names from the envelope but in some situations may require further clarification.

MARRIED COUPLE | WIFE HAS KEPT HER MAIDEN NAME
Outer Envelope:
Ms Anna Montgomery
and Mr Benjamin Hadley

Inner Envelope:
Ms Montgomery
and Mr Hadley

UNMARRIED COUPLE LIVING TOGETHER
Outer Envelope:
Ms Phoebe Thomas {or Miss Phoebe Thomas}
Mr Charles Levin

Inner Envelope:
Ms Thomas {or Miss Thomas}
Mr Levin

SINGLE WOMAN AND DATE OR SINGLE MAN AND DATE
Outer Envelope:
Ms Phoebe Thomas {or Miss Phoebe Thomas}

Inner Envelope:
Ms Thomas {or Miss Thomas} and guest

**********

Outer Envelope:
Mr Charles Levin

Inner Envelope:
Mr Levin and guest

If a guest is invited with a date, the guest should indicate the name of his/her date when replying.

SINGLE WOMAN OR SINGLE MAN
Outer Envelope:
Ms Phoebe Thomas {or Miss Phoebe Thomas}

Inner Envelope:
Ms Thomas {or Miss Thomas}

**********

Outer Envelope:
Mr Charles Levin

Inner Envelope:
Mr Levin

DIVORCED WOMAN
In the case of a divorced woman, the proper way to address her is determined by what she herself has chosen, whether to retain her married name (with the title Mrs or Ms) or return to her maiden name (with the title Ms).

Outer Envelope:
Mrs Anna Montgomery Hadley

Inner Envelope:
Mrs Hadley

**********

Outer Envelope:
Ms Anna Montgomery Hadley

Inner Envelope:
Ms Hadley

**********

Outer Envelope:
Ms Anna Montgomery

Inner Envelope:
Ms Montgomery