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Please
be sure your address list is correct !!!
There is nothing more frustrating than having a beautifully addressed
invitation be returned to sender with postage markings all over it because
of an incorrect address. Please be sure to double check your addresses and
zip codes.
Nicknames or abbreviations should be avoided when possible except for Mr.,
Mrs., Jr., etc. You may use an initial if you do not know the full name,
or if the person never uses his given name. Cities, states, and number
streets are always written out in full, with the exception of Saint (St.)
or Mount (Mt.) which can be used either way. All street numbers, with the
exception of 1 (one) are written as numbers. (ex: 1269 Brook Lane)(ex: One
Brook Lane). Remember to include zip codes.
On
the inner envelope, you simply omit the first name - it always carries the
last name only with no address. Children are included on the inner
envelope on the second line, first names only in order of oldest to
youngest. If you have a single guest the second line is also where you
would add either "and Guest" or the specific name of their guest,
following the same format of dropping their first name. The phrase "and
family" should be avoided if at all possible. See chart above for more
detailed information.
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Assembling Your Invitations
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If
your invitations are single fold and the wording is on the outside only,
insertions are placed on top. If your invitations are multi-fold and/or
the wording is inside the fold, then insertions are placed inside the
first fold. The insertions go in the following order (from bottom to top):
-
Invitation
-
Tissue paper
-
Reception card
-
Map
-
Response envelope
-
Response card
(tucked under the flap of the response envelope)
This is all placed inside the inner envelope, printed side facing the
flap. The inner envelope is then placed inside the outer envelope, flap
side facing the front of the outer envelope. |
Tips from the Pros
Writing invitations is
not always the easiest thing in the world. To help you out, we've included
this list of general guidelines that you should follow when writing and
printing invitations and announcements. We hope you find this useful.
The Use of Titles
The husband's title
always comes first:
Dr. and Mrs. Harry Excell Judge and Mrs. Phillip Stone Mr. and Mrs. Emmit
Boyce
Without a title, the wife's name should come first
Sarah and Mike Shumaker
When children's names are added, the father's name comes first, followed by
the wife's and then by the children's names listed in order of age (with the
oldest listed first)
The Melvin Family Mark, Lisa, Faith and Steven
When using the title of Jr or a numerical indicator (such as "the second") a
comma should always precede the title
Jacob S. Astor, Jr. Garreth M. Pastuer, junior Phillip T. Morrow, III
For widowed or married women, never use her first name after the "Mrs." Only
use her first name when not using the title.
Mrs. Franklin Porter Connie Porter
The Use of Plurals
When names end in "s",
"x", "z", "ch" and "sh", add "es"
Adams would become Adamses
Manx would become Manxes
Lorenz would become Lorenzes
Baldwich would become Baldwiches
Cash would become Cashes
When a name ends in "o" or "y", add "s."
Kono would become Konos
Darby would become Darbys
Only use an apostrophe to show ownership, never to form a plural. Happy
Holidays from The Halls is proper (not The Hall's). Meet at James Hall's
house is proper. In many cases, the plural form of the name is not
desirable. The word "Family" may look and sound better, as in The Williams
Family.
General Guidelines
Never separate a man's
first name from his last. "Frank and Debbie Plum" is incorrect. It should be
"Debbie and Frank Plum."
The use of "request the honor of your presence" is reserved for events held
in a place of worship. For settings other than a place of worship, you
should use "the pleasure of your company."
Formal invitations require the use of full names. If a person does not care
for his or her middle name, the middle name should be omitted and not
indicated with an initial. The only accepted abbreviated words are "Mr.,
Mrs., Jr., Sr. and Dr."
Never use "Ms." on invitations or any other social stationary. The use of
"Ms." is reserved for business correspondence.
Any unmarried children over the age of 18 should receive their own
invitation to events and be listed as an individual on invitations.
When extending a formal invitation to which the recipient is invited to
bring a guest, "guest" is never placed on the outer envelope, only the inner
one.
Mailing Guidelines
Wedding invitations
should be sent out four to six weeks before the event. During busy holiday
seasons, you should allow for extra time. If you are having an informal
gathering, invitations sent out about three weeks prior to the event are
proper.
Remember that your event may compete with other holidays, plans or outings.
"Save the Date Cards" are a great way to notify your guests of an upcoming
event. They will be able to save that time for you and secure any travel
arrangements in advance.
To ensure that you have proper postage, weigh the invitations at the Post
Office from which they will be sent. Remember that size, shape, and number
of enclosures all affect postage costs.
Always order more
than you need!
Remember that it always
costs more to have invitations and announcements reprinted than to just
order extra ahead of time. You should prepare for the unexpected by having
extra on hand.
Of
course, these are just general guidelines. If you have a specific question
on invitation etiquette or announcement guidelines,
just drop us a line, we'd be happy to assist you in making your
stationery the best it can be!
