How to Address Wedding Invitation Envelopes

The short answer: on the outer envelope, write each guest's full name with their proper title, spell out words like Street, Avenue, and the state name, and give a household its own line. Everything below is the longer answer — the situations that make people pause halfway through a stack of envelopes.

A married couple who shares a last name

• Mr. and Mrs. Everett Haverling
  Traditional and formal.
• Mr. Everett and Mrs. Lenora Haverling
  Modern formal — both first names appear, which most couples prefer today.

A married couple with different last names

Write both names in full. Either name may come first; alphabetical order is a fine tiebreaker.

• Mr. Cameron Ellis and Ms. Jordan Monroe
• Ms. Jordan Monroe and Mr. Cameron Ellis
  Equally correct. If one of them is the guest you know, that name goes first.

An unmarried couple living together

Both full names, on one line if they fit, on two lines if they don't. Never combine them under one name.

• Ms. Casey Brooks and Mr. Drew Parker

Same-sex couples

The rules are identical. Shared surname, use the couple form; different surnames, write both in full. Order is the couple's preference, and if you don't know it, alphabetical is gracious.

• Mr. Ellis and Mr. Rafe Sundberg
  Shared last name — both first names appear.
• The Messrs. Ellis and Rafe Sundberg
  Very traditional formal option.
• Ms. Harper Lane and Ms. Rowan Diaz
  Different last names.

Doctors and professors

The higher-ranking title is listed first, regardless of gender.

• Dr. Lenora and Mr. Everett Haverling
  She holds the doctorate; her title outranks his.
• Drs. Lenora and Everett Haverling
  Both hold doctorates.
• Professor Odette Marchetti and Mr. Luca Marchetti

Clergy

Use The Reverend before a full name — never "Reverend" with a last name alone.

• The Reverend Corwin Ashbury
• The Reverend Corwin Ashbury and Mrs. Margot Ashbury
  One minister, one spouse.
• The Reverends Margot and Corwin Ashbury
  Both are ministers; traditionally the wife's name is listed first.

Military ranks

Spell the rank out in full on the envelope — no abbreviations — and place it directly before the name. When a couple includes one service member, that rank leads.

• Captain Delphine Marchetti, US Navy
• Lieutenant Colonel James Whitaker and Mrs. Ruth Whitaker
• Major General Robert Hayes, US Army, Retired
  Formal style places the branch and retired status after the name.

Families with children

Children under 18 who are invited go on the second line of the outer envelope, oldest first. Anyone 18 or older receives their own invitation.

• Mr. and Mrs. Everett Haverling Wren, Sable, and Linden
  Children's names on the line below the parents.

Plus-ones and single guests

If you know the guest's date, use their name — it is always warmer than "and Guest." Use "and Guest" only when the name truly isn't available.

• Ms. Thea Okonwe and Mr. Dashiell Vance
• Ms. Thea Okonwe and Guest
  Only when the name is unknown.

The address itself

• Spell out Street, Avenue, Boulevard, Road, and Apartment.
• Spell out the state name in full — Georgia, not GA.
• Numbers one through twenty are spelled out in the most formal style.
• Use no abbreviations or nicknames in the guest's name.
• Put your return address on the back flap, or the upper-left corner if you prefer.

Quick reference

More situations — widows, judges, government officials, and honorifics — live in our full etiquette guide.