Adressing Questions
Addressing Etiquette
Calligraphy Addressing Options
Instructions for Submitting a Disk for PaperTree's Addressing Services
Type Style Choices
Assembling Your Invitations
Mailing Your Invitations
Pricing
ADDRESSING QUESTIONS
We are sending wedding invitations to a couple with two children. Do we use "and family" on the outside envelope?
No. Wedding invitations are sent to the adult member of the household. In your case, the outside envelope is addressed to the parents who receive the invitations on behalf of their children. Their children's names (not "and family"), if you wish to invite them, are written on the inside envelope on a line beneath the names of their parents.
Should we use numerals or should we write out the numbers?
Numerals are usually used for the street number, although it is also appropriate to write out the numbers one through twenty. Numbered streets may appear whichever way is more aesthetically pleasing. Numerals are always used for zip codes.
How can I tell which envelopes are the mailing envelopes?
The outside envelopes have glue on them; the inside envelopes do not and they are also a bit smaller and many times have liners. To avoid confusion when addressing envelopes, it is best to work with one set of envelopes at a time. Address all the outside envelopes first. After those are all addressed, start addressing the inside envelopes. That will make it almost impossible to address the wrong envelopes.
I am addressing an envelope to a man and woman who are living together, whose name goes first?
The woman's name goes first.
A number of our friends are seeing somebody. We would like to invite them to our wedding. How is that done?
The nicest way to invite dates is to call your friends, get the names of their dates, and send them each an invitation. A less formal way is to address the inside envelopes with either "Mr. Clayton and Guest" or "Miss Clayton and Escort." Women who feel that an escort is unnecessary in this day and age prefer "Miss Clayton and Guest" or "Ms. Clayton and Guest."
CALLIGRAPHY ADDRESSING OPTIONS
Good news! PaperTree can save you time and ease your load by addressing your envelopes for you.
We offer several professional calligraphers who can address your envelopes by hand in your favorite script. Since each invitation is addressed by hand, please allow 2-3 weeks to process. Prices range depending on the calligrapher and quantities. Please ask one of our Invitation Consultants to show you our sample book displaying the works of our professional calligraphers.
If you desire calligraphy addressed envelopes for a fraction of the cost and time, you may want to consider our popular addressing service. We can address your envelopes in a wide assortment of typestyles and ink colors.
Simply provide your guest list on a disk, CD or via email formatted for an IBM PC in a Microsoft Exce1 workbook. Follow the preparation instructions below, select your favorite typestyle and ink color and we'll take care of the rest. No stress and hassle-free! If you do not have access to a computer, simply provide a typewritten or neatly written list. If you are in a rush, we can expedite your order for a 20 percent surcharge.
PRICING
Submitted on disk, CD or via email
Outside Envelopes $ 1.25
Inner Envelopes $ 0.40
Order time: approx. 5 - 7 working days
Rush Order: 20% additional to cost
Names submitted on handwritten or typed list: $0.25 per name input charge
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING A DISK FOR PAPER TREE'S ADDRESSING SERVICE
Please prepare your guest list in a Microsoft Excel workbook in the following order beginning with the first column.
Diagram 1
Open a new Excel workbook
Create your columns using the order and titles shown in Diagram 1 beginning your first header with "Inner Envelope Name" and your last header being "Country"
Begin by entering your guest information for the inner envelope
Enter your guest information for the outer envelope. Please note that you can abbreviate the state name. Our system will recognize the abbreviation and automatically print the state name in full (i.e.: WA = Washington) to meet etiquette standards. This applies only to the state category
Repeat steps 3 and 4 until your guest list has been compiled in this format
Insert an IBM-formatted 3.5" disk in your drive
To save your guest list, select File > Save As. Select where you want to save your file, usually drive A or 3.5" floppy A. Name your file; usually the bride's last name (as many letters that can fit for example, "johnson.xls". When these steps have been completed, select Save and save your file to the disk. Note: After your envelopes have been printed, you can always use this file to track guest responses and whether or not thank you notes have been sent by adding column categories to your file. You may want to save a backup copy to your hard-drive as an Excel document
Print off a hard copy of your guest list
Eject your 3.5" floppy disk from your disk drive and label with the name you gave your file
Place printout of your guest list and the actual 3.5" floppy disk in a folder and deliver to PaperTree. You can also attach your file to an email and submit your list via email. We will print out hard copy to use with the file
Once at PaperTree, you will need to select your preferred type style and ink color. We'll take care of the rest.
TYPESTYLE CHOICES
ASSEMBLING YOUR INVITATIONS
Assembling wedding invitations is really quite simple, albeit time consuming. For the most part, wedding invitations are assembled in size order. The invitation itself is first. The enclosure cards are stacked on top of the invitation, not inside. The reception card is placed on top of the invitation face up. Then the reply envelope is placed face down on the reception card. The reply card is slipped face up beneath the flap of the reply envelope. These are the most frequently used enclosures. Any other enclosures are added face up in size order (usually at-home card, direction card, accommodation card, pew card, etc.)
The invitation and its enclosures are placed into the inside envelope with the fold of the invitation at the bottom of the envelope and the engraving facing the back of the envelope. You can tell whether or not you stuffed the envelope correctly by removing the invitation with your right hand. If you can read the invitation without turning it, it was stuffed correctly.
Once stuffed, the inside envelopes are inserted into the outside envelopes. The front of the inside envelope faces the back of the outside envelope.
My invitations came with tissues. Should I send them or remove them?
All wedding invitations were once shipped with small pieces of tissue separating each invitation. This prevented the slow-drying ink from smudging. Before mailing her invitations, the bride removed the tissues as they were merely packing material and served no point in etiquette. Through the years, many brides, unaware of the impropriety of sending tissued invitations, left the tissues in. As this practice grew, tissued invitations became as proper as non-tissued invitations. Today, wedding invitations are properly sent both ways.
Where are the tissues placed?
Since the tissues are meant to prevent smudging, they should be placed over the copy on each invitation and enclosure.
References:
Crane s Wedding Blue Book: The Styles and Etiquette of Announcements, Invitations and Other Correspondences
Steven L Feinberg pp 104-105. Published by Simon and Schuster: New York, New York. c. 1993.
MAILING YOUR INVITATIONS
Wedding invitations should be mailed four to six weeks before the wedding. For summer and holiday weddings, many brides mail their invitations eight weeks before the wedding since people are more likely to be traveling at these times.
POSTAGE
Your invitations may require additional postage. The invitation size, the number of enclosure cards and even humidity affect the postage. To determine the correct postage, you should have your invitations, including the stamp on the response envelope, weighed at the post office from which they will be sent. Note: If your invitation has three-dimensional components that could puncture through the envelope, we suggest you have you envelopes hand-canceled by the post master.
The following is a general guideline when addressing envelopes to friends, family and colleagues. Taken from Cranes Wedding Blue Book: The Styles and Etiquette of Announcements, Invitations and Other Correspondences
Steven L Feinberg pp 96-104. Published by Simon and Schuster: New York, New York. c. 1993.
For a complete list in printable form, click the printer icon here:
Married couple
Married couple with children under eighteen living at home
Married couple with two daughters over eighteen living at home
Married couple with two sons over eighteen living at home
Married couple with a son and daughter over eighteen living at home
Married couple in which woman has kept maiden name
Married couple in which man is a doctor
Married couple in which both are doctors
Married couple in which woman is a doctor
Married couple in which man is a judge
Married couple in which woman is a judge
Married couple in which one or both members are lawyers
Married couple in which man is an officer
Married couple in which man is a noncommissioned officer or enlisted man
Married couple in which man is a retired officer
Married couple in which woman is an officer
Married couple in which both are officers
Unmarried couple living together
Divorced woman
Divorced woman who has resumed using maiden name
Widow
Single woman
Single woman who is an officer
Single woman who is a junior officer
Single woman who is a noncommissioned officer or enlisted woman
Single man
Single man who is an officer
Single man who is a junior officer
Single man who is a noncommissioned officer or enlisted man