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Addressing Invitation Envelopes & Calligraphy Needs

Proper forms of addressing Envelope

Socials ~ Weddings ~ Dances ~ Showers ~ Corporate Events ~ Holiday Cards and more!

Why Calligraphy?

Honor your GUESTS by personalizing each invitation envelope. By addressing each envelope in handwritten, calligraphy-style lettering, it brings a special touch to your event and will delight your guests!

The cost will depend on your calligrapher, yet well worth the praises and compliments you'll receive from your guests.

ORGANIZING the LIST

Gather the names and addresses for the completion of one master list. This master list can also be given to both sets of parents and also those hosting bridal showers. Compose your list into three categories: those to receive a wedding announcement, guests to receive an invitation for the ceremony only (or reception only), and guests to receive both invitations to the ceremony and the reception. Access your guest list from the following:

Personal friends of the Bride and Groom
Both Parents
Work and employment affiliations
Clubs and Membership Organizations
Church
Siblings
Work affiliations by both sets of parents
Special interest group affiliations

Calligraphy Service for Addressing Envelopes

PREPARATIONS needed FOR a CALLIGRAPHER

Advanced preparation is required before sending the list and the invitation envelopes to a calligrapher. After the list of names is gathered from all sides of the family, including business associates, co-workers, and special guests, have the list either computer generated/typed out, computer data base list, or neatly hand printed on 3x5 cards.

The outer envelope contains the addressee (excluding children’s names). The inner envelope contains only the title and last name(s), with the children’s names beneath it.

ORDERING ENVELOPES for the INVITATION

• Have the Return Address preprinted on the rear flap

• Order an embosser to hand emboss the return address

• Order extra envelopes in the event of messy spills or ink splatters

Order Large enough envelope size to accommodate full names and titles

BE SURE to have the calligrapher prepare invitation envelopes for both sets of parents and the bride as a souvenir & mementos!

ITEMS Needed

• Inner & Outer Envelopes

• Place Cards

• Table # Cards

• Food Name Cards

• Name Tags

• Wine List

• Menu

• Poem or Verse

• Family Tree Chart or Book

• Wedding Book

• Fill-In Victorian Certificate

Seating Chart?

POSTAGE

Have the entire invitation

And its contents in the Envelope weighed at the post office Before purchasing stamps. Extra Postage may be Required.

Ask your post master for romantic or otherwise appropriate stamps. The theme selection is quite extensive now.

Zip Code Look-up

When you hand-deliver your invitations to the local post office window, you can request that they be "hand canceled" with a rubber stamp, instead of by a machine. It makes the front of the envelope look a lot more attractive without the large ugly black postal markings all over it.

Unseal? Reseal? envelopes

So.....what if you have to unseal the envelope after you have sealed it? This is a terrifying dilemma--one that I don't care to ever have to repeat (true story). After calming self down, try the following.

The best way (and quickest) is to get a tall stew pot and place about 2 inches of water at the bottom. Bring to a boil, then lower the temperature. Place a strainer or grill on the top to allow the steam to funnel upward. Place each envelope (2 at a time) on the grill/rack for about 25-30 seconds. Test it carefully to prevent tears. Carefully open the envelope with flap out and place on a cloth. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. And, repeat until you've done about 350 of them! Correct your error by inserting the misplaced item in or what ever was neglected. Then, take the 350 envelopes (or whatever amount you have) and place each envelope face down on a soft face cloth on the ironing board. Place a soft, clean face cloth on top of the envelope. Once your iron is nice and hot press down around the seal area to reseal. You may have to press down for another 25-30 seconds to ensure that it seals well. You may find that you end up with a tiny ruffle or wave, yet it far beats having to re-address 350 envelopes! Tried the microwave--it didn't work.

Heirloom Wedding Certificates--a special gift Certificates

Shadowbox Ideas

PREPARE the LIST for Addressing Envelopes (2 suggestions)

Title	Name	other	Street	City	State	zip
M/M	John Smith	Cindy and Kyle	123 ...	Full name	not abbreviated	12345
Miss	Karen Talley	escort
Doctor/M	John Smith
Ms.	Karen Talley	guest

2 column list:

M/M John Smith (Cindy and Kyle)

1234 Street

City, State zip

Miss Karen Talley (and guest)

1234 Street

City, State zip

Addressing Guidelines

Addressing Guidelines	Outside Envelope	Inside Envelope
Married Couple	Mr. and Mrs. John Smith	Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Married Couple w/children under the age of 16 at home and by age (16 & above should receive their own invitation)	Mr. and Mrs. John Smith	Mr. and Mrs. Smith Kathleen, Kyle, Kim
Doctor	Doctor and Mrs. John Smith	Doctor and Mrs. Smith
Doctors	Doctor John Smith and Doctor Karen Smith	The Doctors Smith
Doctor (woman)	Doctor Karen Smith and Mr. John Smith (can indicate his name 1st)	Doctor Smith and Mr. Smith (can indicate his name 1st)
Judge	The Honorable John Smith and Mrs. Smith	Judge Smith and Mrs. Smith
Judge (woman)	The Honorable Karen Smith and Mr. John Smith	Judge Smith and Mr. Smith
State Representative	The Honorable John Smith and Mrs. Smith	Representative Smith and Mrs. Smith
Divorced woman (can include maiden name before married name)	Mrs. Karen Smith	Mrs. Smith
Divorced, yet has resumed maiden name	Ms. Karen Talley	Ms. Talley
Unmarried, living together	Miss Karen Talley Mr. John Smith	Miss Talley Mr. Smith
Widow	Mrs. John Smith	Mrs. Smith
Single woman	Miss Karen Talley	Miss Talley
Single and date	Miss Karen Talley	Miss Talley and guest or Miss Talley and escort
Single man (and date)	Mr. John Smith	Mr. Smith and guest
The President of the United States	The President and Mrs. Smith	The President and Mrs. Smith
Former President	The Honorable John Smith and Mrs. Smith	Mrs. and Mrs. Smith
Senator (woman)	The Honorable Karen Smith and Mr. John Smith	Senator Smith and Mr. Smith
University President or Dean	Doctor and Mrs. John Smith	Doctor and Mrs. Smith
Professor (may use "Doctor" if hold a doctoral degree)	Professor and Mrs. John Smith	Professor and Mrs. Smith
Foreign Ambassador	His Excellency The Ambassador of ... and Mrs. Cordova	Mr. Ambassador and Mrs. Cordova
Same-sex couple living together	Ms. Frieda Carlson and Ms. Roberta Lee (If the names are too long to fit on one line, indent a second line three spaces and begin it with "and")	Ms. Carlson and Ms. Lee

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Unmarried Couple (living together)	Mr. Thomas Black Ms. Jennifer White	Mr. Black and Ms. White (names listed alphabetically)
Same Gender Couple	Mr. Thomas Black Mr. Henry Gold	Mr. Black Mr. Gold (names listed alphabetically)

		SINGLES
TYPE OF GUEST	OUTER ENVELOPE	INNER ENVELOPE
Single Woman	Miss/Ms. Jennifer White	Miss/Ms. White
Single Woman and Guest	Miss/Ms. Jennifer White	Miss/Ms. White Mr. Gold (or "and Guest")
Single Man	Mr. Thomas Black	Mr. Black
Single Man and Guest	Mr. Thomas Black	Mr. Black Miss/Ms. Green (or "and Guest")
Sisters (over 18)	The Misses Jennifer and Michelle White (in order of age)	The Misses White
Brothers (over 18)	The Messrs. Jonathan and Thomas White (in order of age)	The Messrs. White
Brothers & Sisters (over 18)	The Misses White The Messrs. White	Jennifer, Michelle, Jonathan and Thomas (girls first, in order of age)
Widow	Mrs. Thomas White	Mrs. White
Divorcee	Mrs. Clark White (maiden name and former husband's surname)	Mrs. White

TIPS for Addressing Invitation Envelopes

	Try to avoid using "and family"
Do not abbreviate words i.e. Avenue, Boulevard, Street, County Road, Trail, State names, "Post Office Box...", when possible	Use full titles i.e. The Right Reverend, The Honorable, Colonel
"at home" cards bearing the couple's married name should not be sent with the invitations. This information may be placed at the end of the reception program or mailed.	Formal style of addressing envelopes dictates black ink and by hand--NOT typed
· Episcopal The Reverend (with doctorate degree): The Reverend Doctor Presiding Bishop: The Right Reverend Bishop: The Right Reverend Dean: The Very Revered Archdeacon: The Venerable Canon: The Reverend Canon ·Lutheran Pastor · Catholic Cardinal: His Eminence, John, Cardinal __ Bishop and Archbishop: The Most Reverend Abbot: The Right Reverend Priest: The Reverend Father ·Eastern Orthodox Archbishop: The Most Reverend Bishop: The Right Reverend Archimandrite or Priest: The Very Reverend ·Jewish Rabbi: Doctor or Rabbi (after obtaining doctor of philosophy)	Send the escort a separate invitation permissible to use "Aunt Karen" on the inside envelope spell out "and" permissible to use Jr., Esq., etc. Avoid using initials for a man unless he dislikes the name and prefers otherwise or it is for a business card
Common Abbreviations	1 One
Wy Way	apt. apartment
SW South West	Pl Place
Msgr. Monsignor	Pkwy Parkway
RR Rural Route	S or So South
Fr. Father	Ln. Lane
Cir. Circle	Terr. Terrace
U Unit	CR County Road

Print Shop & Paper Needs

Print out

Invitation (inner & outer envelopes)	Announcement (inner & outer envelopes)	Reception Card
Map	Reply Card w/envelope	Personal Stationery
Place Cards (regular, rim or stem cards)	Name Tags	Food Name Cards
Bridal Book/Registry	Pew Assignment Cards	Table # Cards
Change of Address Cards	Match Books	Napkins (tip: double the amount of invitations ordered)
T-Shirts	Ceremony Programs	Reception Programs
Scrapbook	Seating Chart	Autograph Books for Tables
Address Labels	Address Embosser	Thank You Note Cards
Family Bible/Chart	Menu	Gift Favors

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I Properly Stuff Envelopes for a Wedding?

Take the simplest approach by spreading your materials in an assembly-line. Pick up the following in order:
1. The Invitation Card (face up)
2. Tissue (optional)
3. Reception Card (always closest to the Invitation)
4. Response Card Envelope
5. Response Card is tucked in, under the flap of the envelope
6. Tissue (optional)

Remember to have the printed copy running in the same direction on all of these cards.

Place these items into the "inner envelope", printed side facing you. With the front of the "inner envelope" ---facing you ---insert it into the outer envelope.

When should I place my Order with a Calligrapher?
Each calligrapher maintains there own time schedule according to the amount of work they have.

Call and schedule a time frame with the calligrapher well in advance.
Allow a minimum of 4 weeks prior to the date that you intend to stuff the envelopes and mail out the invitations.

Why is it necessary to have both an inner and outer envelope for the invitation? This insures that the invitation and its contents are received in a clean envelope. Many years ago, invitations were delivered by a courier on horseback where the mail tended to become soiled. The invitation was presented to the servant of the household, who would discard the outer envelope and put the inner unopened envelope containing the invitation on the breakfast tray of the lady of the house. The invitation was always placed in double envelopes so that the lady would would not soil her hands on a dirty envelope, and have a fresh clean envelope to open. Although the reason no longer exists, the tradition of double envelopes for wedding invitations has remained (www.Victorian Elegance).

Is it necessary to use the tissues that the print shop included?
The tissue provides a traditional touch, yet is optional. In the old print shops, printers used the tissues as separators in order to protect the wet ink from smudging. Printing techniques differ today, yet the tissue is simply used as a traditional addition to your event.

The Age of the Recipient?
• Each family
• A person over the age of 16 (sometimes age 14)
• Couples living together (list both full names on the envelope)
• Individuals over the age of 16 living together in one household

When Do I Mail Out Invitations?
4-6 weeks before the wedding date, preferable 8 weeks if a response card is being used or during summer months or if the wedding is to be held during the holidays.

Calligraphy Service for Addressing Envelopes

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Nationwide service--Located in Texas

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Help Desk

Addressing Invitation Envelopes & Calligraphy Needs

Proper forms of addressing Envelope

Why Calligraphy?

PREPARATIONS needed FOR a CALLIGRAPHER

• Order extra envelopes in the event of messy spills or ink splatters

Order Large enough envelope size to accommodate full names and titles

POSTAGE

Unseal? Reseal? envelopes

Top 100 Wedding Site

Print Shop & Paper Needs

Top 100 Wedding Site

Site Guide Help Desk (325) 655-0344 valerie.tillery@gte.net