Etiquette for Formal Wedding Invitations

Transcription

1 Etiquette for Formal Wedding Invitations Mrs. and Mrs. John Smith Doe request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Formal wedding invitations~those that are worded formally Mr. and Mrs. John Smith Doe request the honour of your presence. call for formal invitation etiquette. OUTER ENVELOPES Outer envelopes require full names, no initials, no abbreviations. Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss are correct. Doctor, The Reverend, Colonel, etc. are spelled out. Mr. and Mrs. John Smith Doe Suffixes The suffix junior is spelled out uncapitalized Mr. John Smith Doe, junior Although the suffix senior may be used among family members to differentiate between generations, unless a man has legally added senior to his name (since it would not have been included in his birth name), the suffix is not included in his formal name. A comma is not used before numerical suffixes (II, III, etc.) Mr. John Smith Doe III The terms, Esq., PhD. and other postnomials are not used on social invitations For addresses, everything is spelled out except house number. Numbered streets under 100 are spelled out. Apartment, Unit, etc. is spelled out. Directionals are spelled out. 152 East Twenty-second Street Saint Simons Island, Georgia Peachtree Road, Northeast Apartment 22-B

2 Use five digit zip code for formal social invitations Atlanta, Georgia not Atlanta, Georgia INNER ENVELOPES The inner envelope is addressed with only the title(s) and last name of recipient. Suffixes like junior, III are not included on the inner envelope If you are inviting someone to bring a guest/escort and that person is unknown to you, this is where you add: Miss Smith and guest or Miss Smith and escort or Mr. Smith and guest The phrase and guest is not used on the outer envelope and the word guest is not capitalized If you are inviting a couple who do not live together, only the resident should be listed on the outer envelope. Put the non- resident on the second line of the inside envelope (do not use and- that implies marriage) Miss Smith Mr. Brown If you are inviting children 18 and under, they are listed on the inside envelope only, under their parents names. They are listed by the names which they are called, oldest to youngest. The phrase and family should not be used Johnny, Sarah and Margaret

3 OUTER ENVELOPES ONLY (NO INNERS) This convention is a fairly new one and the rules are a little gray. I have tried to use the etiquette for conventional double envelopes and adapt it for what makes sense for single envelopes Unnamed guests or named guests who do not live at the residence of addressee: Miss Sarah Margaret Smith and guest Miss Sarah Margaret Smith** Mr. John Robert Brown ** Note: the resident should be listed first Invitations where children 18 and under are invited Mr. and Mrs. John Smith Doe Johnny, Sarah and Margaret Doe

4 Single Guests Unmarried Female (traditional) Unmarried Female (undefined marital status, or preference of recipient) Divorced Female, kept married name Divorced Female, back to maiden name Widowed Female Related Unmarried Females over 18 at same address Related Unmarried Males over 18 at same address Couples Women are listed first. If same sex, list alphabetically. Married couples (note use of and to signify marriage in the following) Married couple- she kept maiden name. Married couple- she has professional title Married couple- both medical doctors Married couple- both medical doctors, different last names Married couples- same sex, same name. Married couple- same sex, different name Unmarried couples who live together Unmarried couples who do not live together OUTER ENVELOPE INNER ENVELOPE Miss Louise Maria Starling Ms. Louise Maria Starling Mrs. Ann Brown Jones or Ms. Ann Brown Jones Ms. Ann Catherine Brown or Miss Ann Catherine Brown Mrs. John Robert Smith (this is traditional)or Ms. Sarah Little Smith Miss Anna Ray Smith Miss Susan May Smith Mr. George Howard Clark Mr. Luther Bennett Clark Mr. and Mrs. John Robert Smith Miss Starling (and guest) Ms. Starling (and guest) Mrs. Jones (and guest) Ms. Jones(and guest) Ms. Brown Miss Brown Mrs. Smith Ms. Smith The Misses Smith The Messrs. Clark Ms. Carol Marie Dubberly and Mr. Gregory Thomas Melton Ms. Dubberly And Mr. Melton Doctor Elizabeth Ann Jones Doctor Jones and Mr. Paul Randall Jones and Mr. Jones Doctor Elizabeth Ann Jones The Doctors Jones And Doctor Paul Randall Jones Or The Doctors Jones Doctor Elizabeth Ann Jones Doctor Jones and Doctor John Alan Moore and Doctor Moore Mr. William Pope Brown The Messrs. Brown and Mr. Peter McArthur Brown Ms. Ann Archer Davis Ms. Davis and Ms. Haley Alan Thomas and Ms. Thomas Miss Leila Jane Wheatley Miss Wheatley Mr. Thomas Bradley Lyons Mr. Lyons Miss Leila Jane Wheatley Miss Wheatley and guest The name listed on outer envelope or should be the person who lives at the Miss Wheatley address Mr. Lyons

5 Children Children under 18 Do not list on outer envelope Mr. and Mrs. Last Name Anne, Joey and Maria List in order of age, using the name by which they are called Children over 18 should have their own invitation, or can be listed together on an invitation if they are living at same address (see above for Unmarried Females and Males)You may want to split children into groups if there are so many that the envelope looks unwieldy. Miss Elizabeth Ann Corrigan or Mr. John Raymond Corrigan Miss Corrigan or Mr. Corrigan Miscellaneous Military Military protocol Clergy Clergy protocol If in doubt, call the clergy person s office and ask. Government Officials Government protocol Major John Edward Doe and Mrs. Doe or Major Susan Smith Doe and Mr. Doe or General William Smith Doe and Colonel Sarah Brown Doe The Reverend Doctor Charles Black and Mrs. Black or The Reverend Charles Black and Mrs. Black The Reverend Ann Carr Jones and Mr. Jones The Honorable Albert Butler French and Mrs. French Major Doe and Mrs. Doe Major Doe and Mr. Doe General Doe and Colonel Doe Doctor and Mrs. Black Father, Pastor, Mr. Black and Mrs. Black Pastor, Mother, Ms. Jones and Mr. Jones Judge and Mrs. French