Guest Addressing Etiquette Guidelines

There are many ways to address your guests on the outer envelope of your invitation suite. Some styles may suggest a more formal tone than others, so it is up to your preference on how you would like to address your guests.

Here are a list of suggested ways in which to address your guests on their envelopes:

Couples

1. Mr. and Mrs. Smith

2. Mr. and Mrs. John Smith

3. Mr. John and Mrs. Jane Smith

4. Mr. and Mrs. John and Jane Smith

5. Mr. John Smith and Mrs. Jane Miller - *When a married couple do not share the same last name

6. Ms. Jane Miller And Mr. John Smith - *The female should be listed first when the couple is not married

7. Jane and John Smith - *When a couple is not married

8. Jane Miller and John Smith - *When a couple is not married

Singles

1. Mr. John Smith

2. John Smith

3. Mr. John Smith and Guest - *Implies a plus one is included

4. John Smith and Guest - *Implies a plus one is included

Families

The etiquette for inviting adult children of families is as follows:
If they are 16 years of age or older, invited with a guest, or live at a different address from their parents, they should receive their own invitation. The decision to send these guests their own invitation is at the discretion of the host families.

1. The Smith Family - *If including everyone from the household

2. Mr. and Mrs. Smith (or any format from the “Couples” category) and family - *If including everyone from the household

3. Mr. and Mrs. Smith (or any format from the “Couples” category)

4. Rebecca and David Smith - *Used to indicate clearly who from the household is being invited.

Titles

Mr. – Used for any male adult
Master – Used for any male child
Mrs. – Used for any married female, whether they changed their name or not, or widowed
Ms./Miss – Used for any female child or unmarried woman
Dr. – If a guest is a doctor, they should always be addressed as such. This title will take the place of any other title. This guest will always be listed first, regardless of whether they are male or female.

If you have any questions or are still unsure of how to write out a specific address, please feel free to get in touch.

Good luck!

Raquel