How to Address Wedding Invitations

Before we jump into the nitty-gritty, here are some basic rules of thumb to keep in mind. First, always use the complete, formal name of your invited guest. Your Uncle Steve? Formally, he's Mr. Steven Lewis Nelson. Use a guest's full middle name when you know it; if you don't know it, simply omit it. Never use initials—in fact, don't use any abbreviations at all. That means no ampersand, and no shorthand versions of "Avenue," "Road," "Street," and "Highway." This also applies to the State name—write out "Alabama," don't write "AL." One last thing: for guests bringing guests, the "and guest" is kept lowercase.

Traditionally, "Mr. and Mrs." precedes the male's full formal name.

For formal invitations, denote that a man is a junior by writing out the entire word in lowercase letters. For informal invitations, "Mr. Steven Lewis, Jr." is more casual.

In this case, the female's name comes first. You can also write "Mrs. Rachel Cooper-Smith," if applicable.

List your friend first, regardless of their gender, and his or her partner on a separate line below. Use "Ms." or "Miss" for single women.

Simply refer to her using her full, formal name and the title, "Miss."

Simply refer to him using his full, formal name and the title, "Mr."

Children's names are listed by seniority underneath parents' names, omitting the last names.

Children over the age 18 receive a separate invitation. Their names are listed by seniority.

List your friend first, regardless of their gender, followed by the formal name of his or her guest on the line below.

List your friend's formal name, followed by "and guest." Remember, the "and guest" is written in lowercase.

List your friend's formal name, followed by "and guest." Remember, the "and guest" is written in lowercase.

Instead of "Miss," go with "Mrs." or "Ms." Again, the "and guest" only appears on the inner envelope. On the inner envelope, refer to the invitee using her title followed by only her last name.

Write the man's formal name on the outer envelope. On the inner envelope, refer to him using his title and his last name, and, if applicable, indicate his guest using "and guest."

Use the couples' formal title and name on the outer envelope; drop the first name on the inner envelope.

Use the couples' formal titles and names on the outer envelope; drop their first names on the inner envelope.

List your friend first, regardless of gender, and his or her guest on the line below. On the inner envelope, drop the first names.

On the outer envelope, simply write the invitee's formal title and name. On the inner envelope, include "and guest."

The woman's name usually appears first, and can be prefaced using "Miss" or "Ms." On the outer envelope, write each formal title and name on a separate line. On the inner envelope, drop the first names and simply refer to each invitee using his/her title and last name.

Order same-gender couples' names alphabetically by last name. On the outer envelope, write each formal title and name on a separate line. On the inner envelope, drop the first names and simply refer to each invitee using his/her title and last name.

On the outer envelope, list the parents' formal title and name. Children's names are listed by seniority on the inner envelope, omitting the last name.

Children over the age of 18 should receive a separate invitation, even if they still live in the same household as their parents. On the outer envelope, write each invitee on a separate line. On the inner envelope, group titles together when applicable. For instance, the plural form of "Miss" is "Misses."

The plural form of "Mr." is "Messrs."

Separate by title on two different lines, ordered by seniority.

On the outer envelope, refer to a Judge by his or her formal title, which is "The Honorable," followed by his formal name. For a married Judges, include his or her spouses' title. If single, simply drop the spouses' name. For invitations with an inner envelope, drop the first names of both the Judge and spouse. If the Judge is single, add "and guest" if applicable.

For medical doctors, write out the word "Doctor."

For academic doctors, the "Dr." abbreviation is appropriate.

List the female first, followed by her husband on the line below. For medical doctor, spell out the word "Doctor," for academic Ph.D., abbreviate "Dr."

Include the female's first name too, if she also has a doctorate-level degree. For academic doctors, write "Drs. Ryan and Morgan Adams," and "The Drs. Adams." Drop the first names on the inner envelope, when applicable.

Distinguish between titles of the Reverend and his or her spouse, and drop the first names on the inner envelope, when applicable.

Drop the first name on the inner envelope, when applicable.

Distinguish between the title of Rabbi and his spouse, and drop the first names on the inner envelope, when applicable.

Distinguish between titles of the male officer and his spouse, but use the man's first name in the formal name. Make sure that you know the correct title, and understand your guest's military rank and service. This address applies to both active duty and retired from service officers.

Write the female's name first, with her husband or partner's name on the line below. Make sure that you know the correct title, and understand your guest's military rank and service. This address applies to both active duty and retired from service officers.