Wedding Invitation Wording

You can have the most gorgeous invites ever, but when it comes down to it, they need to be informative. They should spell out all essential wedding info - who's getting married, who's hosting and where, when and what time the ceremony will take place and where.

How to Address Wedding Invitations

To a Married Couple (Same Last Name)

On the outer envelope:

Mr. John and Mrs. Samantha Holt

Or

Mr. and Mrs. John Holt

On the inner envelope:

Mr. and Mrs. Holt

Or

John and Samantha

To a Married Couple (Different Last Names)

On the outer envelope:

Mr. John Holt and Mrs. Samantha Thuente

On the inner envelope:

Mr. Holt and Mrs. Thuente

Or

John and Samantha

(List the person you're closest with first on the outer and inner envelopes. If you're similarly acquainted with both, list them in alphabetical order.)

To an Unmarried Couple (Living Together)

On the outer envelope:

Mr. Joseph Hirsch
Ms. Rebecca Strecker

On the inner envelope:

Mr. Hirsch
Ms. Strecker

(As with a married couple, both names should be included on the envelopes, but in this case, each name gets its own line.)

To a Same-Sex Couple

On the outer envelope:

Ms. Celine Elgin and Ms. Jacqueline Purcell

Or list their full names without titles:

Celine Elgin and Jacqueline Purcell

On the inner envelope:

Ms. Elgin and Ms. Purcell

Or

Celine and Jacqueline

(Use the same rules you would for any other unmarried or married couple. If the couple is married, list the names on the same line.)

To a Married Woman Doctor

If a woman uses her maiden name professionally and socially, the envelopes should read:

On the outer envelope:

Dr. Anne Barker and Mr. Peter Underwood

If she uses her husband's name socially:

Dr. Anne and Mr. Peter Underwood

On the inner envelope:

Dr. Barker and Mr. Underwood

Two Married Doctors

On the outer envelope:

Doctors Anne and Peter Underwood

On the inner envelope:

The Doctors Underwood

To Those With Other Distinguished Titles

On the outer envelope:

The Honorable Jane Kelly and Lieutenant Jonathan Kelly, U.S. Navy

Or

Captains Jane and Jonathan Kelly,

U.S. Navy

On the inner envelope:

Judge Kelly and Lieutenant Kelly, U.S. Navy

Or

The Captains Kelly

Apply the same rules for military personnel, judges, reverends, and so forth that you use for doctors. If both titles don't fit on one line, indent the second line.)

To Children and Families

Younger guests can be included on the inner envelope of their parents' invitation by their name(s)—they should not be addressed on the outer envelope. For girls under 18, use “Miss." Boys don't need a title until they're 18—then they're addressed as “Mr."

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Abraham
Daniel, Jeffrey, Miss Brittany and Miss Kelly