Addressing and Mailing Wedding Invitations
Your wedding invitations should be addressed by hand using black or blue ink. Some brides address their invitations using the theme color of the wedding.

• Common titles such as Mr., Mrs., and Ms. can be abbreviated.
• Formal titles such as Doctor, Reverend, and Captain should be written (see below for more examples).
• If you are sending an invitation to a teenager, be sure to put a title before their name (Miss, Mr.).
• If you are sending an invitation to a guest and their children, do not put the children's names on the outer envelope. Address it to the parents and include the children's names on the inner envelope. Their name should be listed below the parents' names on the inner envelope.
• Be sure to also include the street address and zip codes on the outer envelope. The street name and state should be spelled out.

You should mail your invitations six to eight weeks before your wedding. If your wedding is taking place during a busy time of the year (such as Christmas or a three-day weekend), you should mail your invitations ten to twelve weeks before the big day. This will give your guests ample time to plan their holidays and weekends around your wedding day.

Also, if you are having a destination wedding, you should definitely mail your invitations early. A good time would be about ten to twelve weeks before the wedding. You want your guests to be able to make their travel plans in order to attend your wedding. Not only will they have to make travel plans, but they will also have to make sure that they have vacation time off from work.

Formal Title Examples

Minister:
Outer envelope: The Reverend Henry Jones
Inner envelope: The Reverend Jones
Roman Catholics would use Father

Rabbi:
Outer envelope: Rabbi John Bachman
Inner envelope: Rabbi Bachman

Doctor:
Outer envelope: John Smith, M.D. or Doctor John Smith
Inner envelope: Dr. Smith

Lawyer:
Outer envelope: Ms. Pamela Graham, Esq.
Inner envelope: Ms. Graham

Judge:
Outer envelope: The Honorable Michelle Harris
Inner envelope: Judge Harris

Captain:
Outer envelope: Captain James Hook
Inner envelope: Captain Hook

Professor:
Outer envelope: Professor Jane Vill or Jane Vill, Ph.D.
Inner envelope: Prof. Vill