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WEDDING ETIQUETTE

WEDDING STATIONARY: OVERVIEW

WEDDING INVITATION WORDING

WEDDING ENVELOPE ADDRESSING

WEDDING STATIONARY:
OVERVIEW

BEFORE

Engagement Announcements *
Immediately following engagement

Save the Dates **
4-6 Months before
(8 months for destination weddings)

Invitations ***
RSVP / Response Cards ***
Hotel Information**
Reception Cards / Map / Direction Cards **
Order 3-4 Months before the wedding date
Send 6-8 Weeks before
RSVP Date – 2-3 weeks before

THE BIG DAY

Programs**
Place Cards / Escort Cards / Table Chart ***
Menus**
Favor Tags*
Order 6 weeks before

AFTER

Thank You Notes ***
"Thank You", names or monogram on outside, blank inside, handwritten message.
Order 1-2 Weeks before the wedding date.
Send within 2 weeks after you return from the honeymoon.
Send no later than 3 months after the wedding.

*** Necessary
** Nice, but not necessary
* Above and beyond

WEDDING INVITATION WORDING

Names

All titles should be spelled out with the exception of Mr., Mrs. and Ms.
Middle initials should not be used. Either spell out middle names or leave them out all together.

Roman numerals ("II", "III"...), "Jr.", "Sr.", are preceded by a comma "Jr." is capitalized, but "junior" is not capitalized when spelled out. Use Roman numerals in names, rather than "the third" or "3rd".

Since the designation "Junior" is used primarily to distinguish the son when his father is still living, it is used on the wedding invitation. Senior is not used, as using both titles would be redundant.

There is a slightly different wording for a case in which the groom's father has passed away, and his mother's name will be included on the invitation. In such a scenario, the groom's name appears without the title "junior," and his mother is named as "Mrs. Herman Wright, senior" (again, "Sr." is also proper, especially in the case of a very long name).

Wording

All street listings in the address should be spelled out. Do not abbreviate "Road", "Boulevard", etc.
Spell out days, dates, and times.

Only proper nouns are capitalized - exceptions are where the line is the start of a new sentence.

Be consistent with your usage of "honour/favour" or "honor/favor." Use either the British version or the American version, but use it consistently (Do not mix "honor" with "favour", etc.).

"request the hono(u)r of your presence" should only be used if the marriage ceremony is to take place in place of worship.
For ceremonies in other venues use "request the pleasure of your company".

Bride's Parents Inviting

Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Dudley
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Katherine Lynn
to
Thomas Wright
son of
Mr. and Mrs. Herman Wright
Sunday, the fourth of October
two thousand fourteen
at six o'clock in the evening
Saint Andrews Episcopal Church
Fifty York Street
Lambertville, New Jersey

Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Dudley
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter
Katherine Lynn
to
Thomas Wright
Saturday, the twenty-sixth of July
two thousand fourteen
at half past five o’clock in the evening
The Inn at Lambertville Station
Eleven Bridge Street
Lambertville, New Jersey

Reception to follow

Mr. and Mrs. Dudley
request the honor of your presence
at the Nuptial Mass at which their daughter
Katherine Lynn
and Mr. Thomas Wright
will be united
in the Sacrament of Holy
Matrimony
on the tenth of May
two thousand fourteen
at five o'clock in the evening
The Church f Saint Andrew
81 Swamp Road
Newtown, Pennsylvania

Bride and Groom's Parents Inviting

Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Dudley
and
Mr. and Mrs. Herman Wright
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their children
Katherine Lynn Dudley
and
Thomas Patrick Wright
Sunday, the fourth of October
two thousand fourteen
at six o'clock in the evening
Saint Andrews Episcopal Church
Fifty York Street
Lambertville, New Jersey

Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Dudley
and
Mr. and Mrs. Herman Wright
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their children
Katherine Lynn Dudley
and
Thomas Patrick Wright
Saturday, the twenty-sixth of July
two thousand fourteen
at half past five o’clock in the evening
The Inn at Lambertville Station
Eleven Bridge Street
Lambertville, New Jersey

Reception to follow

Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Dudley
together with
Mr. and Mrs. Herman Wright
invite you to share in the joy
of the marriage uniting their children
Katherine Lynn Dudley
and
Thomas Patrick Wright
on Friday, the twenty-first of February
two thousand fourteen
at four o'clock in the afternoon
Holly Hedge Estate
6987 Upper York Road
New Hope, Pennsylvania

Reception to immediately follow

Bride and Groom Inviting

Together with their parents
Katherine Dudley
and
Thomas Wright
request the honour of your presence
at their marriage
on Sunday, the fourth of October
two thousand fourteen
at six o'clock in the evening
Saint Andrews Episcopal Church
Fifty York Street
Lambertville, New Jersey

The pleasure of your company is
requested at the marriage uniting
Katherine Dudley
and
Doctor Thomas Wright
Saturday, the twenty-sixth of July
two thousand fourteen
at half past five o’clock in the evening
The Inn at Lambertville Station
Eleven Bridge Street
Lambertville, New Jersey

Reception to follow

Katherine Dudley
and
Thomas Wright
joyfully invite you to share
in their happiness
as they unite in marriage
on Friday, the twenty-first of February
two thousand fourteen
at four o'clock in the afternoon
Holly Hedge Estate
6987 Upper York Road
New Hope, Pennsylvania

Reception to immediately follow

WEDDING ENVELOPE ADDRESSING

Invitations can be sent with either a double or single envelope. If using two envelopes, the inner envelope is lined, the outer mailing envelope is not. If using only one envelope everyone invited must be listed on the envelope, including 'and guest' and the names of children.

It is traditional to use the complete, formal name and address of your invited guests on the outer mailing envelope of a double envelope set and on the outside of a single envelope. Do not use abbreviations other than "Mr." or "Mrs." Spell out Avenue, Road, Street and State name.

	SINGLE GUESTS
	Outer Envelopes	Inner Envelopes
Unmarried Female	Miss Katherine Dudley or Ms. Katherine Dudley	Miss Dudley or Ms. Dudley
Unmarried Female with Guest	Miss Katherine Dudley or Ms. Katherine Dudley	Miss Dudley and guest or Miss Dudley and escort or Ms. Dudley and guest or Ms. Dudley and escort
Unmarried Male	Mr. Thomas Wright	Mr. Wright
Unmarried Male with Guest	Mr. Thomas Wright	Mr. Wright and guest
Divorced Female Kept Married Name	Mrs. Katherine Wright or Ms. Katherine Wright	Mrs. Wright or Ms. Wright
Divorced Female Resumed Using Maiden Name	Ms. Katherine Dudley	Ms. Dudley
Widowed Female	Mrs. Katherine Wright or Mrs. Thomas Wright	Mrs. Wright NOTE: Never use 'and guest' if recently widowed.
CHILDREN NOTE: Children 18 and over receive their own invitation. In the case of multiple children, list them by age, oldest first.
	Outer Envelopes	Inner Envelopes
Children Under 18	Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Wright NOTE: Do not put children on outer envelope. Only list parents.	Mr. and Mrs. Wright Valerie and Paul
Children 18 and Older Living at Home (Son and Daughter)	Miss Valerie Wright Mr. Paul Wright	Miss Wright Mr. Wright
Children 18 and Older Living at Home (Two Daughters)	The Misses Wright or Miss Valerie Wright Miss Patricia Wright	The Misses Wright
Children 18 and Older Living at Home (Two Sons)	The Messrs. Clayton or Mr. Paul Wright Mr. Kevin Wright	The Messrs. Clayton
	COUPLES
	Outer Envelopes	Inner Envelopes
Unmarried Couples Who Do Not Live Together	Miss Katherine Dudley NOTE: The only name on the outer should be the person who lives at the address.	Miss Dudley Mr. Wright
Unmarried Couples Who Live Together	Miss Katherine Dudley Mr. Thomas Wright	Miss Dudley Mr. Wright
Married Couples NOTE: Notice the use of 'and' to signify marriage.	Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Wright	Mr. and Mrs. Wright
Married Couple Female Kept Maiden Name	Mrs. Katherine Dudley and Mr. Thomas Wright	Mrs. Dudley and Mr. Wright
Married Couple Female Has Hyphenated Last Name	Mrs. Katherine Dudley-Wright and Mr. Thomas Wright	Mrs. Dudley-Wright and Mr. Wright
Same Sex Couples	Mr. Mark Jones Mr. Thomas Wright NOTE: List in alphabetical order by last name	Mr. Jones and Mr. Wright
	MILITARY
	Outer Envelopes	Inner Envelopes
Male is a Commissioned Officer	Colonel and Mrs. Thomas Wright	Colonel and Mrs. Wright
Male is a Noncommissioned Officer or Enlisted Man	Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Wright	Mr. and Mrs.Wright
Male is a Retired Commissioned Officer	Colonel and Mrs. Thomas Wright	Mr. and Mrs. Wright
Female is a Commissioned Officer, Male is Not	Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Wright or Captain Katherine Wright, U.S. Army and Mr. Thomas Wright	Mr. and Mrs.Wright or Captain Wright and Mr. Wright
Both are Commissioned Officers	Colonel and Mrs. Thomas Wright or Captain Katherine Wright, U.S. Army and Colonel Thomas Wright, U.S. Army	Mr. and Mrs.Wright or Captain Katherine Wright and Colonel Wright
	PROFESSIONAL TITLES
	Outer Envelopes	Inner Envelopes
Male Has a Professional Title	Doctor and Mrs. Thomas Wright	Doctor and Mrs. Wright
Female Has a Professional Title	Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Wright or Doctor Katherine Wright and Mr. Thomas Wright	Mr. and Mrs. Wright or Doctor Wright and Mr. Wright
Married Couple Both Have Professional Titles	Doctor and Mrs. Thomas Wright or The Doctors Wright or Doctor Katherine Wright and Doctor Thomas Wright	Doctor and Mrs. Wright or The Doctors Wright
Judge	The Honorable and Mrs. Thomas Wright	Judge and Mrs. Wright
Reverend	Reverend and Mrs. Carl Davis	Reverend and Mrs. Wright
Rabbi	Rabbi and Mrs. Jacob Schechter	Rabbi and Mrs. Schechter