The Complete Wedding Stationery Guide - Part 3

The Reception Card

If you are holding your reception at a different location than that of your wedding, you will probably want to include a reception card with your invitation. This is helpful in a couple of ways: First, it will not crowd the text on your invitation. Secondly, if you are inviting only some guests to the reception, it is convenient to simply add a reception card to the wedding invitations of those guests.

The card should include the name and address of the establishment with "Reception immediately following the ceremony" at the top of the card.

Assembling Your Invitations

The double envelope, that courtly feature of the formal wedding invitation, has its origins in the days when footmen delivered invitations to the landed class. At delivery, the footman would remove the clean invitation from its well-traveled outer envelope. The custom has survived, although with modern postal service the outer envelope is now sealed, with the inner unsealed and placed with the guest's name face up so that it can be read immediately upon extracting it from the outer.

Tissues were originally conceived in the days when inks took a bit longer to dry. Printers placed a tissue over the ink so that it would not smear. Today ink is quick-drying so tissues are not imperative, but used out of tradition. If you choose to use a tissue, it is the first sheet of paper that covers the printed text of your invitation. The large sheet of tissue is for your invitation, the small for your reply card and other small enclosures.

Place items in inner envelope in relation to importance and size:

1. Invitation
2. Reply card tucked under flap of reply envelope
3. Reception card
4. Other items, such as direction cards and accommodation cards, can be placed in order of size. If there are 2 cards that are of the same size, place them in order of importance.

Addressing Your Envelopes

General rules:

• Spell out all Avenues, Roads, Streets, Boulevards, etc.


• Use the complete name of guest: i.e., Richard, not Rich


• Write out numbers one to twenty; higher numbers write numerically


• Junior, Senior: should be stated on outside envelope, not inner


• A boy under age 13 is referred to as "Master"

DOUBLE ENVELOPES - Address Samples

Most of your addresses will comply with one of the samples below. If any don't, call us for advice!

Couple (married with same last name)

OUTER ENVELOPE:	INNER ENVELOPE:
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Johnson 100 Park Avenue New York, New York 10000	Mr. and Mrs. Johnson

Married, woman kept her name
Woman first or listed alphabetically

OUTER ENVELOPE:	INNER ENVELOPE:
Ms. Karen Connor and Mr. John Ryan 100 Park Avenue New York, New York 10000	Ms. Connor and Mr. Ryan

Man is doctor


OUTER ENVELOPE:	INNER ENVELOPE:
Dr. and Mrs. James Hunt	Dr. and Mrs. Hunt

Woman is doctor


OUTER ENVELOPE:	INNER ENVELOPE:
Dr. Marie and Mr. James Hunt	Dr. and Mr. Hunt

Both are doctors


OUTER ENVELOPE:	INNER ENVELOPE:
Drs. James and Marie Hunt	The Doctors Hunt

Family


OUTER ENVELOPE:	INNER ENVELOPE:
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Johnson 100 Park Avenue New York, New York 10000	Mr. and Mrs. Johnson Isabelle and Matthew children listed by seniority

Separate invitation to children over 18 years old, even if at same address

Two sisters

OUTER ENVELOPE:	INNER ENVELOPE:
Miss Isabelle Johnson Miss Renee Johnson 100 Park Avenue New York, New York 10000	The Misses Johnson

Sister and brother

OUTER ENVELOPE:	INNER ENVELOPE:
Miss Isabelle Johnson Mr. Matthew Johnson 100 Park Avenue New York, New York 10000	Miss Johnson Mr. Johnson

Two brothers

OUTER ENVELOPE:	INNER ENVELOPE:
Mr. Isaac Johnson Mr. Matthew Johnson 100 Park Avenue New York, New York 10000	The Messrs. Johnson

Unmarried people living together
Woman first

OUTER ENVELOPE:	INNER ENVELOPE:
Ms. Susan Smith Mr. Jack Roberts 100 Park Avenue New York, New York 10000	Ms. Smith Mr. Roberts

Listed alphabetically

OUTER ENVELOPE:	INNER ENVELOPE:
Ms. Roxanne Brown Ms. Josie Hunter 100 Park Avenue New York, New York 10000	Ms. Brown Ms. Hunter

Single person with named guest (dating, cohabiting, engaged)


OUTER ENVELOPE:	INNER ENVELOPE:
Ms. Susan Smith 100 Park Avenue New York, New York 10000	Ms. Susan Smith Mr. Jack Roberts

Single person with unnamed guest


OUTER ENVELOPE:	INNER ENVELOPE:
Ms. Susan Smith 100 Park Avenue New York, New York 10000	Ms. Smith and Escort or Ms. Smith and Guest

Junior/Senior


OUTER ENVELOPE:	INNER ENVELOPE:
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Johnson, Jr	Mr. and Mrs. Johnson

Couple
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Johnson
100 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10000


Family

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Johnson
Isabelle and Matthew
100 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10000


Separate invite to children over 18 years old, even if at same address

Miss Isabelle Johnson
100 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10000


Mr. Matthew Johnson
100 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10000


Two single people living together

Ms. Susan Smith
Mr. John Roberts
100 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10000


Single person with named guest (dating, cohabiting, engaged)

Ms. Susan Smith
Mr. John Roberts
100 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10000


Single person with named guest (dating, cohabiting, engaged)

Ms. Susan Smith
and Escort (or and Guest)
100 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10000

Mr. Jack Roberts
and Guest
100 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10000



The Wedding Guide | The Engagement | Planning - 1 | Planning - 2 | Planning - 3 | Wedding Clothes
Wedding Basics - 1 | Wedding Basics - 2 | Stationary - 1 | Stationary - 2 | Stationary - 3 | Stationary - 4
Ceremony - 1 | Ceremony - 2 | Ceremony - 3 | Reception - 1 | Reception - 2 | Gifts | Planner