Etiquette for Mailing Wedding Invitations

Mailing wedding invitations can be an exciting but complicated process. Wedding invitations require adherence to more formal rules of etiquette than most people are accustomed to. A little guidance will help you work through the etiquette required when sending wedding invitations.

Timeline

Mail out your wedding invitations six to eight weeks before the wedding date. Ensure that you order your invitations early enough so that you receive them in time to meet this time frame.

Addressing

Address the envelope properly. The addresses of your guests should be handwritten or printed directly on front of the envelope; labels are not appropriate. Street names should be fully written, not abbreviated. Names should be spelled out fully and any social or professional titles should be appropriately added. There are additional rules for addressing to people according to their marital status and for children. There are many freely available resources that explain the rules for all of the different combinations in addressing, and can be done with an Internet search.

Assembly

Assemble all of the components of the wedding invitations in the correct order. The invitation to the ceremony goes in first. All other enclosures should then be stacked on top according to size, with the smallest enclosure at the very front. The last thing to go in, and the first thing the receiver sees, is the reply card with its own self-addressed, stamped envelope.

Mailing

Check the weight of the entire invitation including all enclosures at the post office so that you know how much postage to affix; wedding invitations usually require more than one stamp because of their weights. You can often find stamps with designs tailored specifically for wedding invitations at the post office or on their website. Alternatively, you could use an online service that allows you to personalize the designs on your stamps for a fee.