How to Address Wedding Invitations

Now that you have your beautiful wedding invitation – what is the proper way to address them? This post reveals traditional formal guidelines to help you put your address list together properly.

Although these are the traditional guidelines in addressing wedding invitations, they are just that – guidelines, so feel free to add your own style.

Single Guests
Unmarried female
Miss (or Ms.) Susan Walters
Miss (or Ms.) Walters (and Guest)

Divorced female, uses married name
Mrs. Victoria Franklin
Mrs. Franklin (and Guest)

Divorced female, uses maiden name
Miss (or Ms.) Shannon Ford
Miss (or Ms.) Ford (and Guest)

Unmarried male
Mr. Thomas Lynx
Mr. Lynx (and Guest)

Couples
Married Couples
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Freedman
Mr. and Mrs. Freedman

Married Couple – woman kept maiden name
Mrs. Lisa Morris
Mr. Greg Morgan
or
Mrs. Morris
Mr. Morgan

Unmarried couples who do not live together – send to the closest friend
Miss (or Ms.) Michelle Wright
Miss (or Ms.) Wright
Mr. Lewis

Unmarried couples who live together – alphabetical by last name
Miss (or Ms.) Rose Abbott
Mr. Timothy Cochran
Miss (or Ms.) Abbott
Mr. Cochran

Same gender couples – alphabetical by last name
Mr. Bradley Davidson
Mr. David McDonald
Mr. Davidson
Mr. McDonald

Children
Child under age 18
Nothing on outer envelope
David, Alexis, and Sarah (first names only, oldest to youngest)

Children over 18 – should receive their own invitation, even if still at home
Miss Abigail Bishop or
Mr. Kyle Smith
Miss Bishop (and Guest) or
Mr. Smith (and Guest)

Miscellaneous
Judge
The Honorable and Mrs. Al Root
Judge and Mrs. Root

Clergy
The Reverend Donald Pinker
The Reverend Pinker

Doctor (medical)
Doctor Benjamin Fry
Doctor Fry (and Guest)

Doctor (PhD)
Dr. Benjamin Fry
Dr. Fry (and Guest)

Married Woman Doctor
Doctor Susan Goodman
Mr. Scott Goodman
Doctor Goodman
Mr. Goodman

Married Couple, Both Doctors
Doctors Robert and Laurie Stephens
The Doctors Stephens

Officer – Man (active or retired)
Colonel and Mrs. Jeremy Scott
Colonel and Mrs. Scott

Officer – Woman
Lieutenant Beth Adams, U.S. Navy
Mr. Christopher Adams
Lieutenant Adams
Mr. Adams

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