Paper by Appointment is pleased to help you solve the mystery of envelope addressing!  In modern times, there are many ways to address your envelopes appropriately based on the marital status, family status or living arrangements of your guests.  Here are several examples:

Married couple (formal)

Outer: Mr. and Mrs. Paul Kennedy
Inner: Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy

Married couple (informal)

Outer: Mr. and Mrs. Paul Kennedy
                    OR
          Tracy and Paul Kennedy
Inner: Tracy and Paul

Married couple with children under 18 living at home (formal)

Outer: Mr. and Mrs. Paul Ruiz
Inner: Mr. and Mrs. Ruiz
           Miss Barbara Ruiz
           Master Adam Ruiz

Married couple with children under 18 living at home (informal)

Outer: Mr. and Mrs. Paul Ruiz
Inner: Hazel and Paul
          Barbara and Adam

Married couple, different last names (formal)

Outer: Mrs. Jill Livingston and Mr. Alexander Sanders
           OR
          Ms. Jill Livingston and Mr. Alexander Sanders

Inner: Mrs. Livingston and  Mr. Sanders           OR
          Ms. Livingston and Mr. Sanders

Married couple, different last names (informal)

                   Outer: Mrs. Jill Livingston and Mr. Alexander Sanders
                   Inner: Jill and Alexander

Married couple, woman has hyphenated last name (formal)

Outer: Mrs. Jill Livingston-Sanders and Mr. Alexander Sanders
Inner: Mrs. Livingston-Sanders and  Mr. Sanders

Married couple, woman has hyphenated last name (informal)

                   Outer: Mrs. Jill Livingston-Sanders and Mr. Alexander Sanders
                   Inner: Jill and Alexander

Married couple, both are doctors, different last names

                  Outer: Dr. Jill Livingston and Dr. Alexander Sanders
                  Inner: Dr. Livingston and Dr. Sanders

Married couple, both are doctors, same last name

                 Outer: Dr. Jill Sanders and Dr. Alexander Sanders
                  Inner: The Doctors Sanders

Married couple, woman is doctor, (formal)

                Outer: Dr. Marie Hunt and Mr. James Hunt
                Inner: Dr. Hunt and Mr. Hunt

Married couple, woman is doctor, (informal)

                 Outer: Dr. Marie Hunt and Mr. James Hunt
                 Inner: Marie and James

Married couple, woman is doctor, different last names (formal)

Outer: Dr. Elaine Atkins and Mr. William Lipton
Inner: Dr. Atkins and Mr. Lipton

Married couple, woman is doctor, different last names (informal)

       Outer: Dr. Elaine Atkins and Mr. William Lipton
        Inner: Elaine and William

Married couple, man is a judge

                Outer:  The Honorable and Mrs. Troy Maxwell Clayton
                Inner: Judge and Mrs. Clayton

Married couple, woman is a judge

               Outer: The Honorable Christine Pritchett Clayton and Mr. Troy Maxwell
               Inner: Judge Clayton and Mr. Clayton

Two sisters (formal)

    Outer: Miss Isabelle Johnson
              Miss Renee Johnson
     Inner: The Misses Johnson

Two sisters (informal)

    Outer: Miss Isabelle Johnson
              Miss Renee Johnson
     Inner: Isabelle and Renee

Two brothers (formal)

    Outer: Mr. Isaac Johnson
              Mr. Matthew Johnson
     Inner: The Messrs. Johnson

Two brothers (informal)

     Outer: Mr. Isaac Johnson
               Mr. Matthew Johnson
     Inner: Isaac and Matthew

Sister and brother (formal)

     Outer: Miss Isabelle Johnson
                Mr. Matthew Johnson
     Inner: Miss Johnson
              Mr. Johnson

Sister and brother (informal)

    Outer: Miss Isabelle Johnson
               Mr. Matthew Johnson
     Inner: Isabelle and Matthew

Single woman, with or without guest (formal)

    Outer: Miss/Ms. Jill Marie Livingston
    Inner: Miss/Ms. Livingston
                     OR
          Miss/Ms. Livingston and guest
                     OR
          Miss/Ms. Jill Livingston
          Mr. Charles Smith

Single woman, with or without guest (informal)

Outer: Miss/Ms. Jill Marie Livingston
Inner: Jill
                  OR
          Jill and guest
                   OR
          Jill and Charles

Single man (formal)

Outer: Mr. Alexander Sanders
Inner: Mr. Sanders
                  OR
           Mr. Sanders and guest
                 OR
           Mr. Alexander Sanders
           Miss/Ms. Jill Livingston

Single man (informal)

Outer: Mr. Alexander Sanders
Inner: Alexander
                  OR
           Alexander and guest
                 OR
           Alexander and Jill

Divorced woman

Outer: Mrs./Ms. Jill Marie Sanders
Inner: Mrs./Ms. Sanders

Widow

Outer: Mrs. Alexander Sanders
Inner: Mrs. Sanders

Couple living together

Outer: Ms. Jill Livingston
          Mr. Alexander Sanders
Inner: Ms. Livingston
          Mr. Sanders

Two adult males living together
(alphabetically in this case, or by personal preference)

       Outer: Mr. Alexander Sanders
                  Mr. Michael Trask
       Inner: Mr. Sanders
                 Mr. Trask

Two adult females living together
(alphabetically, or by personal preference in this case)

       Outer: Miss/Ms. Jill Livingston
                  Miss/Ms. Betsy Hamilton
       Inner: Miss/Ms. Livingston
                Miss/Ms. Hamilton

Married couple with children under 18 living at home

                 Mr. and Mrs. Richard Johnson
                       Isabelle and Matthew

Single person with unnamed guest

                      Ms. Susan Smith
                           and guest

The return address is printed on the envelope flap and traditionally should be the address of those hosting the event.  If it is a wedding and the bride’s parents are hosting then it should be the bride’s parents’ address – names are not commonly used with a formal return address.  If the bride will be taking care of the responses it is okay to use her address for the return address.  Please note, guests who are unable to attend or who wish to send their gift before or after your wedding date will use this address to send packages.

Use titles consistently.  Courtesy titles may be abbreviated, such as Mr., Mrs. and Dr.  All guests should be titled or not.

Junior, Senior should be stated on outside envelope, not inner envelope.

Initials should not be used for middle names.  Leave them in or out.  However, if a guest never used his or her first given name, do not use it in the address.  An initial is acceptable here.

For formal invitations, abbreviations should not be used for Street, Drive, Avenue, Apartment, or for cities and states.  Abbreviations can be appropriate for informal invitations.

Street numbers under 20 should be written out.

Children and guest escorts should not be mentioned on outer envelopes, unless you are using single envelopes only.

If you know who your guest will be bringing, include their name in your address.

Children over the age of 18, still living at home, should each receive their own invitation.

Adults not romantically involved, living in the same household, should each receive their own invitation.

Consider sending an invitation to the President of the United States or the Queen of England.  They will reply back to you with a lovely letter wishing you well on your wedding.  What a neat keepsake!  Their respective addresses are:

       President and Mrs. George Walker Bush
                      The White House                                             
                Greetings Office, Room 39 
        1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest                                              
      Washington, District of Columbia  20500

           Her Majesty the Queen of England
                     Buckingham Palace                                                            
                       London, England                                             

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