Bella Figura

Digital Addressing

Make sure your envelopes arrive in style by taking advantage of our new digital envelope addressing service. Digital envelope addressing is available on all of our envelope sizes. It’s an easy service to use: fill out our form (we’ll send it to you after you’ve placed your order) with your completed address list and we’ll match the fonts from your invitations to create a perfectly coordinated set. Digital addressing is $2 per envelope, and we can print your return address, your guests’ addresses, or both. We can match your fonts to your invitations for a perfectly coordinated look, too. See all of our available ink colors here

Envelope addressing etiquette

The Outer Envelope

The outer envelope is addressed using titles, first and last names. Titles are abbreviated (Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr.) while all other words such as “Street,” or “Avenue” are spelled out. Nowadays, the order of whose name goes first doesn’t matter – unless one member of the couple has a higher rank (military, for example) in which case they should be listed first. Both names should be on one line if space allows.

Dr. and Mrs. Nathaniel Powers
14332 Moyers Boulevard
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87048

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Higgins
12 Spruce Ridge Road
Bennington, Vermont 05250

John Lewis and Helena Rawlingson
13345 Walker Parkway
Chicago, Illinois 60007

Miss Sally Peters
7 Locomotive Parkway
San Francisco, California 94102

Mr. Peter Levinson
45 Park Street, Apartment 14B
Brooklyn, New York 11211

Mark as helpful. 15

Addressing a Couple

Married, she uses her husband’s name socially
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Carter

Married, she prefers Ms.
Mr. Mark Carter and Ms. Mary Carter
Ms. Mary Carter and Mr. Mark Carter
[Mr. and Ms. Mark Carter is incorrect]

Married, informal address
Mary and Mark Carter
Mark and Mary Carter

Married, she uses maiden name
Mr. Mark Carter and Ms. Mary Jones
Ms. Mary Jones and Mr. Mark Carter

Unmarried, living together
Mr. Mark Carter & Ms. Mary Jones

A woman who outranks her husband:
elected office, military rank: The Honorable Mary Carter and Mr. Mark Carter
professional or educational degree: Dr. Mary Carter and Mr. Mark Carter

Both are doctors (PhD or medical) and use the same last name
The Doctors Carter [omit first names]
Drs. Mary and Mark Carter / Drs. Mark and Mary Carter
Dr. Mark Carter and Dr. Mary Carter / Dr. Mary Carter and Dr. Mark Carter

Both are doctors (PhD or medical), she uses her maiden name
Dr. Mary Jones and Dr. Mark Carter
Dr. Mark Carter and Dr. Mary Jones

Mark as helpful. 9

The Inner Envelope

The inner envelope provides you with an opportunity to clarify who is invited, since only those mentioned on the inner envelope are intended guests. Here it’s fine to refer to guests as you would in a social setting, including the children that are invited to the wedding.

outer: Dr. and Mrs. Nathaniel Powers
inner: Aunt Paula and Uncle Nate

outer: Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Higgins
inner: Mr. and Mrs. Higgins
Carrie Higgins
Carter Higgins

outer: John Lewis and Helena Rawlingson
inner: John and Helena

outer: Miss Sally Peters
inner: Sally

outer: Mr. Peter Levinson
inner: Peter and Guest

Mark as helpful. 6

Addressing a Woman

Maiden name
Ms. Jones
Miss Mary Jones [for girls under 18]

Married, keeping maiden name
Ms. Mary Jones

Married, uses husband’s name socially
Mrs. Mark Carter
Mrs. Mary Carter
Ms. Mary Carter

Separated, not divorced
Mrs. Mark Carter
Mrs. Mary Carter
Ms. Mary Carter

Divorced
Mrs. Mary Carter
Ms. Mary Carter
Ms. Mary Jones [maiden name]

Widowed
Mrs. Mark Carter [most traditional]
Mrs. Mary Carter
Ms. Mary Carter

Mark as helpful. 4