What's In and What's Out? Inner and Outer Envelopes
Inner and outer envelopes have two valuable purposes beyond sticking with tradition; a tradition that dates back to the horse and buggy era. If you can imagine your mail took a beating en route to your home. The outer envelope was a way to protect the invitation from damage.
This is still one practical reason to have an outer envelope today. The second (major) benefit of having two envelopes is to clearly spell out who is (and who is not) invited to the wedding. So, if your struggling with the question, “how to I nicely say it is an adult only wedding?” – here ya go!!
Basic Rules
The outer envelope is addressed to the head of the household and includes the title + first name + last name.
The inner envelope lists out each guest invited to the wedding with title + last name and any kids listed below.
Don’t worry I will show you some examples below!
Having two envelopes is definitely more traditional and really sets the tone for a black tie, formal wedding. If you still want two envelopes but are having a less formal wedding that is okay too – you can break with tradition and add a personal touch to the inner envelope, such as “Grandma and Grandpa.”
LET’S BREAK IT DOWN BY SCENARIO
OUTER ENVELOPE
INNER ENVELOPE
SINGLE PERSON
Mr. Smith (and Guest)
or
Grandpa Smith
Mr. John Smith
MARRIED COUPLE
(same last name)
Mr. and Mrs. John Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
or
Uncle John and Aunt Morgan
Married Couple
(different last names)
Mr. Smith and Mrs. Jones
Mr. John Smith and Mrs. Morgan Jones
UNMARRIED COUPLE LIVING TOGETHER
Mr. John Smith and
Ms. Morgan Jones
Mr. Smith and
Ms. Jones
FAMILIES
(everyone over the age of 18 should receive their own invitation)
Mr. and Mrs. John Smith
Mr. and Mrs. John Smith
James, Sarah, and Corey
You don’t have to follow tradition but if you do, be sure the style fits the tone of your wedding!
The double envelope will help make it super clear who is invited and ensure your invitation arrives in perfect condition, but it is not for everyone!
Ready to find your style?
Hello!
I’m Bailey. I love the little details in life, candy coffee, and all things wedding - and that’s exactly what you’ll find here! A little bit of personal, a whole lot of detail, and absolutely everything wedding!
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