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General Etiquette for Social Stationery

Marni Wynne

Want to get it right when it comes to personalizing party invitations? Want to avoid social fopas and blunders when addressing envelopes? Here is a guide to the basics on sending social stationery.

Names: On Salutations and Properly Addressing Recipients
With the exception of non-professional titles like Mr., Mrs., or Jr., stear clear of abbreviations. Spelling out professional titles, such as "Doctor" and "Governor" affords the addressee their due respect.

• Proper: Governor Dirk Arthur Kempthorne
• Improper: Gov. Dirk Arthur Kempthorne

Proper etiquette dictates that the husband's title always precedes his wife's; with the husband's name closest to his last name.

• Example:
  Governor and Mrs.Dirk Arthur Kempthorne
  Doctor and Mrs. Michael John Shepherd

Always spell out middle names completely.

• Proper: Michael John Shepherd
• Improper: Michael J. Shepherd

Never address ladies as "Ms." in social stationery. The title of "Ms. is more appropriately used in a business like setting. Use "Miss" or "Mrs." when addressing ladies.

• Example:
  Miss Michele Shepherd
  Mrs. Patricia Kempthorne

On Envelope Addressing

• Addressing The Recipient:
  • Again, always refrain from the use of abbreviations in your social stationery. The exception being non-professional titles like Mr., Mrs., Jr., etc.
    
    
  • Professional titles such as "Doctor" or "Governor" should be spelled out completely.
    
    
  • Do not use symbols for the word "and" such as "&", rather spell it out.
    • Governor and Mrs. Dirk Arthur Kempthorne
      
      
      
      
• The Recipient's Address:
  • Write all house numbers in numeral form.
    • 1234 Tundra Court
      
      
  • Spell out the number "one" when it stands alone.
    • One I/D/E/A Way
      
      
  • Apartment numbers, suite numbers and zip codes are written in numerals
    • "Apartment 123" and "Suite 234".
      
      
  • Spell out states in entirety
    • Idaho, New York, New Mexico
      
      
  • Words like "Street," "Court", "Place" and "Avenue" are to be spelled out and not abbreviated.
    
    
    
    
• Return Address:
  • Your return address should be printed on the back flap of the envelope in a centered fashion.
    
    
  • The Recipient's address is centered on the front of the envelope.
    
    
  • Address envelopes in the same typestyle that you used for the baby announcement, party invitation or baby shower invitation.
    
    
  • Address recipient's address in a blue or black ink.
    
    
    
    
• Inside The Envelope
  • If the card or invitation folds, the front of the card or invitations should be facing the recipient as they open the envelope. If the invitation or announcement is a flat card, the printed side should be facing the recipient as they open the envelope.