Addressing Etiquette and Assembly

Now that you have selected your beautiful invitation ensemble and they are in your possession, it's time to assemble those invitations and get them in the mail! The first thing you want to do is take a completely assembled invitation, including enclosures and the envelopes, to the post office to get it weighed for mailing. Most invitations will cost at minimum $1.05 to mail and can require additional postage do to weight and shape. This amount will include the outer envelope postage and the reply card envelope postage, so remember to include this cost in your stationary budget.

Now you need to get your best girlfriends together and plan an "invitation assembly" day...the more help the merrier! If your invitation suite contains the following components - outer envelope, invitation, reception card, reply card and envelope - they should be assembled in the following fashion:

From top to bottom
Invitation
Reception Card
Reply Card (tucked under the flap of the reply envelope)
Reply Card envelope (and don't forget to adhere postage)
Additional inserts such as Direction or Accommodation Card
...Then place these components into the INNER envelope
...Finally you will place the stuffed inner envelope into the outer envelope flap-to-flap and adhere postage.

Rather you are hiring a calligraphist to address the outer envelope or using labels or writing them your self, there are certain rules of etiquette that you should consider:

• Avoid nicknames or abbreviations unless you are using the following salutations - Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss, Dr., Rev., Jr., Senior, Roman Numerals, etc.
• Use full titles when addressing the military
• It is okay to use a First initial if you do not have the full first name
• City, State and Numbered Streets are spelled out
• Avoid the phrase "and family" but instead list everyone who is invited in the household on the inner envelope
• Both the names of two unmarried people living in the same household should appear on the envelopes
• Your return address should appear on the back flap of the outer envelope

Until next time...WEDologize!