Wedding Planning Guide
All About Envelopes
How to Address Your Wedding Invitations
The envelope is your guests' first glimpse of your wedding invitation—create a beautiful first impression using our guide to everything envelopes, from envelope sizes and addressing etiquette to the finishing touches.
STANDARD ENVELOPE SIZES
ENVELOPE SIZE |
DIMENSIONS |
BEST FOR |
A2 |
4 ⅜" x 5 ¾" | 4 ¼" x 5 ½" stationery |
A6 |
4 ¾" x 6 ½" |
4 ½" x x 6 ¼" stationery |
A7 |
5 ¼" x 7 ¼" | 5" x 7" stationery |
A8 |
5 ½" x 8 ⅛" |
5 ⅜" x 7 ⅞" stationery |
A9 |
5 ¾" x 8 ¾" | 5 ½" x 8 ½" stationery |
A10 |
6" x 9 ½" | 5 ¾" x 9 ¼" stationery |
MINTED ENVELOPES
ENVELOPE SIZE |
DIMENSIONS |
BEST FOR |
AVAILABLE COLORS |
A7 |
5.25" x 7.25" | Classic 5" x 7" invitations Minibook invitations Letterpress invitations |
White Silver Kraft |
A2 |
4.375" x 5.75" |
RSVP cards Reception & Direction cards Thank you cards |
White Silver Kraft |
Petite Envelopes |
4.5" x 6.25" | Save the date magnets Four-panel invitations Petite invitations |
White Silver Kraft |
Standard Square Envelopes |
5.5" X 5.5" |
Square save the dates | White Silver Kraft |
Grand Square Envelopes |
6.25" x 6.25" | Square invitations | White Silver Kraft |
ENVELOPE TYPES
ENVELOPE TYPE |
FLAP STYLE |
A-style envelopes |
Square flap |
Baronial envelopes |
Classic pointed flap |
Euro-flap envelopes |
Flap with a deeper point |
WEDDING ENVELOPE COMPONENTS
OUTER ENVELOPE
The outer envelope is for mailing and features the guest's name(s) and mailing address.
- Guests' names: Guests’ names should be written in full on outer envelopes (title, first name, middle name (optional), and last name); avoid nicknames or initials. Use appropriate social titles as well, addressing married couples as "Mr. and Mrs." or "Mr. and Mr."
- Guests' addresses: Spell out all words in an address on your wedding envelopes. Rather than "St.," "P.O. Box," and "Apt.," use "Street," "Post Office Box," and "Apartment." This applies to city and state names as well; instead of abbreviations, write "Saint Paul, Minnesota" and "Washington, District of Columbia."
INNER ENVELOPE
Inner envelopes enclose your invitation suite within the outer envelope. While they’re no longer necessary with the advent of automated readers at the post office that leave your outer envelope relatively unscathed, an inner envelope can lend a sense of formality and create a keepsake-worthy presentation for your wedding invitation.
The inner envelope also gives you the opportunity to politely specify exactly who is (and isn’t) invited to your event, if it includes children or guests not named on the outer envelope. For example, on an invitation addressed to parents, the inner envelope wording will clarify whether the children are welcome to attend. Or, for individuals, you can include “and guest” on the inner envelope to indicate they can bring a plus one.
A few rules to keep in mind:
- Who gets a plus-one?
- Married, engaged, and cohabitating guests should get a plus-one.
- Give your wedding-party members a plus-one.
- Guests who’ve been with their partner for so long that it’d be awkward not to invite them.
- For everyone else, make a blanket rule, such as "only immediate or close family can bring a date" and stick to it (though you can always make exceptions!).
- If you are inviting someone with a plus-one, address the outer envelope to the primary invitee, with the inner envelope reading "Ms. Jane Doe and Guest." If you know whom he or she will be bringing, it’s more personal to include that person’s name on a separate line.
ENVELOPE LINER
Minted's envelope liners are an easy, do-it-yourself way to dress up your wedding invitations. Each liner fits perfectly into a standard A7 envelope and has a pre-applied adhesive strip, so assembly is simple: just remove the adhesive backing from the strip, slide the liner into the envelope, and press into place. They're available in a wide variety of colors and patterns, so you'll find a style to suit every wedding theme or aesthetic.
HOW TO ADDRESS YOUR WEDDING INVITATIONS
Follow our quick guide below to properly address your wedding invitation envelopes.
Recipients |
Outer Envelope |
Inner Envelope |
A married couple with the same last name |
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Lee Or Mr. Michael Lee and Mrs. Grace Lee |
Mr. and Mrs. Lee Or Mr. Lee and Mrs. Lee Or Michael and Grace |
A married couple with different last names |
Mr. Steven Craft and Mrs. Amanda Govorcin
Mr. Thomas Warbin and Mr. Alex Williams |
Mr. Craft and Ms. Govorcin Or Steven and Amanda Mr. Warbin and Mr. Williams Or Thomas and Alex |
An unmarried couple living together |
Ms. Kristin French |
Ms. French and Mr. Jensen |
A family |
Mr. and Mrs. Sean Atkins |
Mr. and Mrs. Atkins Ashley and Marcus Or Jenny and Sean Ashley and Marcus |
WEDDING INVITATION TIPS
RETURN ADDRESS & RSVPS
Including a self-addressed, stamped envelope for your RSVP cards is standard practice. This makes it as easy as possible for guests to respond in a timely manner and ensures the response card arrives to the correct address.
WEDDING INVITATION ENVELOPE PRINTING
Want to save time on your invitations? Minted will address your envelopes for FREE, in a variety of hand-styled fonts and unique designs that match your invitation. Simply upload your addresses, choose recipient addressing and select your guests, and Minted will include complimentary printed envelopes with your order. Plus, your address book will be saved for future stationery occasions, like thank you cards and holiday cards.
HOW TO ASSEMBLE YOUR WEDDING INVITATIONS
Wedding invitations are assembled in size order, with each card placed face up and the largest card on the bottom. For more detail about assembling wedding invitations, read our how-to guide.
STAMPS & FINISHING TOUCHES
CUSTOM WEDDING STAMPS
Minted offers custom postage stamps in a variety of unique designs to complement your wedding invitations—personalize with a photo, monogram, or message to complete your invitation suite with the perfect finishing touch.
VINTAGE STAMPS
Couples who prefer a more vintage look to their wedding stationery can choose vintage or collectible stamps for their invitation envelopes. You can find vintage stamps online via eBay or Etsy; however, remember that older postage stamps may be in lower denominations, so you'll need to mix and match several stamps to meet the postage requirements.
WAX SEALS & STICKERS
Wax seals are traditionally used to seal the inner or outer envelope with a special imprint, but can also be used to seal belly bands, as an accent piece on menu or escort cards, or as a decorating addition to a wedding favor. While you could melt and press your own seals for each envelope, self-adhesive seals are also available and can be customized with your design or monogram.
Custom stickers are another option that lends a polished finish to your envelopes without the additional postage required with wax seals. Consider a monogram or a design that coordinates with your wedding invitations.
POSTAGE & HANDLING
ADDITIONAL POSTAGE
Square envelopes, envelopes with wax seals, and envelopes weighing more than 1oz will require additional postage. Before mailing your invitations, bring a finished sample to your local post office to calculate postage and inquire about any additional fees.
HAND-CANCELING
Hand-canceling is a method of manually processing postage that is not machine-readable. USPS may charge a non-machinable surcharge per envelope or require additional postage if your addressing is done by a calligrapher, if you use one of our All-Script recipient address designs, or if your envelope is sealed with a wax seal. You can also request hand-canceling at your post office if you want to keep those machine-stamped marks off your beautifully styled envelopes. Keep in mind this special handling can add to the time it takes to deliver your invitations (as much as a few weeks!), so be sure to send them well in advance of your desired delivery date. Visit your local post office to calculate postage and inquire about the non-machinable surcharge.
WHEN TO MAIL YOUR WEDDING INVITATIONS
Typically you should send your invitations 6-8 weeks before your wedding date. For a destination wedding and for out of town guests, send invitations 3 months in advance to give guests plenty of time to make travel arrangements. You should also allow an additional week or two if your envelopes require hand-canceling by the post office.
