Wedding Invitation Formalities from Nashville Invitation Designer Paperkuts Studio | Nashville Advice & Planning

There’s more that goes into your wedding invitations than you might think. Should you abbreviate or write out the full word or name? How do you formally invite children to the wedding? There’s lots of gray areas when it comes to this, so luckily today we have Nashville wedding invitation designer Kim of Paperkuts Studio here to help us navigate all of the wedding invitation etiquette. I’ll let her take it from here!

There are lots of formalities when sending your wedding invitations. What are some of the main ones couples need to remember?

Kim: When deciding on your wedding invitations, normally, you will need two pieces: the invitation and RSVP. Some of the main formalities one should remember are:

  • Do not abbreviate when addressing envelopes.
  • Invitation wording should be face-up when placed into envelope.
  • RSVP card is inserted under the RSVP envelope, face-up, on top of the invitation.
  • Always place postage onto the RSVP envelope.

How should you properly address envelopes for inviting just a couple vs. kids?

Kim: When addressing envelopes to a couple:

  • Married,  the outer envelope will read: Mr. and Mrs. John Doe
  • Married, but she kept her last name: Mrs. Jane Doe  Mr. John Doe
  • Unmarried and reside together is alphabetically by last name: Ms. Jane Applegate Mr. John Smith
  • Unmarried and do not reside together you will send to the person that is closet to the couple.
  • Same gender couples will be alphabetical by last name: Mr. John Doe Mr. James Smith
  • If the couple has children, they are not included on the outer envelope. When your invitation suite includes an inner envelope, they are listed oldest to youngest, placed under the parent’s names. When the children are over 18, they should receive their own invitation even if they still reside at their parent’s residence.

What is the correct etiquette for the wedding invitation – writing out the parents’ names for hosting the wedding?

Kim: When deciding on whether to include the parent’s names or not is totally up to the couple. Etiquette states that whoever is paying for the majority of the wedding has their names included on the invitation. 

Who should the RSVPs be returned to?

Kim: When addressing the RSVP envelopes, it is addressed to who is responsible for collecting them. It can be the couple, parents or even the wedding planner.

Do you write out guests’ full names rather than their nicknames? How formal do you need to go?

Kim: When addressing your outer envelopes, I suggest sticking to formality and writing their full names, including their title, Jr, etc.

Should state names be spelled out completely on the envelope or are the abbreviations okay?

Kim: State names should be spelled out completely when addressing the envelopes.

How much postage do you need to add for your wedding invitations? Do you recommend getting custom stamps or using regular stamps?

Kim: Postage is a tricky thing because it depends on how much is included in your invitation suite. The best thing is to have it weighed at your local post office. I love the custom stamps, but that is up to the couple and the style of their invitation.  

Wow – Kim, thank you! All of this advice on wedding invitation etiquette is super helpful! You can check out more on her Nashville wedding invitations on her website at Paperkutsstudio.com

Sources

PaperKuts Studio/Jenna Henderson/Sara Bill Photography