Preparing your Invitation List

Take the extra time to prepare your addresses carefully. If you are uncertain about the ZIP code, use the US Postal Service Zip+4 Look Up. Besides providing the ZIP code, the US Postal Service can also assist with any questions you may have about spelling and exact addresses. Your guests will appreciate it, and you will know that your invitations will be delivered in a timely manner.

You may choose to adhere to strict envelope addressing etiquette, in which case you might want to consult the resources on Address Etiquette. There you will find the proper way to address an envelope to two married doctors, for instance, or to a judge and his wife. Or you may feel that the occasion calls for "Aunt Sue and Uncle John" penned on the inner envelope. The choice is up to you.

In any event, you will want to provide complete information about what is to be written on the outside envelope as well as what is to go on the inner envelope (if there is one). This is covered on the next page, Formatting your Address List