Some of the more frequent questions I hear when addressing invitations are: How do I address a judge or someone in the military? How do I address the envelope when the woman is the doctor? How do I address my invitation of an unmarried couple or my single friends?

When addressing a judge you want to use the title “The Honorable”

If the man is the judge:
Outer Envelope:  The Honorable Rick Morris and Mrs. Morris
Inner Envelope: Judge and Mrs. Morris

If the woman is the judge:
Outer Envelope: The Honorable Samantha Morris and Mr. Rick Morris
Inner Envelope: Judge Morris and Mr. Morris

When addressing someone in the military there are many different ways to do this. If the officers are of different ranks, list the name of the higher-ranking officer first regardless of gender. If the guests have the same rank, list the woman first.  Never abbreviate their titles.

Married Couple with same ranking service:
Outer Envelope: Captain Christine Edenburg and Captain Mark Edenburg
Inner Envelope: Captains Christine and Mark Edenburg

Married Couple with different ranking service:
Outer Envelope:  Lieutenant John Smith and Captain Margret Smith
Inner Envelope: Lieutenant and Captain Smith

When addressing an unmarried couple the woman’s name should appear on the first line and the man’s on the second. For same sex couples, the names may be ordered alphabetically or to your own preference.

When addressing to a single friend who will bring a date. The best way to do this is to call your friends and get the names of their dates and send them each an invitation. A less formal way is to address them with either “Mr. Michael Rohan and Guest”.

If you have any other questions regarding addressing contact me anytime at [email protected].