It is time to order envelopes for your invitations and you are probably wondering what the proper etiquette is…do I need inner envelopes or can I just choose outer envelopes for my invitations? No worries, we are here to show you everything you need to know about inner envelopes and outer envelopes!!
Traditional wedding invitations often come enclosed in an inner and outer envelope, however many brides nowadays omit the inner envelope and only choose to go with just the outer envelope. It really is a matter of preference, but if you want to keep the tradition, then here it is the reason why inner envelopes are used and the purpose of them.
You see, many years ago the mail quite often got dirty, and to protect the invitations for such special occasion, outer envelopes and inner envelopes were commonly used. The outer envelope could be tossed and discarded while the inner envelope remained in pristine conditions for the special invitation. Although in modern times this isn’t too much of a problem, the inner envelope continues to serve a purpose: it politely tells your guests exactly who is and who is not (by excluding the name) invited to the wedding.
For example, the outer envelope might be addressed to “Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Rohan” along with the mailing address (see below).
Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Rohan
912 Central Avenue
Saint Petersburg, Florida 33705
As the inner envelope lists every member of the family that has been invited.
Patrick and Alicia Rohan
Harlow, Avery, and Oshen
If the Rohans have additional children that are not listed (usually younger), then that means that the older children were the only ones invited. Should Mr. and Mrs. Rohan’s name appear alone, then that means that none of the kids are invited.
The inner envelopes also politely indicates that your guest many bring a plus one (example: “Rachelle and Guest”).
I hope you find this helpful as you are preparing to design your invitation suite. If you have any more questions about envelope addressing, let us know in the comments below. We will be happy to help you! 🙂