Addressing Envelopes..Etiquette Question- Please Help!!!

The time has come to get my list to the calligrapher.. yeaaay >> I cant wait to be done with invitations!!! I have a few questions re: addressing the envelopes if anyone can help I would totally appreciate it.

1. Has anyone used inner envelopes but not have them addressed them?
-- I am thinking of not having the inner envelopes caligraphered just in an effort to save cost

2. Also if you do not address the inner envelopes how are you handling situations where you invite a 'family' i.e. parents along with their non-adult children (all young enough so that its ok that they dont get their own invitation =)) on th outter envelope...
Do you write

'The Smith Family'


'Mr. and Mrs. Smith'
Alex Smith
Samantha Smith


or

' Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Family'

3. If you do use inner envlopes in that situation how do you address the outter envelopes and the how do you address the inner envelopes??

Thanks so much!

http://www.calligraphy-experts.com/envelope_addressing_etiquette.aspx

Good stuff!.

I'm not using inner envelopes to save the hassle/money so I will be addressing the outer ones as follows:

Mr. and Mrs. John Smith and Family

This seemed like the best way to me and I don't think anyone will be offended.

Thanks this is a neat chart...

It assumes you do a caligraphied inner envelope though.. any idea on what to put for children on the outter envlope if you are not having an inner envelope?

I did not address my inner envelopes.

I addressed the outer-

'The Smith Family' if everyone was invited
(we invited children of close friends and family up to 1st cousins/their kids)

'Mr. & Mrs. John Smith' for just the couple

If an adult child lived in the house that had a serious boyfriend we sent 2 invites, one to each couple EXCEPT for a few of my BMs who got one invite for their whole house b/c I ran out of invites and those looked RIDICULOUS like, 'The Smith family and Mr. Boyfriend of my BM, & Ms. Girlfriend of my BM's bro' haha

I didn't do inner envelopes. I wrote everyone's name on the outer envelope so there wasn't confusion as to who was invited and who wasn't.

For example, this was for my cousin, his wife and their 2 kids under the age of 10.

Dr. and Mrs. John Smith
Michael and Kate Smith

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Posted by MarjorieFrank

I will be addressing the inner envelopes because I am a control freak and I want it to say specifically who is and who is not invited.

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Good point. I have ONE person who is bringing a child DESPITE the outer envelope ayinf 'Mr. and Mrs. X' but I didn't even bother saying anything to her since it was only one! But inner envelopes def would have prevented this! (Or I would hope haha but some people...)

We don't have inner envelopes. So on the response card we did :

__seats have been reserved in your honor (which we will fill in)
__ accepts __declines
___number attending

Felt this was a good way to avoid confusion

This sounds like one of the most tedious parts of wedding planning...


can't wait for it !.. .

I didn't have inner envelopes so I adressed mine as

Mr and Mrs Smith
Miss Jane Smith