Addressing Envelopes

You've ordered your personalized greeting cards and carefully organized the list of recipients. Now it's time to learn about greeting card etiquette and addressing envelopes.

Should You Handwrite or Use Address Labels?

Hand addressing the envelopes is customary when sending greeting cards and will add a personal touch that your clients, friends and family will notice. Ordering your cards earlier in the year affords you time to tackle this project over an extended period. However, labels are a modern convenience that will certainly alleviate the time associated with this task.

Use the following guidelines when affixing labels rather than addressing the envelopes yourself.

• The labels should be clear. It's unlikely that any opaque label you select will exactly match the color of the envelope, drawing attention to the fact that a label is being used.
• Enter the names and addresses in correct caps and lower case format.
• It is recommended to spell rather than abbreviate state names and directives such as "street" and "road."
• Use a tasteful computer font, in at least a 10 point size.

Where to Send the Card and the General Format for addressing an envelope:

If the recipient is a business contact whom you do not know in a social setting, the card should be addressed to the individual at the company using the following format:

Mr. Nathaniel Foster ABC Company
123 N. Main Street
Cherry Hill, New Jersey 08002

However, if the recipient is a business contact whom you know on a personal level, the card should be sent to their home and you should include the spouse's name.

Tricky Situations

Now don't panic – here are a few tips to cover the majority of dilemmas you'll face when addressing envelopes to various individuals.

• Standard Titles

  
  Always use proper titles. “Mr. Nathaniel Foster” or “Mr. and Mrs. Nathaniel Foster” are recommended over the more casual format of “Nathaniel Foster” or “Nathaniel and Tara Foster”
  
  

• Professional Titles

  
  If individuals possess titles for medical or legal occupations, use the title instead of the professional initials. For example, “Dr. and Mrs. Nathaniel Foster” instead of “Nathaniel Foster, M.D. and Mrs. Foster.”
  
  

• Both Doctors?

  
  If you’re addressing doctors who are husband and wife, use “The Doctors Foster.” But if the couple uses different last names, place the husband’s name first and set it up as follows:

  “Dr. Nathaniel Foster and Dr. Tara Ramsey”

• What if only the wife is the doctor?

  
  Proper etiquette calls for the individual who has the title to be listed first:

  “Dr. Tara Foster and Mr. Nathaniel Foster”

• Longer Names

  
  Addressing it all on the same line is preferred, but sometimes both names are just too long. Set the husband’s name on the first line and indent the wife’s name on a second line:

  Councilman Nathaniel Davis Foster and Mrs. Foster

• Unmarried Couples

  
  If partners are not married but share the same address, the correct format is to use separate lines. Set it up alphabetically and do not use the word “and.”

  Ms. Tara Ramsey
  Mr. Nathaniel Foster

• Ranking

  
  Whether it’s the man or woman, the person with the highest rank is listed first:

  “Colonel Tara Foster and Lieutenant Nathaniel Foster”

Now that you have learned how to address an envelope, it’s time to start sending out those cards!