• Gather your lists of invitees before you order the invitations.
  
  
• Order at least 25 more invitations and envelopes than you think you will need (to cover mistakes in addressing, re-mailing to a current address, to cover last-minute "must haves"). It's much more expensive to re-order than to order more than you need at the beginning.
  
  
• Type/print the list of names with the appropriate titles: Mr., Mrs., Dr., Ms., Reverend, Captain, Lieutenant, Rabbi, Fr., Messrs., Honorable, etc.
  
  For more information, see pages 34 - 36 in the U.S. Army guide for titles and forms of address for U.S. officials.A Guide to Protocol and Etiquette for Official Entertainment
  
  
• If a widow: Mrs. John Smith; If divorced: Mrs. Susan Smith.
  
  
• For children over 18 and living at home, they receive their own invitation or are listed separately on their parent's:
  Mr. and Mrs. John Smith
  Ms. Melissa Smith
  
  
• If inviting two people sharing a home or living together, or a married couple with different names, use both full names:
  Dr. Susan Davis
  Mr. James Rosser
  
  
• If inviting children under 18, their individual names (or/and Family) are listed below their parents' names on the inside envelope:
  Mr. and Mrs. Smith
  Sue, Bret and Mike
  
  
• If you are graciously inviting single people to bring a guest, this appears on the inside envelope: Mr. Jurgen and Guest.
  
  
• When purchasing postage for the outer envelopes, take a fully stuffed envelope (invitation, inner envelope, response card/envelope, reception card, map, etc.) to the post office. Correct postage is determined by weight and size. If sending different enclosures to differing groups of people, take an example of each. Remember, postage to foreign countries is higher. And, if you are sending invitations to other countries, do not pre-stamp the response envelope. U.S. postage can only be used for mail originating in the U.S., territories or through the armed services.
  
  
• If you've ordered "thank you" notes for your wedding gifts with the names of the bride and groom, you can write, seal and stamp the thank you note as the gift is received, but do not send out before the actual marriage ceremony is performed. (Writing the "thank you's" as gifts are received is much easier than doing them all at once. Just mail them after the wedding or on your return from your honeymoon.)
  
  
• Set up a card file, loose-leaf notebook, or computer program with:
  • Response: Shower Gift/Thank You Wedding Gift/Thank You
  • Y/N # (What?) Sent? (What?) Sent?
  • Name
  • Address
  • City, State, Zip
    
    
• Lastly, don’t forget to order your reception place cards and wedding place card holders for all of your guests who return the response card.

- Helaine Hamelstein