Proper Protocol: Are address labels acceptable?

We recently received the following inquiry, along with other similar ones in the recent months. We thought it would be a great topic to address in our blog....


Interprintations,

I'm helping my sister with her upcoming wedding, and volunteered to help with the addressing of her invitations. We are looking for a way to get these done quickly, and were wondering if it's ok to use labels for the guest addresses? Also, can labels be used on the bridal shower & rehearsal dinner invitations?

Thanks for your help,

C.L.



When it comes to wedding invitations, it is best to stray away from using printed labels to address the envelopes. I know a lot of brides are tempted to print their guest addresses on labels - but don't do it! It is a big invitation faux-pax that can easily be avoided.

Not only is it traditional to hand-write the addresses yourself {or hire a calligrapher}, it also preserves the "personal" touch to a wedding invitation. If someone is close enough to you that they deserve a personal invitation, then you should take a quick moment to hand-address the envelope.

Labels also detract from the appearance of your lovely, colorful invitations. What ruins a gorgeous envelope more than a big white label? Take a few moments to hand-write the address & preserve the loveliness of you invitation. A label will also make your invitation look like a mass-produced mailer, and can possibly be mistaken for junk or unsolited mail. The last thing you want is for your invitation to accidentally get tossed in the trash.

For party invitations, such as bridal showers and rehearsal dinners, it is more acceptable to address them with printed labels. However, it's usually still best to hand-address these, as to avoid having the invite mistaken for junk mail.

I know it may be tempting to use labels for your invitations, but it's just not worth offending your guests over or having your invitation get lost in the junk mail pile. Instead, recruit your bridesmaids, sisters, and mother to help you address the envelopes. With quite a few hands at work, you can get them completed in no time!

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