Save the date address etiquite

aim22

What is the proper etiquite for the envelopes for save the dates? Mr. and Mrs. John Smith? Or do I include names like Mr. John and Mrs. Katie Smith? Or is the format not as proper since it is the save the date?!

Sue-n-Kevin

I'd recommend simply googling "wedding invitation etiquette". The Knot also has a page devoted to etiquette.

I found this, but it's by all means not the only thing out on the internet:

http://www.realsimple.com/weddings/weddings-etiquette/how-address-wedding-invitations

One of the key things to keep in mind is that Save the Dates should be addressed exactly like an invitation. If you send a Save the Date to someone, you can't un-invite them later. So if you are sure you are going to have "plus 1s", ie you are inviting a friend and are prepared to pay for them to bring a date, then you can't un-invite the unnamed date when you send the invitation. Between the mailing of the save the date and the actual invitation going out, if you are in a budget bind and want to eliminate "plus 1s", you can't according to the best etiquette rules. Similarly, if you are planning to invite multiple people at the same house (ie entire family including children), you can't un-invite them later. If you send the save the date to "Mr and Ms John Smith and Family", you can't later send out the invitation to Mr and Ms John Smith, excluding the kids due to cost. 

The mailing should be Mr and Mrs (or Ms) John Smith". If one of them is a doctor, it would be Mr John Smith and Dr Mary Smith". I used Mrs for wives over a certain age, ie 60, but Ms for my friends who were young during the women's movement.