Return Address on Outer Envelopes

emilyfolberg · May 2012

Is it necessary to have my return address printed on the outer envelopes? Other than for post office purposes? It's an extra charge to have it printed by the company I'm ordering from...and seems like a lot to ask my mom to do along with hand addressing all of the invites (I'd help but both of my thumbs are sprained...I can't handwrite my signature right now). It's only $23.50 but that's the cost of the Boutonnieres which we were going to eliminate from our flower budget, but if I don't need to have this extra expense then we could have the florist do these as well...

LeiselEB · May 2012

You really do need a return address on the outer envelopes. That way anything not mailed can be sent back to you and you'll know to get a correct address or send a new invite. It can be handwritten maybe your FI could help with that if you don't want your mom doing it. Otherwise you could run the envelopes through your home printer print on the back flap and use paper first to get the alignment correct. Good luck!

Summer2011Bride · May 2012

Definitely put a return address. Like PP said, undeliverable invitations can then be returned to you. We had at least 4 or 5 get returned to us because of either a mistake on our part of writing a number wrong or the person had moved and we didn't know they had a new address. This allowed us the chance to fix the address and re-send. With no return address, you would assume the invitation reached the recipient when it didn't.

Can FI do the handwriting of the return addresses? If the front of the envelope will have a typed address and the handwriting would look odd in contrast, I would do it on the back flap like PP suggested.

emilyfolberg · May 2012

My mom has the best handwriting...and the most time. I think what we'll do is handwrite them on the ones that we have to mail and don't frequently send mail to. There are friends and family that I'm unwilling to spend postage on that we see so frequently, maybe it's not nice and not as fun for them but that's how I did their save the dates and they didn't mind at all. We only have to send about 72 invites and at least 10 of those won't even be mailed. Another 15 are close family who we send stuff to often...that would help I suppose. Thanks for your advice ladies!

Lisa50 · May 2012

Get the addresses printed on the outer envelopes. It will save you time and hassle.

livelifelarge24 · May 2012

I have read that it is okay to print labels for your return address and affix those. I would defnitely recommend that because even though we got everybody's addresses personally, we still had two returned for incorrect address. One was my uncle and the other a cousin from the other side of the family. Mistakes happen! It would be better to get some cheap labels printed, or even free ones through vistaprint than to risk feelings being hurt or invitations not being delivered.