Handwriting vs. Printing Address

melanieky · September 2012

I think proper etiquette states that you should handwrite the address on invitations, including wedding invites (or hire a calligrapher) but printing the addresses on the envelopes seems easier and neater. I don't have the best of handwriting, but I would really like to handwrite my invites, it makes it seem more personal. What's your suggestion?

Ajuliana · September 2012

My brother got married in May, and my mother and I just went for it. Have you tried writing in cursive? It automatically looks better (at least in my experience!) There are three ways I can think of to address invitations, which is handwritten, printed, or by using the address labels. I don't really like the address labels, but I'll have to think long and hard about it since we are thinking of a 500-600 person wedding!

ajlamagra · September 2012

<div>I printed mine on labels for convience and neatness. No one said anything about it. Our return address was pre-printed on the envelopes. Most people rip the envelope off and throw it away anyway, so I think it's really personal preference!</div><div>
</div>In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_handwriting-vs-printing-address?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:4f880fb3-0962-4ced-a1d9-dcf30be93c71Post:dfd4e9de-4104-4092-ae84-1d8b7d54a36d">Handwriting vs. Printing Address</a>:
[QUOTE]I think proper etiquette states that you should handwrite the address on invitations, including wedding invites (or hire a calligrapher) but printing the addresses on the envelopes seems easier and neater. I don't have the best of handwriting, but I would really like to handwrite my invites, it makes it seem more personal. What's your suggestion?
Posted by melanieky[/QUOTE]

Meegles4 · September 2012

Handwriting is best and most "proper", IMO.

Go for it, even if you have bad writing. If your handwriting is illegible, perhaps your FI or a family member like your mom has better writing.

APDSS22 · September 2012

Handwriting is considered the most proper but I don't think anyone will eat you for printing the address for the postal workers.

KalikaDraumr · September 2012

I prefer handwritten invites on the envelope(s). It's more personal and your guests will notice the difference. I wrote all my outer and inner envelopes, including those for my STD's. Everyone was calling my mom and asking who did the handwriting on everything - they noticed the hard work and stated that they looked professionally done. Those comments made boosted my confidence and I was proud I took the time to do them all by hand (even my hubby was proud of me and telling everyone about it... ha).

I suggest practicing your handwriting on a piece of paper. That way, you find the style of writing you like - doesn't have to look professional - and you are able to perfect your handwriting for all invites

It takes a lot of work, time and patience, but in the end, your guests will notice the difference and you will feel great knowing you did all the hard work! That's just my opinion though

aro1589 · September 2012

I did mine by hand. my handwriting isn't georgous or anything but I took my time with them and they came out nice.

melanieky · September 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_handwriting-vs-printing-address?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:4f880fb3-0962-4ced-a1d9-dcf30be93c71Post:c4869c0d-aa00-4486-89ec-8c3efc99db3e">Re: Handwriting vs. Printing Address</a>:
[QUOTE]Handwriting is best and most "proper", IMO. Go for it, even if you have bad writing. If your handwriting is illegible, perhaps your FI or a family member like your mom has better writing.
Posted by Meegles4[/QUOTE]

Yeah it's not like my handwriting is illegible, I'm sure if I took my time and did them over the next few months, they will look decent. And I know it's just an envelope, but I guess I just want them to look nice!

kikirst33 · September 2012

My handwriting stinks, and my printing is not much better.

I created custom label wraps that I made to match the style of my invitiations. I recieved some compliments on them. I agree that it may be more "proper" to have the invites handwritten but I you have bad handwriting (like me) you can look at other options.

melanieky · September 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_handwriting-vs-printing-address?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:4f880fb3-0962-4ced-a1d9-dcf30be93c71Post:21874565-99d0-41fa-b1a4-82b932354710">Re: Handwriting vs. Printing Address</a>:
[QUOTE]I did mine by hand. my handwriting isn't georgous or anything but I took my time with them and they came out nice.
Posted by aro1589[/QUOTE]

Good to hear! I think I will probably go for it and just take my time with them and probably practice a bit before I start.

melanieky · September 2012

Thanks for all the opinions ladies!

Maggie0829 · September 2012

Printed or handwritten it really doesn't matter. As long as whatever you choose is neat enough so that the postal service can deliver it without issue.

Of course handwritten is the proper way but keep in mind that these envelope are just going to get ripped up and thrown in the trash whichever way you choose to go.

And the only time I think a guest will notice how the address is written is if you have some crazy calligraphy that is very ornate or you have absolutely abysmal handwritting that is reminiscent of chicken scratch.

JaxInBlue · September 2012

We printed addresses. It wasn't a question of bad handwritting but of wanting them to arrive after several STD where returned - we weren't taking chances. We also used a decorative label (for lack of a better word) that picked up the design of the invitations and really nice font.

If you want to handwrite, another trick I've heard of is to print addresses on the envelopes in a script font using a very light gray ink and then trace over the addresses with pen. I haven't done this, but some people have success with it.

divinemsbee · September 2012

Here's what I did;

On our STDs (postcards) I hand addressed the addressee's addresses (does that make sense? I wrote out the names and addresses of the people who were receiving them) but we had our names and addresses pre-printed on the card. I worried more about making it legible than pretty, they looked nice, and I got them done in about 3 days (3 nights really, probably about 14 hours total). We send out about 150.

For our invitations (which we just got in today and have to go out by next week) I'm doing a combination of things. For our address, I got a really pretty stamp off of Etsy that just has our first names and address (so we're not both using one with his last name before the wedding) that will go on the flap as the return address for them. That way I don't have to re-write my address 150 times. I am hand addressing the envelopes. This time I got a few of those felt tip calligraphy pens and have practices, but, again, trying more for legible than pretty. I am also putting the addressees' return addresses on the RSVP envelopes by hand.

Since the RSVPs are going to my grandmother's house (it's in the town we're getting married, and I won't be there until right before the RSVP date and it's easier if they're already going to be where I am) we had her address printed onto the RSVP envelopes. So, we're doing a combination of things. I feel that when hand-addressing, the most personal feeling part is that I've taken the time to hand-write their address on it, not mine, so that's what I've gone with.

emichele87 · September 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_handwriting-vs-printing-address?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:4f880fb3-0962-4ced-a1d9-dcf30be93c71Post:dfd4e9de-4104-4092-ae84-1d8b7d54a36d">Handwriting vs. Printing Address</a>:
[QUOTE]I think proper etiquette states that you should handwrite the address on invitations, including wedding invites (or hire a calligrapher) but printing the addresses on the envelopes seems easier and neater. I don't have the best of handwriting, but I would really like to handwrite my invites, it makes it seem more personal. What's your suggestion?
Posted by melanieky[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>I am from the south where everything is handwritten. But a few months ago my grandmother received a wedding invitation and she raved about the address. Turns out it was printed! It looked better than many hand addressed invitations and was much easier. There was program that the bride used and just a basic at home printer.

</div>

crash2729 · September 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_handwriting-vs-printing-address?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:4f880fb3-0962-4ced-a1d9-dcf30be93c71Post:a80bcac2-6dd3-4350-af44-b1c76f5068a0">Re: Handwriting vs. Printing Address</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Handwriting vs. Printing Address : That's great, if you have nice handwriting. I also got questions about who did my addressing... because it was so awful! And yes, i took my time. practiced ahead, etc etc. I was still horrified when I was done to the point that I actually cried a little bit. <strong>If I had it to do again, i would have done clear labels (</strong>because printing directly on them wasn't an option).
Posted by StageManager14[/QUOTE]

I'm in this camp.
It would have been much less stressful to just print the labels.
I have had terrible handwriting my whole life, and my cursive is so much worse than my printing so that wasn't an option.
I handwrote all my invites and did the best I could. No one said anything about them one way or the other (at least to me that is).

LDubHawksFan · September 2012

On here you will hear that printing or labels are bad. I don't like the look of labels, but I wouldn't mind if I received one. I was going to handprint with a caligraphy pen, but by the time I got my invites and assembled them, I felt rushed as is....so I printed directly on the envelope. And you know what, they looked really nice.

Honestly, I never keep the outter envelope once the invite is open, and I figured most don't. I don't think this is the worst thing in the world.

em105 · September 2012

Good old Catholic school education taught me good handwriting-

If you don't have good handwriting but want the handwritten look, here's a cool trick:

Print the addresses in a nice script in pale grey. Go over the pale printed 'outline' addresses with your pen/calligraphy pen.

Gel pens work nicely.

BINGO. Look of gorgeous calligraphy, price of DIY, frustration factor somewhere in the middle.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown · September 2012

I actually paid for calligraphy, but we had about 60 invitations (it was $1 per envelope) and I just decided that was important to me.

There are also cool calligraphy pens you can get. Not the pen-and-ink type sets, but more like a tapered, thin marker that you write with in a certain way and it makes your writing look like calligraphy if you keep it neat. Just practice!

gailpete · September 2012

Handwriiten is definitely the proper way to do it. I used a fountain pen (with an ink cartridge) to address DD's invites. Even my handwriting, which starts out nice,but goes downhill quickly, looked nice using the fountain pen.

If handwriting isn't' an option, I think a printing directly onto the envelope looks nicer than a label.

lyndausvi · September 2012

My handwriting is so bad my sister and BM addressed the envelopes. Plus I'm one of the those lefts that slides my hand across the paper which ends up smearing (and getting ink all over my hand).

Personally, it's just one of those things I really don't care about.

lyradimer · September 2012

I like the labels that wrap around. I do not like clear labels, especially if they aren't done neatly. I got one wedding invitation that had my address printed out, double spaced in comic sans, slapped crookedly across the front. I admit I judged a bit. When they're done neatly Ina pretty font, I wouldn't think less of someone. That said, I hand wrote everything.

mrskristinyc · September 2012

We did labels for most of them, but there were a handful that the labels printed weirdly, so we handwrote those, and we had a few stragglers that his dad added after we had already sent out the rest, so those were hanrdwritten.

I think either is fine. In the grand scheme of things, what's the worst that can happen if you print them? Someone MIGHT say, "Hmm. I would have preferred that this was handwritten." And then they'll look at the invite, fill out the response card, and forget about it. I think 5 seconds of POSSIBLE judgment is worth saving several nights worth of writing out addresses that will look terrible. (At least, mine would. I've already had to re-write several thank you notes because they were so illegible.)

TheWeddingBunny · September 2012

Handwrite them. While I am not sure anyone would have made a negative comment, I did get a couple of comments how great it was that our invitations were handwritten.

But FYI...it takes longer than you think it will. I was crazy and thought I would be done in 2 days...took 4 as I kept losing the motivation to address them.

sarabellam · September 2012

I'm going to etiquette Hell - I printed directly on the envelopes, using the same font as I used for making the invitations. Was it perfectly "proper?" No. Was it preferable to writing them myself, when my handwriting is so bad that even I cannot decipher it at times? Absodamnlutely.

gymchick05 · September 2012

My handwriting is awful and I wasn't going to ask someone else to write them for me, and I didnt really want to pay for it either, so we downloaded a calligraphy font and printed on the evelopes in black ink. People were asking who did the calligraphy haha - so it was easier and fooled some people.

LeiselEB · September 2012

If you're going to print rather than hand write - print directly onto the envelopes, don't use labels. They just don't look nice on wedding invitations, and it is JUST as easy to print directly onto envelopes.

mica178 · September 2012

Handwriting is the correct way to go. I agree that there are user-friendly calligraphy pens, and often you can enlist (nicely) friends or family to help with envelopes.

attymeg · September 2012

How about making a font with your handwriting and then you can type the labels with that? You only have to write once and you can really focus and make the letters look nice. I use one for crafting.

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