Envelopes

Uklaw88 · January 2014

I'm not sure if this is the right section for this question, but:

Save-the-date envelopes - Can I hand write them or do I need to print them?

Same with Invitations (while I'm writing this anyway) hand written ok, or print is a must?

lyndausvi · January 2014

I prefer hand writing.

I think etiquette says hand writing is preferred, but it's not one of my clutching my pearls offensives to care either way.

BlondieBia21 · January 2014

I was told to handwrite. The reason (that was told to me, may not be correct but…) is because if you hand write them, it shows that you took the time and effort to put in a personal touch to the guest and makes them feel important. If you just type them, that is easy and not personal.

phira · January 2014

I would give zero shits as long as it was addressed properly (e.g. I am not Mrs. Hislastname). Generally, people address envelopes by hand because it's the cheapest option, and because (as previous posters mentioned) it shows you took the time to address everything.

Having envelopes printed isn't actually cheaper than handwriting them yourself ... but it IS cheaper than the most traditional option, which is to hire a calligrapher* to address your envelopes for you.

So when I see a printed envelope for a save the date or wedding invitation, I don't think, "Wow, cheap," because it costs more than writing them yourself.

Printing addresses is a good option if you have a LOT of guests (like ... 300 guests), if you have godawful handwriting, if you're incredibly busy (like my friends who work 80 hours a week), or if you have a medical condition (e.g. arthritis or tendonitis).

tl;dr: It's actually considered better to handwrite than to print; handwriting is cheaper than print, which is cheaper than hiring a calligrapher; in general, I tend not to question why someone might choose print over handwritten addresses.

* Although probably not Ted Mosby.

Inkdancer · January 2014

Consider also what will get them to the correct address. My handwriting usually passes muster with the Postal Service but my BFF's sometimes does not.

Jen4948 · January 2014

Traditional etiquette says to handwrite them, but I think that it's more important for them to be legible than it is for them to be handwritten.

melbelleup · January 2014

Jen4948 said:

Traditional etiquette says to handwrite them, but I think that it's more important for them to be legible than it is for them to be handwritten.

This. I hand wrote my STDs and went through a TON of envelopes because my handwriting sucks or I'd misspell something, like 10 times... oh, and it may of been my FI's last name to his parents... whoops!

Mine will be printed, in a fancy font, on my printer at work. I take time to do them by making sure it's the right address, putting envelopes in, hitting the damn red button every envelope because of the size difference, and moving the envelopes out of the way. I fought a lot with the STDs so to me, it's not worth the headache.

MandyMost · January 2014

How bad would it be to use printed address labels on the STD? For our invites we'll either be using a calligrapher, or someone with nice handwriting. But for the STDs, I don't know what we're going to do yet....address labels would be soooooo easy! Which is why I assume they are inappropriate.

Inkdancer · January 2014

I think using labels (as long as they're the clear labels and not too obvious) is a victimless crime. As long as people still get their Save the Dates, why get up in arms over whether it's handwritten or not?

Uklaw88 · January 2014

phira said:

I would give zero shits as long as it was addressed properly (e.g. I am not Mrs. Hislastname). Generally, people address envelopes by hand because it's the cheapest option, and because (as previous posters mentioned) it shows you took the time to address everything.

Having envelopes printed isn't actually cheaper than handwriting them yourself ... but it IS cheaper than the most traditional option, which is to hire a calligrapher* to address your envelopes for you.

So when I see a printed envelope for a save the date or wedding invitation, I don't think, "Wow, cheap," because it costs more than writing them yourself.

Printing addresses is a good option if you have a LOT of guests (like ... 300 guests), if you have godawful handwriting, if you're incredibly busy (like my friends who work 80 hours a week), or if you have a medical condition (e.g. arthritis or tendonitis).

tl;dr: It's actually considered better to handwrite than to print; handwriting is cheaper than print, which is cheaper than hiring a calligrapher; in general, I tend not to question why someone might choose print over handwritten addresses.

* Although probably not Ted Mosby.

That gave me a good laugh for this morning!

vt&dt · January 2014

We printed addresses on our save-the-dates (they were postcards, and not very large, so hand-writing would have been more difficult).

I hand-addressed the invitations.

Etiquette says hand-written is preferred over printing (directly on the envelope, no labels). We considered the save-the-dates an informal "heads-up" for our OOT guests, and followed the tradition for our formal invitations.

Teddy917 · January 2014

I also tend to pay more attention to a hand-written envelope. Most printed envelopes end up being junk or something, but if it's handwritten it's obviously not junk.

Cookie Pusher · January 2014

I have quite a few foreign addresses, so we're opting to print them. No one needs to see my horrible Chinese writing. My family back home teases me enough for being an ABC, don't need to add something else to it!

phira · January 2014

@Uklaw88 I maaay have just watched this week's episode, so I was giggling while I was writing my post.

mimiphin · January 2014

Meh, I couldn't care less between the two. I just look at the return address to see who it's from.

Envelopes

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