4 Ways To Address Christmas Card Envelopes

If you do want to use both capital and lowercase letters, focus on writing as neatly as possible. If you’re typing the addresses, use a large, easy-to-read font.

Line 1: recipient’s name (MR. BEN SHAW) Line 2: recipient’s title or other information, if needed (CONTENT DIRECTOR) Line 3: recipient’s street address (1999 MARYLAND AVE) Line 4: recipient’s apartment number or similar, if needed (SUITE 1A) Line 5: recipient’s city, state, ZIP code (OAKMONT, PA 15139) Line 6: write “USA” only if sending from outside the U. S.

If, for example, you’re sending a Christmas card within the U. S. , your return address format should mirror that of the recipient address: your name; your title, etc. (if needed); your street address; your apartment number, etc. (if needed); your city, state, and ZIP code. Use smaller lettering when writing or typing the return address, but make sure it is large enough to be easily read.

Make sure you have the necessary amount of postage for your card. Otherwise, your card will be sent back to you!

“Miss” is only used for unmarried girls under the age of 18. “Mrs. ” is only used for married women who share their spouse’s last name. “Ms. ” can refer to any adult woman, and is the safest option when you’re not sure what to use. Keep in mind that some individuals don’t prefer any of these categorizations. If you think this may be the case and don’t know their preference, just use their first and last name (e. g. , Mary Gray).

“Mr. Pete Wright and Mrs. Jane Wright” for a semi-traditional male-female option. “Mrs. Jane Wright and Mr. Pete Wright” is somewhat less traditional, but fine to use. Use “Mr. Pete Wright and Mr. Brad Wright” or “Mrs. Jane Wright and Mrs. Kelly Wright” for same-sex married couples, unless they have an alternate preference (e. g. , “Mrs. and Mrs. Jane Wright”). You can also use “Ms. ” instead of “Mrs. ” (but use it in both cases).

For example: “Mr. Ben Shaw and Ms. Ann Bowen” or “Ms. Ann Bowen and Mr. Ben Shaw. ” Don’t use “Mr. Ben Shaw and Mrs. Ann Bowen”—only pair “Mr. ” and “Mrs. ” when there’s a shared last name.

If you don’t know the person’s specific preference, use your knowledge of them to choose what seems to be the appropriate option. For instance, a 90-year old widow who was married for 65 years might prefer “Mrs. Pete Wright” more than a 25-year old widow who was married for 2 years—but the opposite could be equally true! Simply write “Mr. Pete Wright” for a male widower.

“Dr. Mary Gray and Mr. Ed Gray” “Rev. and Mrs. Ed Gray” or “Rev. Ed Gray and Mrs. Mary Gray” “Dr. Ed Gray and Dr. Mary Gray” or “Drs. Ed and Mary Gray” “The Honorable Mary Gray and Dr. Ed Gray”—it’s not always clear which title “outranks” the other (unless you’re dealing with a military family, for instance), so use either their preference or your best judgment.

For instance, just cut the Mr. /Mrs. /Ms. element, and titles altogether, and go with a simple “Ben and Ann Shaw” or “Ann and Ben Shaw,” “Ben Shaw and Ann Bowen,” “Ann and Jane Shaw” or “Ann Shaw and Jane Shaw,” and so on.

For instance: Mr. Pete Wright Executive Director (add this on the second line) Or: Dr. Jane Wright Chair, Department of History (on the second line)

Mr. and Mrs. Pete Wright Alex and Amy (or Alex, Amy, and Andrew)

You might feel that putting the kids’ names on the second line indicates that they have a secondary status, or that they’re an afterthought. However, by using “and Family,” you’re not actually identifying the children individually, so there are pros and cons to either approach. This is a good method to use if you know your recipient has kids, but don’t know their names!

You might also want to combine the formal, semi-formal, and less formal approaches into a hybrid like this: “Ann, Ben, Alex, and Amy Shaw. ” This cuts out all the titles and gives everyone in the family equal billing. If the family has members with different last names, you can include them on the envelope, like saying, “The Shaw-Jones Family. “[15] X Expert Source Tami ClaytorEtiquette Coach Expert Interview. 29 September 2020.

Postal services such as the USPS prefer that you use all caps, whether writing or typing the address. Remember that neatness counts! Use your beautiful cursive writing inside the letter and stick to block capital letters on the envelope.

Your return address typically goes in the top left corner of the envelope, but this may vary based on where you’re sending the letter. Always include a return address. It makes it less likely that your card will be permanently lost in the mail, and it lets your recipient know who sent the card before they even open it. See if your postal service has holiday-themed stamps for sale.

The same goes for pictures of sleigh bells, Christmas trees, Nativity scenes, and the like. Extra writing and images can confuse both machine readers and human sorters.