They provide the first glimpse into your wedding, but ordering, wording, and addressing invitations can be confusing without a little guidance. This list of wedding invitation etiquette dos and don´ts will help steer you through this common wedding etiquette dilemma.

Invitation Etiquette – The Dos:

Do invite the partners of guests who are married, engaged, or living with a significant other. Try to find the name of your guest´s intended date (if you don´t already know it), and include that person´s name on the invitation. Do send unmarried couples living together one invitation, where their names are listed in alphabetical order and on their own lines. (guests living together as roommates, not couples, should each receive their own invitation) Do spell out all dates, times, and states (half after four o´clock in the evening, not 4:30 pm; and the twenty-second of April, not April 22) Do put return postage on your response cards. Do send wedding invitations at least six weeks before the big day. Try to order invitations three to four months in advance to ensure they go out on time. Do abbreviate Mr. and Mrs., but spell out the title DoctorDo send a separate invitation to children over the age of 18 still living with their parents. Do publicize your wedding registry information by word of mouth only.

Invitation Etiquette – The Don´ts:

Don´t use punctuation on the invitation, except after abbreviations and between the city and state. Don´t print "and Guest" on the outer envelope to indicate to a single friend that he/she may bring a date, as this looks awkward. Print it on inner envelope instead. Don´t print "no children" on the invite if you´re planning an adult´s only reception. Simply address each invitation explicitly to your intended guests (i.e. Mr. and Mrs. John Smith, not "The Smiths"). Don´t print wedding registry information on the invitation. Don´t forget to invite your officiant and his/her spouse to the reception. Don´t include an R.S.V.P for invitations to a ceremony only (by the way, it´s only proper to send invites to only the ceremony if there will NOT be a reception).This complete guide to wedding invitations has even more tips and advice to help you plan your invites.

Even more wedding invitation etiquette can be found here, while this complete wedding etiquette guide answers even more of your etiquette questions, such as introducing your parents, gift-giving and receiving, attire, and cash bars.