Correctly writing the address on the envelope of a formal letter has several purposes, including showing your respect for the recipients and also graphically expressing the tone you intend to convey. How you sign an envelope depends on the event, which can be a formal occasion, such as a wedding or a charity event, or a business occasion, such as sending a resume or attracting new customers. This guide will show you how to properly and politely write an address in any formal or business situation.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Letterhead a Formal Event Envelope
Step 1. Verify the information
Before sending an invitation letter for a formal event, such as a wedding, benefit, christening, or 18-year-old party, you should double-check each recipient's address and title.
- Write the address by hand or on your computer. Another solution is to hire a calligrapher or a professionally trained person to handwrite documents with an artistic touch.
- Envelopes written by hand (by yourself or a calligrapher) in dark ink are the preferred option for formal events, but not for business ones.
- Buy high-quality paper and envelopes; it would be better if they are coordinated, to be able to further convey the formality of the event.
- Remember that this letter contains an invitation to a formal event - write each word in full. Do not abbreviate, at most you can do it with "Mr.", "Mrs." or "Miss".
Step 2. Write the name of the invitee (s) on the first line of the envelope
The way you write envelopes varies according to each person's marital and / or professional status.
- Target women based on their marital status or job title. Married women often use "Mrs.". In some cases the recipient may prefer "Miss". If it's a divorced woman or a woman over 18, "Miss" is a good option, and the same goes for younger girls. Examples: "Mrs. Carla Bianchi", "Miss Liliana Bianchi".
- Address all men using their name, preceded by "Mr.". For example: "Mr. Gianni Bianchi".
- If you have to send the letter to a man of the same name as his father or son, specify it at the end of each name, respectively with the words "Son" or "Father". Examples: "Mr. Marco Bianchi, Son" or "Mr. Marco Bianchi, Father".
- If a man has the same name as his father and grandfather, and considers himself to be of the third generation or beyond, use Roman numerals to address him. For example: "Mr. Marco Bianchi IV".
- Address couples based on their marital status. Addressing unmarried couples is different from addressing those who are.
- Target married couples with the titles "Mr." and "Mrs.", followed by the man's full name. For example: "Mr. and Mrs. Marco Bianchi". Address unmarried couples living together using their names, preceded by the appropriate titles. For example: "Miss Gianna Rossi and Mr. Marco Bianchi".
- When appropriate, target men and women using their job titles. Write their title on the envelope, and remember that it should not be preceded by "Mr.", "Mrs." or "Miss".
- There are also other titles used by people, such as "Doctor", "Doctor", "Professor", "Professor", "Honorable" or "Lawyer". If you are unsure of a person's formal title and cannot find this information, it is generally better to use a more prestigious position than you assume. For example, if you are unsure whether someone is a captain or general in the army, write the title "Mr. General". This way you won't offend anyone. On the internet, you can find many lists of formal titles that may come in handy for writing the address on an envelope.
- Include children's names on envelopes at your discretion. If the children have not been invited to the event, do not include them on the envelope. If instead you have decided to invite them, write only their first name on the second line, under the names of the parents. Or you can write "Mr (father surname) and Family".
Step 3. Add the address on the second line
Write this information right under the names of the people - including children - on the envelope.
As with names and titles, don't abbreviate it. Write in full words such as "street", "piazza" or "corso". Examples: "Via Mazzini, 20", "Piazza Italia, 40", "Corso Vittorio Emanuele, 121"
Step 4. The last line of the address written on the envelope of a formal letter should be reserved for the city, the province and the postal code
Examples: "04010 - Fiuggi (RM)" or "06034 - Foligno (PG)".
- If you are unsure of the postcode, you can do an internet search.
- If it is a foreign country, on Google you will find all the necessary information on countries, states, provinces and postal codes, but also on the format of the address.
Method 2 of 2: Letterheading an Envelope for a Business Correspondence
Step 1. Verify all appropriate information
Check names, titles and addresses.
- Use plain, high quality white or ivory colored paper and envelopes; it would be better to buy a set: this allows you to immediately indicate the professional nature of the correspondence.
- If possible, use labels or envelopes with sender and recipient addresses typed or computer-written. This detail is considered more professional.
- If you have them, use your company's pre-printed envelopes - these usually feature the name, address, and logo of a certain company.
- If you don't have formal, pre-printed envelopes with your logo, use those with a typed or computer-written address. If you can't write it this way or print it on the envelope, write the information by hand neatly and in uppercase, with black or blue ink.
Step 2. Write the company name on the first line of the address
Examples: "Enel", "Google".
- Write the recipient's name on the second line. Use "For the attention of" to indicate the recipient, followed by their title. Examples: "For the kind attention of Mr. Gianni Bianchi" or "For the kind attention of Dr. Carlotta Bianchi".
- As for the titles, in this case the same rules apply as for formal events. You can write the job title before or after the name. Examples: "To the kind attention of Mr. Gianni Bianchi, Accountant of Company X" or "To the kind attention of the lawyer Carlotta Bianchi". In general you can also write "Dear", "Dear" or "Dear", followed by the name, without "Signor", "Signora" or "Signorina".
- For women, the default title in a business context is "Miss", unless that person prefers "Madam". If it has another title, such as "Doctor" or "Professor", use it instead of "Miss" or "Lady".
- Use the job title only if you don't know the recipient's full name. For example, if you need to send a letter to the president of a certain company, write something like "For the attention of the President of …" on the envelope.
Step 3. Write the address on the second line of the envelope
Do not use abbreviations in the address. Write the words in full, such as "via", "corso" or "piazza". Examples: "Via Mazzini, 20", "Piazza Italia, 40", "Corso Vittorio Emanuele, 121"
Step 4. On the last line of an envelope containing a formal business letter, write the city, state, and postal code
Examples: "04010 - Fiuggi (RM)" or "06034 - Foligno (PG)".
- If you are unsure of the zip code, you can do an internet search.
- If it is a foreign country, on Google you will find all the necessary information on countries, states, provinces and postal codes, but also on the format of the address.
