Is it okay to use computer generated mailing labels for the outside envelope? I am concerned that my son's handwriting may not be legible for the post office.

I received a wedding invitation last week with a computer generated mailing label on it. I almost threw it away without opening it since it didn't look like an invitation and there was no return address.

The proper etiquette is to hand-address invitations, whether they be for a birthday party, a wedding, or a graduation. Hand printing is still preferable to a preprinted label. If I were your son's aunt or grandmother, seeing his careful printing on the envelope and realizing his effort to do this would give me great joy and cause me to be more generous in what I give him as a gift.

I agree with Wondergirl, hand-addressing the envelopes is the proper way to do it. I did it for all of my graduation announcements, as well as my wedding invites and thank you cards. It shows the recipient you put in that extra bit of time.

That being said, everyone else I know who has gotten married lately has used either labels or a computer printer to address the envelopes. So it is done, but I think it takes out the element of the invite or announcement being personal.

Have your son take his time while addressing the envelopes, and he'll do fine.

I even hate to see greeting cards with a computer-generated label on the envelope. Part of the specialness in getting a card is seeing one's name in the sender's handwriting or printing. Of course, if the sender is elderly with shaky handwriting or has a disability that prevents hand addressing, a computer label is fine. Mostly, though, computer labels are used because the sender is lazy and in a hurry to get the job done (so, then, why bother in the first place?? ).

I don't look for beauty in addressing, but am pleased by honesty and special effort.