[This article was originally published on our old website, BlissWeddings.com]
When you want to invite the President and First Lady
The Honorable Barack Obama and Mrs. Obama
The White House
Greetings Office Room 39
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500
The White House will send greetings only to United States citizens. A wedding card will be sent to couples after the event. Please make your request after the wedding. For current information, please visit the White House website.
The official is always listed first on the invitation, even if the official is a woman. The "Mrs." is simply changed to "Mr.".
The Vice-President and Mrs...
Secretary James Jackson and Mrs. Jackson
Under Secretary James Jackson and Mrs. Jackson
Governor and Mrs. John James Jackson
Ambassador James Jackson and Mrs. Jackson
Speaker James Jackson and Mrs. Jackson
Mayor Jill Jackson and Mr. Jackson
(Judge) The Honorable James Jackson and Mrs. Jackson
(Justice) Justice James Jackson and Mrs. Jackson
If the official you're inviting is unmarried, you would use the following guidelines (don't forget to substitute "Dr." if the person is an official and also a Medical Doctor):
The President John James Jackson
The President of the United States
The White House
Attn: Scheduling Office
Washington, DC 20502-0184
The Vice-President Terrell Thomas Thompson
The Vice-President of the United States
Mr. James Jackson
Secretary of the Interior
Mrs. Janice Joan Jackson
Under Secretary of the Treasury
Miss Jeannette June Jackson
United States Ambassador, Paraguay
Mr. John James Jackson
Speaker of the House, United States Congress
Mr. John James Jackson
Mayor, Orlando, Florida
Notice the details of where the person conducts his or her official business is not included if the person is married.
If you would like to invite the Queen of England:
The Private Secretary's Office
Buckingham Palace
London, England
SW1A 1AA
British citizens will receive a response, non-British citizens will not. Current information can be found on the official website of British Monarchy
No correspondence of any kind is sent directly to Her Majesty. If addressing to any reigning king or queen, it is best not to send it directly to him or her but to their Secretary. Neither the King nor Queen will receive any correspondence until his or her secretary has sorted it or opened it or both. If the invitation is to go to a reigning king and queen or any married sovereign, you must send separate invitations. Sovereigns have separate secretaries and often have separate itineraries.
If one were sending an invitation to the Secretary as opposed to the Queen, one would use the following guide:
Miss Janice Bernice Lowell
Secretary to Her Majesty
Notice the Queen's name is not in evidence and the "The" is removed from the beginning of her title. The address would also be changed. Personal correspondence for the staff of the Royal Family is sent to their private home and not to the Palace.
If you would like to receive a Papal Blessing from the Pope of the Catholic Church:
Pope Benedict XVI
Prefettura della Casa Pontifica
00120 Citta del Vaticano, Italia
One does not need to be Catholic to receive a response from His Holiness.
Correspondence may be sent directly to His Holiness. The Pope is verbally addressed as "His Holiness" or "Your Holiness".
