Hand lettering 150 envelopes is lovely in theory. In practice, with 50 to 300 invitations to send, printed labels are the practical choice for most couples, and they still look elegant when the name lines are formal and the layout is clean.
If your guest list already lives in a Google Sheet, you are most of the way there. This guide shows how to shape the list, write formal name lines, style the labels and print them with Peelstack Label Maker, our add-on for Google Sheets.
Shape the guest list
The key rule: one row per invitation, not per guest. A married couple, or a family with children, shares one envelope, so they share one row. Use columns like these:
- Envelope name: the formal line exactly as it should print.
- Second name line: optional, for children's names or a long couple's name that needs two lines.
- Address, Address 2, City, State, ZIP, Country.
- Side (for example Bride, Groom, Both) and List (A or B), so you can print in waves.
- Invitation sent and RSVP, to track replies in the same sheet.
Guest list tips:
- Format the ZIP column as plain text (Format, Number, Plain text) so codes starting with 0 print correctly.
- When both families send you lists, sort the sheet by address (Data, Sort range) to spot the same household entered twice.
- Check the spelling of every name with a family member. It is the one thing guests notice.
- Spell out words like Street, Avenue and Apartment if you want the more formal look.
Write formal name lines
Put the whole formal name in the Envelope name column, so you control every word. Common forms:
- Mr. and Mrs. James Carter
- Dr. Amelia Chen and Mr. Robert Chen
- Ms. Laura Diaz and Mr. Sam Ortiz
- The Patel Family
- Miss Olivia Brooks and Guest
In the add-on, go to Extensions, Peelstack Label Maker, Create labels, type your label code, and set the lines under "What goes on each label":
{Envelope name}
{Second name line}
{Address}
{Address 2}
{City}, {State} {ZIP}
{Country}
Any line whose column is empty is left out, so most labels will simply have four lines. If you prefer building names from columns, {Title} {First} {Last} works too, and an empty Title leaves no stray space. See mail merge labels from Google Sheets for more line patterns.
Choose a label size
Formal names are long, so give them room:
- 5163, 4 x 2 in, 10 per sheet: plenty of space for a two line name (5163 details).
- 5162, 4 x 1 1/3 in, 14 per sheet: a slimmer label that still fits most addresses (5162 details).
- Avery® 5160, 2 5/8 x 1 in, 30 per sheet: compact, best for shorter names (5160 details).
- On A4, L7163 (99.1 x 38.1 mm) or L7160 (63.5 x 38.1 mm) (L7163, L7160).
Style the labels
- Bold the first line. Tick Bold on line 1 so the names stand out.
- Centre the text. Open "Text style and copies" and set Alignment to Centre. The US Postal Service's addressing guidance prefers a straight left margin, so if you want to play it completely safe, keep Left. Many couples still choose centred for invitations.
- Set the largest text size. Also under "Text style and copies". Text is shrunk only when a label needs it, and every row that had to shrink or was shortened is listed by row number, so you can edit the name in your sheet instead of finding out on the envelope.
- Capital letters is available per line if you like a postal style city line.
A note on fonts
Under Text style and copies, Font offers twelve fonts: Arimo (clean, like Arial), Roboto, Lato, Montserrat and the condensed Oswald; the serifs Tinos, Merriweather and Playfair Display; the handwriting font Caveat; and the scripts Dancing Script, Great Vibes and Pacifico. The preview shows your labels in the font you pick.
Scripts look beautiful, but postal sorting machines read addresses automatically, and flowing script is harder for them than plain letters. For a formal look that still reads easily, try Playfair Display with a bold, larger first line. If you do choose a script, raise the largest text size (script letters are small for their size) and check the preview before printing.
Guests abroad or family names in another script? Names in Arabic, Hebrew, Hindi, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Greek and Cyrillic print correctly.
Or print straight onto the envelopes
Prefer no labels at all? Type envelope in the label search and choose your envelope size: A7 (5 1/4 x 7 1/4 in) is the usual invitation envelope, A2 the usual RSVP envelope, and #10, #9, #6 3/4, A6, A9, DL, C6 and C5 are there too. Each row prints on its own envelope, centred on the invitation sizes. Open Return address (envelopes) and type your address once; it prints in the top left corner of every envelope.
In the print dialog, choose the envelope size as the paper size and load the envelopes the way your printer's manual shows (printers differ). Print the first one on plain paper and hold it against an envelope before you use the real ones. The editable Google Doc copy is for label sheets only; envelopes print from the PDF.
Return address labels and extras
- Return address: tick "Same text on every label", type your address one line per row, and set "How many labels". A small label such as 5167 (80 per sheet) works well (5167 details).
- A monogram: under "Picture, QR code or barcode", choose "The same picture on every label" and pick a PNG or JPG of your initials.
- Wedding website: add a column holding your website address and choose "QR code from a column" to put a QR code beside the text on each label.
Pictures and QR codes appear in the PDF.
Preview, test and print
- Choose Rows shown by the filter if you are printing only the A list or one side's guests first.
- Page through the live preview, then open "Full-size preview" for a close look at the finished sheet.
- Download the test page from "Labels print a little off? Align your printer" and print it on plain paper. Hold it against a label sheet at a window. If it is off by the same amount everywhere, set the offset once.
- Click Download PDF and print at Actual size or 100%, on the right paper size, with "Fit to page" off.
- Reusing a part sheet? Click the first empty label in the preview.
Trouble lining up? Read why labels print out of alignment and how to fix it.
Timing
Many couples mail save the dates several months ahead and invitations about six to eight weeks before the day. Keep one sheet for both: print the save the date labels from the full list, then filter for the final invitation list later. Leave a spare week for a test print and a trip to the shop for more labels.
What it costs
Peelstack Label Maker is free with every feature for up to 30 labels per run, one full sheet of Avery 5160 address labels, and you can run it as often as you like. A longer list prints its first 30 labels on the free plan, and the preview shows exactly those. Test pages are always free. Every plan reads up to 10,000 rows of a sheet at a time and makes up to 50,000 labels per run. A paid plan removes the 30 label limit: $29 for one year or $59 once. No subscription, nothing renews.
Avery® is a trademark of Avery Products Corporation. Taskivator is not affiliated with Avery.