How to Locate Addresses for Invitations or Cards
You fell out of touch with a relative or old friend and don’t have their current address? There are many ways to find a current address, from combing public records to using people finders.
After choosing the card or invitation design, all that’s left to do is collect people mailing addresses and mail the card or invitation out. Instead of spending time trying to contact each person individually, be it via phone call, text, or email, obtain the address digitally.
Many online tools offer these services. Most are like sending out one mass email and then collecting the addresses.
Here are the ways to locate addresses as quickly as possible and move on to more important things.
Whitepages
This is still one of the most reliable resources for gathering contact information. You will get some public addresses and numbers for free. Go to the Whitepages website and enter the person’s full name in the search box. Add their city or state. The blue button by the form, Search, will list a few options to get information.
You can also search by phone number if you know their phone. Mobile phones are usually unlisted, so it’s best to use a landline.
Whitepages search results look similar, but some are free, and others are paid. In the Addresses section, you’ll see their address under “Current Address” if it’s public. If not, go back and click on the Addresses link. This will pull up a complete report, which will contain the address. This option is not free, though.
Use a People Finder
Sites like Melissa Lookups and TruePeopleSearch are examples of this way to find people online. Companies and state agencies use the former, which is a free searchable database. Canada Post and US Postal Service have validated it.
TruePeopleSearch locates former addresses and phone numbers apart from finding current ones. To search using this website, you must enter the person’s name, city, and state. The search process is similar to that with Melissa.
The genealogy site FamilyTreeNow gives access to current and former addresses and phone numbers of people living in the US.
Google Search
To find someone’s address using Google, you must have their full name and enter it in quote marks. You also need their city. If you don’t know the current city, enter their state. If they have a common name, you’ll have your work cut out for you.
Check social networks if you don’t know the city or state.
Reverse Phone Lookup
If you can, get the person’s home phone number. You can use a people finder to get the address. If their mobile number is unlisted, you might need to pay for the search.
You can send a letter to their former address through USPS. If they have asked to forward mail to their new address, it will be easy to find.
Public Records
Get in touch with the tax assessor in their county. If they own property there, you will get their address. You can get this data online for free, depending on the location.
Look for a free search option on the tax assessor’s office’s website. There are free online directories like NETR Online you can use.
Google Forms
If you’re planning a relatively big event, like a wedding, it’s a good idea to create a separate email account only for this purpose. Collect guests’ addresses via the email address associated with the account. At the top of the form, write that you’re using it to collect mailing addresses for invitations to the event.
Make all fields mandatory, so nobody misses a section. An added bonus is that you’ll have all the correct name spellings because everyone will be entering their own information.
The next step is to create a spreadsheet and link the form to it. To do this, go to the “Responses” tab. Your recipients’ responses will be filled in automatically once they enter their data.
Finally, go to the link symbol to create a sharable link with recipients. Copy it and send it to them by text or email, whichever’s easier. They will be asked to fill out the form when guests click the link. They don’t need a Gmail address to fill in the form. When they fill it in, your spreadsheet of addresses will be populated automatically.
If you’re using a service to print out your invites, they will save the addresses for future mailings, like birth announcements or holiday cards.
Final Thoughts
It’s best to go the old way and call people for their addresses if they’re not tech-savvy, like older relatives. If they are friends of your parents or family members, get a parent to call them for you. By delegating that responsibility, you’ll be able to collect addresses faster.
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