As weddings and small gatherings start to creep back in to peoples calendars, or once upon a time you sent out a Save the Date and everything paused since, you may find it’s time to tackle your wedding invitations! Not something you know much about? No worries! Why should you? You’ll probably only be expected to do this once or twice in your life. I’ve got you. In this post, I am going to break down the many parts to a wedding invitation suite. Some are optional, all are pretty flexible. That way when it comes time to make decisions, you will have some clarity on what’s what. Often the parts of the wedding suite that you choose go hand in hand with sculpting the feel, the style, and the amount you wish to invest in to your beautiful paper goods.
Wedding Suite Components 101
Photo by Jessa Schifilliti
The Invite Card - Gotta have this one.
The Invite Card is the main event, filled with all the important information for your guests. You tell them who is getting hitched and that this is indeed a wedding! It’s the Who, What, Where and When for the big day. This card generally includes who is throwing the affair (whether it’s the parents, the kids, or everyone.) Some possible ways to word this part:
“Please join us celebrate”
“Together with their families”
“Mr. and Mrs. Stan Smith invite you to join in the celebration of their son/daughter”
“Mr. Stan Smith and Ms. Sara Williams and Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Kelly invite you to celebrate the marriage between their children”
You also want to give the date and time of the wedding, and the venue for the ceremony, if it differs from the reception and cocktail hour. (You can include the reception info on another card or on your wedding website if you don’t do it on the main invite card.) I always advise to include a “general” address for the venue as well. I say ‘general’ since (in my opinion) I don’t like a ton of numerals busying up the main card, and because let’s face it: nowadays, people can look it up. But it’s usually a good idea to call out the street name, city and state so that they can confirm the venue they found is indeed the correct one for the wedding. (You’d be surprised how many venues across the country and world have the same or similar names!) If the venue is somewhere really specific or has a fun name that will give your guests a very specific place on a map, you may not need to add much else. Use your best judgment!If you have a reception in a different location than the ceremony, some people like to include that detail on the card as well, something like “Reception to follow” at the bottom.
Any particular dress code for the wedding? You could add this as well.
2. Response Card (or “RSVP card” as it’s commonly called) - This is the second most common to include in your invitation suite.
The response card is the card that asks guests to accept or decline the invitation, and where you let them know the date by which they should let you know. Nowadays, it’s common to see people put the wedding website URL on this card as well.
Meal choices and/or dietary restrictions can be marked here as well, when applicable. This card will make its way back to you in an envelope you provide with whoever’s address will be tallying the guests count and taking meal information. (Also known as the Response Envelope or RSVP Envelope.)
3. The Details Card - It’s all about the details.
Though this component is common these days, as more and more weddings involve travel for guests, it’s not mandatory by any means. The Details Card will often let guests know about any hotel room blocks or housing accommodations that have been set aside for them, and where more information can be found as they plan their trip.
If the wedding website was not already listed elsewhere, you can usually find it listed here! The Details card is a place to include information on the registry if there will be one, what stores the couple has registered with, or perhaps what charities the couple will be sending any donations to. Since it is becoming more common to make registries on collaborative sites that pull everything together (think Zola) it makes sense to put the wedding website in the invitation since the registry link will probably be on the couple’s site!
If you choose not to include reception info on another part of your suite, you can put it here on the Details card. The address for the reception, any general parking information you want to tell your guests about, as well as a dress code if you have one!
4. The [Weekend] Itinerary Card - Another optional piece to add to your suite is the Itinerary Card!
As a planner, a Type-A personality, and someone who loves lists, I love when this card is included in the invitation suite. As more and weddings are destinations for guests and couples alike, it is becoming more common for there to be other events or gatherings around the wedding day, especially if all guests will be at the same hotel or resort. Because let’s be honest: who doesn’t want to party? Or have more outlets to socialize with guests to lighten the load on the wedding day? Whether you are hosting Welcome Drinks the night before, a Farewell Brunch the morning after, or a group hike the morning of, it’s always nice to let guests know what’s going to be happening so that they can plan accordingly.
5. Map - Pretty Self-Explanatory.
Giving guests a custom map is certainly not a necessity, but maps are a sweet and special way to personalize the whole affair and show some creativity highlighting the place you have picked to celebrate. All the while, giving your guests a map they can keep which shows only the key places and landmarks that will be relevant to them! You can have a lot of fun with maps, there are so many different ways to create them, build them and have them illustrated! I think these little maps make wonderful keepsakes as well.
6. Outer Envelope - Obviously a personal favorite.
Pretty self-explanatory, but being that is a necessity, I felt it worth mentioning! Whether you have the guests addresses printed on each envelope, handwritten in calligraphy or handwritten by you, you’ll need the outer envelope!
The most common sizes are A7, A8, and A9. Some clients like to line the envelopes as well! Lining the envelopes is a great way to take an invitation suite to the next level, while not costing as much as adding another card to the mix. I also think that lined envelopes are a bit more sturdy than unlined, which can help to keep everything safe in the suite through the mail. Also, they are super pretty.
This liner was painted by the bride’s mom!
Don’t forget the return address on the back flap (or elsewhere) on the outer envelope! This is quite commonly forgotten especially when the client is sourcing colored envelopes themselves and having them sent directly to me to hand address! You do need to have something there for the post office, should things go awry in the mail. Have no fear if you have forgotten this pesky little detail! You can have it printed on the back of the envelope, handwritten by you or your calligrapher, or have a stamp made. (If you go the stamp route, I recommend stamps by Ink Me This! She can even do them entirely in your calligraphers handwriting.)
More advice on the Outer Envelopes: be sure someone takes a full, complete suite all packed up and sealed (especially if using a wax seal) to the post office to ask them how much postage they will each need. Not a good idea to wing it! Don’t forget to purchase any international stamps you’ll need as well.
7. Response Envelope - Otherwise known as the ‘RSVP Envelope'.
You’ll need this envelope to encase the Response Card for your guests to use! It should be addressed to whomever is keeping track of the guest list!
I’m not really one for old-world etiquette, but it is customary that you put a postage stamp on this as well, to save your guests the time and trouble.
8. Inner Envelope - The envelope my husband never understands.
The Inner Envelope is optional. This envelope holds the invitation suite and goes inside the outermost envelope which gets addressed and put through the mail. Some guests inscribe the Inner Envelope with guests first names or nicknames! It makes the invitation even more personal, and gives the guests an envelope to keep everything inside once the outer envelope is opened. Added bonus for using the Inner Envelope: if you have a lot of “and guests” or “and family” written on your guest list, here is your opportunity to specify EXACTLY who is being invited to the wedding. (“No, cousin Luke— your girlfriend is NOT part of the “family” we invited.”)
No matter how many parts you have in your invitation suite, the most beautiful and special invitations are the ones that feel specific to the couple and their families, and that offer those little personal touches. How you word the cards, the funny little ways you can ask if they accept or decline the invitation, or even just having them addressed by hand or using a special wax seal— these are all the perfect ways to give your invitations a custom feel, regardless of how large or small the budget!