In today’s installment of the Wedding Stationery Guide I’m going to walk you through the various pieces that make up your wedding invitation suite.

The formal invitation and the reply card are main pieces, but what about everything else?

 

I tell all of my brides and grooms that the pieces you need depend on your wedding.  You may need all of them, or you may need some — if your reception and ceremony are at the same location, you can skip the reception card!  If you’re having a casual wedding in your hometown, you chances are you can skip the accommodations and directions card.  But if you’re planning an elaborate destination wedding you may want to provide your guests with lots of extra information, or maybe just direct them to your wedding website.  There’s no right or wrong answer, and there’s lots of different ways we can provide your guests with your information.

1 | the invitation

The invitation it the most important (and required) piece in your suite.  It’s the who, what, where, and when of your stationery.

2. the reply card

The second most important (and required) piece.  This tells you the who, the how many, and what they want to eat.

3. the reception card

If your ceremony and reception are at two separate locations, it’s common to have a reception card telling your guests what time your reception begins and where it’s being held.

4. Enclosure Cards

This can range from hotel accommodations to website cards, or even maps and directions cards.

 

1 | envelope liner

A piece of paper attached to the inside of the envelope. It can be a solid color, a pattern, or something fun like glitter paper or a vintage map.

2| outer envelope

The envelope that holds your entire invitation suite.

3| return address

The return address is generally printed on the back flap of the mailing envelope. Use the host’s address; names are optional.

4| Guest Addressing

The guests’ address is printing on the front middle of the outer envelope.

5| Reply Envelope

Each suite should include a pre-addressed and stamped envelope so your gusts can easily send back their reply card.  This envelope is usually printed with the hosts address on the front.