Are you finally at the stage where you have picked out all the details, and now it’s time for you to actually invite your guests to your wedding? Not sure where to start? Let me break down all the details for you.

The Main Invitation Card

The main invitation card is what invites guests to the ceremony and/or reception. Here are some things that need to be included:

• Who is getting married? First and last names
• Will you be including parent’s names on the invitations, or maybe “together with their families”
• Date and time of the ceremony (formally, it should be written out in full: Saturday, the twenty second of August, two thousand twenty)
• Location of the ceremony
• If the reception is at the same place, you can add at the bottom “cocktails, dinner and dancing to follow”
• Option to add in the reception location or put it on a separate card

RSVP Card

Traditionally, the RSVP should be a separate card where guests can fill out their full names, pick which meal they are choosing (if applicable), write any allergies or dietary restrictions, and check if they are attending or not. This then gets put into the pre-addressed and pre-stamped envelope that you need to provide.

It has become more common for couples to either include a separate card with their phone number or emailing asking guests to RSVP there, or creating a wedding website. I would not recommend giving guests the choice of either mailing it back, or replying by phone/email as it gets challenging to track. Plus you need to pay for postage and the extra envelope! More commonly, people will prefer to call or email rather than sending a card out in the mail. It’s more cost effective for you, and easier for your guests.

We always recommend putting the reply date six weeks before your wedding as it gives you time to hunt down the last minute guests who haven’t responded. Trust us – there’s always a few stragglers who haven’t responded!

Budget saving tip – if you are planning on including a wedding website, feel free to add the RSVP information on your main invitation card to save on paper.

Details or Accommodation Card

Do you have a lot of guests coming from out of town? If yes, it’s nice to call hotels and get a room block with a preferred rate for those coming out of town. Not only is it nice for guests to save some money, it also saves them time having to research which hotel is the closest and best option. Having a wedding website? Simply add that information there and include a line on your RSVP card saying “to RSVP and for additional information, please see our wedding website …”

Other information that can be provided on this card:

• Map/Directions to the venue and hotel
• Any additional events happening that weekend (rehearsal dinner, brunch, etc)
• Dress code – is it an outdoor wedding? Formal, black tie, etc?
• Timeline for the day

Please never include your registry on the wedding invitation! This is generally more of a word of mouth and should never be included in the suite.

Envelopes

The outer envelope will be the one holding your invitation. This will have your guests names and address along with your return address. Traditionally it was common to include your return address on the back flap on the envelope (printed or with a stamp).

Getting everyone’s addresses is definitely one of the more challenging and time consuming parts of planning your wedding. Start this as soon as you begin writing your guest list to save you from rushing later on.

Style

There are so many different styles you can choose from and it can seem overwhelming. Laser cut, single sheet, pocked fold, adding extra papers layers, envelope liners, etc. Depending on how many cards you have, this can help narrow down what kind of style you should go with. If you only have a single card invitation vs an RSVP and accommodations card, you wouldn’t need something that opens with a pocket.

Depending on your budget, different styles of paper can really impact the price. Be sure to get some ideas and let your designer know of your budget so they can help provide some options that give you the most bang for your buck.