Wedding invites are one of my favorite things to print. I love that they’re still such a big deal, and that the bride and groom actually care about what they look like. I’ve always said that people love getting mail - and I don’t know about you, but it’s so true for me. When I get a nice-looking wedding invite in the mail, it makes me feel like when I was a kid, having mail delivered to my parents’ mailbox with MY name on it. It’s special - no matter how old you are. AND, what a treat to get something that isn’t “junk” mail!

DESIGN

Everyone wants to know about design, until they find out what it costs! Design for wedding suites is difficult - it’s a lot of pressure to get exactly what folks have in their dreams to translate perfectly into a printed piece. I often encourage bride-and-grooms-to-be to hit up Etsy. There are tons of designers on there who will customize a near endless shelf of design options. Here are a few of my favorites:

Tress by the Mr and Mrs Shop
Eucalyptus by Oh Lilly Designs
Minimalist by the Bridal Type
Floral by Wedding Avenue Co

PIECES

All weddings are different, and so are the invites that go with them. That said, I’ve found there is sort of a “standard”. The most common pieces are, INVITATION, DETAILS CARD, and RSVP. Let me generalize a little more on these and tell you about what I’ve seen as the most standard options of the most standard pieces.

—INVITATION

This is the ‘main’ piece, the one that gets hung on people’s fridge - also for that reason, I like to do these single-sided. Typically this would be the largest piece - 5” x 7”. The envelope that fits this is called an A7 (or, if you like the pointed flap, it’s called a “Lee”). The invite usually has a welcome message, the bride & groom’s names front-and-center, and then some info about date and time.

—DETAILS CARD

Depending on the amount of info that you need to relay, this piece can be 1 or 2 sides - sometimes you’ll see a map, or nearby hotel recommendations, sometimes special instructions, like a special dress code, or something about where to park. Since this card doesn’t have to fit tightly in an envelope, sizes may vary, but in my experience the most common size is 4.25” x 5.5”.

—RSVP

That brings us to our final, and some might say, most useful piece - the RSVP. These can come in 2 sizes: postcard sized (4.25” x 5.5”, same as the details), which would fit in an A2 envelope (or, if you like the pointed flap, it’s called a 5-1/2 Bar) or a 4 Bar(ronial) which fits a 3.5” x 5” card. The card/envelope way is a tad classier, but the postcard way is cheaper - both to print, and for postage.

This piece will get mailed back to you, and help you align all the stars as far as who is attending, who are they bringing, and what’s everyone eating. Also sometimes include song requests, and info about dietary restrictions.