Skip to main content

9 Traditional Elements of the Wedding Invitation

When you order wedding invitations from a professional printer or wedding invitation company, you will be presented with a large array of extras. Many of these options add to the beauty and elegance of the invitation, but they also can add significantly to the cost.

Certain parts of the wedding invitation are an absolute must, but most available add-ons are simply "nice to have". If you are trying to cut costs (and who isn't), use this  definitive guide to help determine which items are a must have and which ones are optional.

  1. Invitation Card
    The actual invitation card itself is a must. Invitations not only inform your guests of the date,
    Design & Preview Your Invites Online!
    time, location and hosts of the wedding, they set the tone for your entire celebration. Your wedding invitation may also include the time and location of the reception.
  2. Printed Invitation Envelope Flaps
    This is nothing more than a return address on the back flap of the envelope. Having the return address is important because it will ensure that undeliverable invitations are returned to you. It will also ensure that those guests who want to send cards and gifts directly to your home will have the correct address. If your budget allows, you can have the printer print your return address on every envelope. If you want to save money, rather than having the printer do it you can write the return address yourself.
  3. Invitation Liner Envelopes
    You can choose a lined inner envelope to enhance the beauty of your invitation. A variety of colors are available to choose from for the perfect look for a slight additional charge. If you're looking for a place to save money, you can definitely do it here. Sure it looks nice, but would anyone really notice if you didn't have that extra layer of envelope? I doubt it.
  4. Reception Cards
    If you are having a reception, it's probably a good idea to order the reception cards. Reception cards are used to inform guests of the location of the wedding reception and or dance. Since reception cards are enclosed in with your invitation, mailing envelopes are not necessary.
  5. Respond Cards
    Respond cards are used to help determine how many guests plan to attend your wedding. An accurate count is vital for preparing enough food, seating and other accommodations so ordering respond cards can actually save you money. When you are assembling your invitations, the response cards are included and returned by guests by the date indicated on the card (usually two weeks before the wedding.) Today, many cards are printed to allow guests to select an entree as well as indicate if they will be attending your celebration. Tip: Respond envelopes are typically included free with your respond cards. They should be printed (or written) with the address of whoever will be tallying the guest count. As a convenience for your guests, be sure to include a stamp on each envelope. 
  6. Note Cards
    One option you will have when ordering your invitations is to order informal notes. Informal
    D.I.Y. Wedding Invitation Kits Help Save Money!
    notes may be personalized with your names and used as thank you notes, gift enclosures, or for other correspondence long after the wedding. These are items you probably need, but they don't necessarily need to be ordered with your invitations. You can get generic note cards anywhere. If you do order your notes from your invitation printer, they should single mailing envelopes at no extra charge.
  7. Note Envelope Flaps
    This is the same as the invitation envelope flap, only for your note cards instead. You can save time by having your note envelope flaps printed with a return address for a slight additional charge. You can also save money in this area by doing it yourself.
  8. Thank you notes
    Many printers offer the blank notes we talked about above, plus they offer actual thank-you notes. What's the difference? Well, the price for one. Plus the thank-you notes typically say "Thank-You" on them, where are the plain notes are ... plain. Again, ordering these from your invitation printer is entirely up to you. Some brides want their thank-you notes to match the invitation. Others prefer to save money in this area, or design their own for a more personal touch.
  9. Tissue Paper Insert
    This is one of those things that you definitely don't need if you are looking to save money. The tissue paper lining came from the old days when the ink in the invitation would bleed over to the other side of the invitation. The tissue lining would prevent it from bleeding over to the other side. Of course, modern day printing does not have that problem, making the tissue paper liner completely unnecessary.
Here's the bottom line ... you need the invitation card itself and possibly the reception card. But for the budget minded bride, don't be led to believe you need all the extras.

DESIGN, PREVIEW, AND SHARE YOUR INVITATIONS ONLINE HERE

The WhereBridesGo.com Team

Take 15% off your entire order at WhereBridesGo.com with coupon code LOVEMYBRIDESMAIDS, plus get FREE SHIPPING on orders over $100.

Where brides go®  ... for what brides love! For a great selection of affordable bridesmaid giftswedding accessories, and wedding cake tops, check out WhereBridesGo.com!  

For more ideas, wedding favors and accessories, check out WhereBridesGo.com! 
Connect with WhereBridesGo.com online!
LIKE US on Google+

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Ultimate Wedding Planning Checklist

There's no need to be  overwhelmed with the thought of planning your big day. Sit down, take a deep breath, grab a cup of tea or a glass of wine and look over our popular 12-month planning guide. Planning a wedding is simply a matter of getting organized. 11-12 Months Before the Wedding Officially announce your engagement online and in your local paper. Bride's Planning Tote Decide on a time and date for the wedding. Decide style of ceremony (size, setting, formality, etc.). Contact a wedding officiate. Arrange for your families to meet if they haven't met before. Develop a budget and decide who will pay for what. Begin compiling your guest list. Visit and reserve your reception venue. 9-10 Months Before the Wedding Order your wedding gown and determine who will make any necessary alterations. Choose your wedding party. Decide on a color scheme (consider the recepti

The Ultimate Wedding Party Responsibilities Checklist

Planning a wedding and participating in a wedding can be a daunting task. Traditionally, wedding party members all have very distinct roles to help with the process and make life easier on the bride and groom. This wedding party responsibilities checklist can serve as a guideline to help you get a grip on who does what. Customize this list to meet the unique needs for your wedding party. Bride and Groom : Together Decide on your budget. Consult with your parents, if they are paying for or contributing to the wedding. Decide on and set the style, wedding theme , date, time, and the place of ceremony and reception. Make the reservations and deposits. Meet with your wedding officiate and participate in any premarital counseling required. Order your Save-the-

10 Ways to Get the Groom Involved

Planning the wedding is no longer the sole responsibility of the bride and her mother. If your fiance is happily going about his life while you are out talking to the florist, caterer, wedding cake baker, and  DJ,  it's time to get him involved in the planning. After all, planning your wedding will probably be the first major project of your life together. It's important for both of you to feel connected to this process. 10 Ways to Get the Groom Involved Request His Help. This may sound like a "no-brainer," but often the groom doesn't get involved because he has been under the mistaken impression that his help wasn't desired. Sit down with your fiance and ask him what he would like to have at the wedding/reception. Tell him what you would like and develop a plan together. Give Him The Knowledge. The fact that almost every bridal magazine is directed at brides