Your Invitation Suite: What To Include

When it comes to your wedding invitation suite, there are so many options for what to include and what’s best to leave out. The choice is ultimately up to you, and there is nothing wrong with keeping things simple and choosing only envelopes and a basic invitation. However, if you want to take things up a notch, we’re here to walk you through what’s all included in an invitation suite and extras to make your invitations even more, well, extra. Let’s get started.

Outer Envelope 

The outer envelope is self-explanatory. This is the envelope that contains the guest’s mailing address and holds your entire invitation suite. You can address these yourself or see if your invitation designer can do it as an add-on. You can also ask them to mail them for you for a totally hands-off, stress-free experience. However, if you decide to mail them out yourself, be sure to check that you have the required postage. You may need more than the standard stamp because of the weight!

EXTRA: To up the ante on your outer envelope, include an envelope liner! Choose a floral pattern or even a custom drawing of your venue! Liners are a great way to give your envelope a fun, personal touch. 

Inner Envelope 

Next is an optional choice, the inner envelope. This is a great option because it’s the easiest way to inform your guests of exactly who’s invited – either just them, a plus one, or the whole family. If you’d like to invite a family you would use the plural form of their last name, like, “The Johnsons.” If you’d only like to invite the parents, you would use “John and Jane Johnson.” If you want to invite a guest and a specific plus one, write each name on the envelope. If you want to invite a guest and a generic plus one, write “John Johnson and Guest.” Or, if you want to make it clear that only the individual is invited, write only their name, “John Johnson.” Remember there is no stamp needed for this envelope. 

Formal Invitation

Another self-explanatory piece, your invitation suite obviously includes the formal wedding invitation! Be sure the invite includes all of the following information:

• Invited by ____ to the wedding of _____
• Date
• Ceremony Location
  • If the ceremony and reception are at the same place, you can just include “reception to follow.” 
• Reception Location (if different from ceremony) 
  • Or, you can do a separate reception card if your ceremony and reception are at different locations. This is also a good place to include “adult-only reception” if applicable.
• Gift information
  • Registry information or something to imply that you don’t want any gifts, like, “your presence is present enough.”
• Wedding Website URL

RSVP Card

The next item on the list is an RSVP card. It’s a good idea to use both a paper RSVP system and the one on your wedding website. This way guests have multiple options and can use whatever is easiest for them. On the RSVP card, be sure to include:

• A line for their name
• Yes/No attendance
• Number of guests (Again, another spot you can specify how many guests for them so they’ll know if they have the option of bringing kids or a plus one) 
• A small envelope with stamp
• Menu choice and quantity (if applicable)
• Song choice line (optional)

Extra Options

Accommodations card

This is a nice touch for out-of-town guests, but no need to include this for your local guests. Include convenient hotels and any discounts for a block of rooms you may have reserved. Also include information about transportation to and from ceremony/reception to hotels.

Weekend Itinerary

This is a good idea if you’re having other events besides the ceremony and reception, like a farewell dinner or welcome drinks.

Directions

We love a good directions map included in an invitation suite! Especially for a destination wedding. They are so cute and add a lot to pictures.

Belly Band

The purpose of a belly band is to keep everything securely together. They are definitely not necessary, but so fun! 

So there you have it, all the necessities and extras for a fabulous invitation suite! If you have a wedding website, make sure to include all of this information there as well. Bonus, you can link directly to directions/hotels/registry website/etc. 

What will you choose for your wedding invitation suite? Just the basics or all the add-ons? Let us know on our Facebook page!