Your wedding invitation suite is the first “sneak peek” into your wedding. Not only will the look and feel of it give guests something to look forward to, but it also serves as a beautiful yet efficient way to give them all the information they need for your big day. So, what do you need to include in your wedding invitation suite? And what’s the one thing you should never forget? We walk you through all the basics, below, with the help of one of our favorite websites for wedding invites, Minted!
The Invite
This one might seem obvious, but we can’t talk about what to include in your wedding invitation suite without talking about the star of the show: Your invite! No matter which accessories you choose to include, your invitation will be the who, what, where, and when for your wedding.
First, you’ll want to start with a stellar design. Minted has one of the largest selections of wedding invitation designs anywhere, sourced from their ever-growing collection of independent artists. And with classic invites starting at $2.15/each, you can’t beat their selection of Mohawk papers as well as printing techniques such as Letterpress, Foil-Pressed, and their new, exclusive Gloss-Press™ for every budget.
WGM Says: On a tight budget? Minted recently launched their All-in-One Invitations, which may be the coolest thing we’ve ever seen. Starting at $1.50/each, they include an invite and RSVP postcard in a unique, foldable design that doubles as an envelope, too!
So, what should your wedding invite include? Here’s a look at the typical invitation layout:
- Host Line
- Who’s hosting the wedding?
- Request Line
- Such as “requests the pleasure of your company” or “would love your presence”
- Action Line
- What guests are being invited to (IE: at the marriage of their children)
- Couples’ Names
- You can include full or first names depending on how formal you want to be
- Date & Time
- Traditionally this is spelled out in full
- Location
- List the venue name and city as well as state. You don’t typically include a street address unless it’s a private residence
- Reception Line
- If the reception is at the same location, you can simply say “reception to follow.” If not, you may want to include a reception card (more on that below!)
- Dress Code
- Etiquette says you need to include this if the wedding is Black Tie. Otherwise, it’s completely optional.
WGM Says: There are several etiquette rules when it comes to how to word your invitation. Check out our wedding invitation wording generator and enter in your own wedding details to get real life examples.
The Back of Your Invite
Once the front of your invite is complete, you can choose to leave the back blank, or make it a party by featuring customizations such as an itinerary for a destination wedding, engagement photos, or even the story of how you two met.
This is also where you can choose to include the second most important piece of info about your wedding…your website url! Your website url is the one thing every invitation suite should include, and you can choose to include it on the back of your invite or on an accompanying card (it should never go on the front).
Take a look at all of Minted’s great designs!
Your wedding website is where you should include information about your wedding registry (never put this on your actual invite), local recommendations for restaurants and sightseeing activities for out-of-towners, as well as info on your wedding party members and more. We love that Minted has matching wedding website designs to choose from, which means you can craft a cohesive experience for your guests online and offline.
The Outer Envelope in Your Wedding Invitation Suite
You may think of the outer envelope as an afterthought, but this is one of the easiest ways to make a big impact as soon as your guests get their mail.
While most online wedding invitations come with free plain white envelopes, if you have the budget we highly suggest considering an outer envelope with a pop of color (or even an envelope liner). We think Minted has the best options of anywhere online, offering colors like blush, silver, navy, and cloud blue among others for only $15 more. They also offer free recipient addressing in a variety of fonts, including a crazy good all-script font (that also comes in white for select envelope colors). Want to make mailing your invites as painless as possible? Opt for pre-printed guest addressing for $65 more.
Find your perfect color combo on Minted.
The RSVP Card
Even though you can choose to have guests RSVP online, we’re still a fan of reply cards, especially for older guests who may not be as comfortable on a computer. And don’t forget…your reply card should include a pre-stamped envelope with your address already filled out.
WGM Says: Use a light pencil or pen to mark each reply card with a corresponding number for each guest. You’d be surprised how many guests mail back a blank RSVP card!
Use Reception/Direction Cards to Complete Your Wedding Invitation Suite
Once you have the basics, you can add on any additional enclosure cards you may need to your wedding invitation suite. A reception card is helpful if you’re having two separate venues, as is a direction card. Other options include an accommodations card (listing out your hotel room blocks and other important travel information) and a weekend events card. With Minted you can customize the text on your enclosure cards to fit any extra information you might have. Just be sure to include your wedding website url on one of them if not including it on the back of your invite.
Ready to pick your wedding invitation suite? Start with a sample kit from Minted filled with a handpicked mix of flat, foil-pressed, and die-cut invitations to find your perfect style.
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I love a good invitation suite, definitely one of the most overlooked wedding details but can add so much!