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Oh, the wedding invitation suite. The part of planning the wedding that you either really know what you want or have no clue what an invitation "suite" really is - I mean don't you just send a piece of paper in the mail to your guests asking them to come? And they send something back in the mail?

If we are going back to basics, then yes, I guess that kind of is it, but there is SO much more to it than that. And after today you are going to be all kinds of knowledgeable about invitation suites that there will be no more confusion involved!

See below for all things wedding invitation suite: the invitation itself, the reply card, the details or map card, the envelope, and the stamps. All key parts of communicating the details of your day to your guests!

1 | Invitation

First up, the invitation itself! Think of the invitation as the star of the show and the other pieces as the supporting actors. The invitation is typically 5"x7", although you can get as creative as you would like with the size, and it lists all of the important details of your wedding day: your names, the date, the time, the location, and the attire (if you wish). It can be as formal or informal as you want it to be (check out this post on wording your invitations). If there is room and it fits your design, you can also add something along the lines of "Dinner and Dancing Immediately Following" to let your guests know that the reception will follow the ceremony. This is typical if the ceremony and reception are at the same location and you will not have a details or reception card (see below). The information on the invitation really should be limited to the items I just mentioned, because beyond that it starts to get overcrowded and confusing to your guests. All supporting details should be reserved for one of the supporting actors of the suite!

2 | Reply Card

Next up is the Reply (aka RSVP) card! This is the piece of the invitation suite that allows guests to let you know whether they will be there to celebrate your big day or not. Typically the card says on it somewhere "RSVP" or "Please Reply", but it can be fun to get creative with the wording. If you intend for guests to mail back the RSVP card, you should also include a stamped and addressed envelope so all they have to do is fill out the card and drop it in the mail. On this card you can find out any information you need to know: number attending, names of guests, meal choices, song requests, advice for the newlyweds - anything that helps you in planning your day! A more recent trend, if you are looking to cut down on paper and stamp costs, is including information about how to RSVP online through your wedding website. If you go that route, a stamped and addressed envelope is no longer necessary. How you structure your reply card is totally up to you and the style of your wedding, but this is your one place to gather all of the guest information you need, so make sure you think through this little card - it may be the smallest member of the cast, but it sure is an important one.

3 | Details/Reception/Map Card

The next supporting actor to the invitation is the Details/Reception/Map card. I like to think of this card as the catch-all card. Basically anything you think your guests need to know should go on here, and the size of the card will vary based on the design of your suite. Most of the time it is bigger than your reply card, but smaller than your main invitation. Some of the typical items included on the Details card are your wedding website, any directions or parking information for the venue, a map of the city and any wedding relevant locations, the location of the reception if different from the ceremony, the attire if you did not include it on the invitation and want to make sure all guests are dressed appropriately, hotel room block information, and welcome party information. Like I said, basically anything you think your guests should know should go here. The Invitation is reserved for the basic details, but the Details card is where the specific details should find their home. The Details card is one of my favorites to design because there are so many ways to get creative with it!

4 | Envelopes

You need somewhere to house your invitation, reply card, and details card, so naturally you put it in an envelope to mail. It sounds easy, but did you know there are lots of different types of envelopes? If you aren't into stationery you probably didn't realize this, but there are! Two of the most popular styles are Euro Flap (my personal favorite and what I typically use for my clients!) which is a rounded triangle flap, and the Square Flap which is basically just a straight edge rectangle flap. You can dress up your envelopes with envelope liners and wax seals (see Three Ways to Make Your Wedding Invitations Stand Out) to really pull the entire suite together, and I highly recommend printed addressing for both the return address and your guest addresses. This cuts down on your time considerably, and ensures that your suite is one cohesive unit, fonts and all!

5 | Stamps

So you have your suite, likely tied up neatly with some ribbon and a wax seal, that coordinates with a gorgeous envelope liner and colored envelope with white ink printing (ahhh, doesn't that just sound lovely?!). But now you actually have to mail it! Stamps are an often overlooked detail when it comes to the suite. You just made a big investment of time and money for your designer to design this amazing suite for you, only to realize you are just going to stick American flag stamps on it that don't go with your Beachy Chic wedding invitation suite.

Yes, the typical stamps from the post office are definitely the most cost effective route, and if that is a consideration hopefully you can find one of the Forever stamps that has some colors that will coordinate with your suite. But to ensure that everything is perfectly coordinated, you can use vintage postage (usually requires multiple stamps per envelope depending on envelope weight) or custom stamps that match your suite perfectly! It's a small detail, but can certainly complete the look!

There you have it - your crash course in the basic casting of a Wedding Invitation Suite! If you are ready to bring yours to life, I'm ready to make it happen for you!

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