Parts of a Wedding Invite?

dpelkey724 · January 2014

As silly as this may sound...As I begin to look at wedding invitation options, I am so confused about the different parts that go with the wedding invitation! I know there is the invitation, an RSVP card, but what are these "inner envelopes" everyone keeps talking about? What is the point of an inner envelope?

I plan on getting my invites from Etsy or Vistaprint to save some money, but I still would like them to look elegant, and not like a simple Birthday invite!

Thank you for your input!

manateehugger · January 2014

You don't need inner envelopes unless you just want an extra touch, but since you're trying to save money, don't worry about them.

Typically, you'll get a invitation itself and an RSVP card (either postcard or a small card with its own pre-stamped envelope).

If you are having your reception in a different location than the ceremony (e.g. church ceremony and banquet hall reception), you'll probably want a separate card that states the time and location of the reception. If ceremony and reception are in the same spot, you can just put "Reception to follow" on the bottom of the invitation.

Accommodation cards, which let guests know at what hotels you have blocked off rooms, are another common insert, but they aren't necessary either.

tabathafaye · January 2014

I don't think etsy wedding invitations are inexpensive.

dpelkey724 · January 2014

@tabathafaye ...from another post, someone recommended the etsy shop "Inviting Moments." I looked them up and they were literally the same price as Vistaprint (with a coupon code, too).

@PDKH Thank you so much for your explanation! That makes more sense!

manateehugger · January 2014

Etsy wedding invitations can be very expensive or not expensive. Peachwik, Inviting Moments, and The Extra Detail are all shops I've seen that can give you a set for around $2.

tabathafaye · January 2014

WOW! Nice to know. I just searched for "wedding invitations" and the cheapest I saw were $5/each if you bought over 200! LOL

emmyg65 · January 2014

We saved money by doing RSVP postcards (postage is cheaper and you don't need an envelope) and making our own inserts on nice cardstock. Like others said, the inner envelope is unnecessary.

manateehugger · January 2014

tabathafaye said:
WOW! Nice to know. I just searched for "wedding invitations" and the cheapest I saw were $5/each if you bought over 200! LOL

Yeah that seems to be the average. I started throwing in words like "affordable" and less expensive sets started pippin up.

oliviaester1991 · January 2014

PDKH said:

You don't need inner envelopes unless you just want an extra touch, but since you're trying to save money, don't worry about them.

Typically, you'll get a invitation itself and an RSVP card (either postcard or a small card with its own pre-stamped envelope).

If you are having your reception in a different location than the ceremony (e.g. church ceremony and banquet hall reception), you'll probably want a separate card that states the time and location of the reception. If ceremony and reception are in the same spot, you can just put "Reception to follow" on the bottom of the invitation.

Accommodation cards, which let guests know at what hotels you have blocked off rooms, are another common insert, but they aren't necessary either.

My ceremony and reception are both at a hotel, would i still include an accomodation card stating that I have a block of rooms available? Do I tell them the price of the room on there? and i'm having a half hour between the ceremony and cocktail hour, should i state the start time of cocktail hour somewhere? sorry i just bombarded you with questions, but this is invitation week for me, haha!

CrazyCatLady3 · January 2014

oliviaester1991 said:

PDKH said:

You don't need inner envelopes unless you just want an extra touch, but since you're trying to save money, don't worry about them.

Typically, you'll get a invitation itself and an RSVP card (either postcard or a small card with its own pre-stamped envelope).

If you are having your reception in a different location than the ceremony (e.g. church ceremony and banquet hall reception), you'll probably want a separate card that states the time and location of the reception. If ceremony and reception are in the same spot, you can just put "Reception to follow" on the bottom of the invitation.

Accommodation cards, which let guests know at what hotels you have blocked off rooms, are another common insert, but they aren't necessary either.

My ceremony and reception are both at a hotel, would i still include an accomodation card stating that I have a block of rooms available? Do I tell them the price of the room on there? and i'm having a half hour between the ceremony and cocktail hour, should i state the start time of cocktail hour somewhere? sorry i just bombarded you with questions, but this is invitation week for me, haha!

I would still include an accommodation card. We just put in a website info card instead of an accommodation card, and on the website we have info about the hotel and rates. You should try to eliminate the half hour gap if you can so guests aren't milling around after the ceremony waiting for cocktail hour to start. Are you doing programs? You could put on the invites "reception to follow" with no separate reception card since everything is in one venue, and then on the bottom of your programs, put, "please join us after the ceremony in [hotel ballroom, etc.]"

oliviaester1991 · January 2014

CrazyCatLady3 said:

oliviaester1991 said:

PDKH said:

You don't need inner envelopes unless you just want an extra touch, but since you're trying to save money, don't worry about them.

Typically, you'll get a invitation itself and an RSVP card (either postcard or a small card with its own pre-stamped envelope).

If you are having your reception in a different location than the ceremony (e.g. church ceremony and banquet hall reception), you'll probably want a separate card that states the time and location of the reception. If ceremony and reception are in the same spot, you can just put "Reception to follow" on the bottom of the invitation.

Accommodation cards, which let guests know at what hotels you have blocked off rooms, are another common insert, but they aren't necessary either.

My ceremony and reception are both at a hotel, would i still include an accomodation card stating that I have a block of rooms available? Do I tell them the price of the room on there? and i'm having a half hour between the ceremony and cocktail hour, should i state the start time of cocktail hour somewhere? sorry i just bombarded you with questions, but this is invitation week for me, haha!

I would still include an accommodation card. We just put in a website info card instead of an accommodation card, and on the website we have info about the hotel and rates. You should try to eliminate the half hour gap if you can so guests aren't milling around after the ceremony waiting for cocktail hour to start. Are you doing programs? You could put on the invites "reception to follow" with no separate reception card since everything is in one venue, and then on the bottom of your programs, put, "please join us after the ceremony in [hotel ballroom, etc.]"

ok thanks! I didn't want the gap but my wedding coordinator insisted that we have a half hour gap, she said most people will use that time to freshen up or check into their rooms and what not.

CrazyCatLady3 · January 2014

oliviaester1991 said:

CrazyCatLady3 said:

oliviaester1991 said:

PDKH said:

You don't need inner envelopes unless you just want an extra touch, but since you're trying to save money, don't worry about them.

Typically, you'll get a invitation itself and an RSVP card (either postcard or a small card with its own pre-stamped envelope).

If you are having your reception in a different location than the ceremony (e.g. church ceremony and banquet hall reception), you'll probably want a separate card that states the time and location of the reception. If ceremony and reception are in the same spot, you can just put "Reception to follow" on the bottom of the invitation.

Accommodation cards, which let guests know at what hotels you have blocked off rooms, are another common insert, but they aren't necessary either.

My ceremony and reception are both at a hotel, would i still include an accomodation card stating that I have a block of rooms available? Do I tell them the price of the room on there? and i'm having a half hour between the ceremony and cocktail hour, should i state the start time of cocktail hour somewhere? sorry i just bombarded you with questions, but this is invitation week for me, haha!

I would still include an accommodation card. We just put in a website info card instead of an accommodation card, and on the website we have info about the hotel and rates. You should try to eliminate the half hour gap if you can so guests aren't milling around after the ceremony waiting for cocktail hour to start. Are you doing programs? You could put on the invites "reception to follow" with no separate reception card since everything is in one venue, and then on the bottom of your programs, put, "please join us after the ceremony in [hotel ballroom, etc.]"

ok thanks! I didn't want the gap but my wedding coordinator insisted that we have a half hour gap, she said most people will use that time to freshen up or check into their rooms and what not.

Your coordinator probably suggested this for her own convenience. Guests don't need to freshen up after a 30 min ceremony. They just want food and drink and not to stand around waiting.

manateehugger · January 2014

CrazyCatLady3 said:

oliviaester1991 said:

CrazyCatLady3 said:

oliviaester1991 said:

PDKH said:

You don't need inner envelopes unless you just want an extra touch, but since you're trying to save money, don't worry about them.

Typically, you'll get a invitation itself and an RSVP card (either postcard or a small card with its own pre-stamped envelope).

If you are having your reception in a different location than the ceremony (e.g. church ceremony and banquet hall reception), you'll probably want a separate card that states the time and location of the reception. If ceremony and reception are in the same spot, you can just put "Reception to follow" on the bottom of the invitation.

Accommodation cards, which let guests know at what hotels you have blocked off rooms, are another common insert, but they aren't necessary either.

My ceremony and reception are both at a hotel, would i still include an accomodation card stating that I have a block of rooms available? Do I tell them the price of the room on there? and i'm having a half hour between the ceremony and cocktail hour, should i state the start time of cocktail hour somewhere? sorry i just bombarded you with questions, but this is invitation week for me, haha!

I would still include an accommodation card. We just put in a website info card instead of an accommodation card, and on the website we have info about the hotel and rates. You should try to eliminate the half hour gap if you can so guests aren't milling around after the ceremony waiting for cocktail hour to start. Are you doing programs? You could put on the invites "reception to follow" with no separate reception card since everything is in one venue, and then on the bottom of your programs, put, "please join us after the ceremony in [hotel ballroom, etc.]"

ok thanks! I didn't want the gap but my wedding coordinator insisted that we have a half hour gap, she said most people will use that time to freshen up or check into their rooms and what not.

Your coordinator probably suggested this for her own convenience. Guests don't need to freshen up after a 30 min ceremony. They just want food and drink and not to stand around waiting.

I'll be a non-etiquette appropriate advice-giver and say this depends upon your crowd. Probably about 75% of the weddings I've been to have gaps of 30 minutes to 1.5 hours. We literally have family and friends who are irritated at our lack of gap and have expressed it to us. Because when there's a gap, most people freshen up and change clothes (I know, I know, it doesn't make sense).

However, since your ceremony and reception are in the same place, most guests will probably just wonder over to cocktail hour and not want/need to freshen up, so I'd consider removing the half hour at least.

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