Blank Wedding Invitations at The Wedding Place!

• The invitations themselves
• Inner envelope (optional)
• Outer envelope
• Reception cards (optional)
• RSVP cards/envelopes (optional)
• Tissue (optional, and often not used any more)

If you are using inner envelopes you may notice that they do not have adhesive on the flap; that is because they are not meant to be sealed. The name of the person or persons being invited are written on the inner envelope, but not their address. If your invitation is to a couple and their children, only the couple's names and their address should be written on the outer envelope; the inner envelope should have the couple's names as well as the phrase "and family," or, "and guest," but not their address.

If you are planning to invite some guests to your wedding but not to your reception, you can accomplish it by enclosing an additional card with your invitation, and these are listed below.

An RSVP card is used if you wish to have a response to your invitation to the reception. The RSVP card should be placed in its own envelope, have a postage stamp, and be addressed back to whoever has charge of the responses. It must measure at least 3.5" x 5" according to postal regulations so that it can be mailed back to you, and should be placed, already in its own envelope, in the inner envelope with the invitation. The RSVP card is typically worded with the information that there will be a reception after the ceremony, and a response from the recipient is requested.

A reception card is used when an RSVP is not required, but you are not inviting all of your guests to your reception. Additionally, you can use such an enclosure card if, for instance, you are planning a limited function after the reception, such as an additional party meant strictly for family. A reception card need not be enclosed in an envelope, and need not measure at least 3.5" x 5", because it is not meant to be mailed. It may, for instance, be of business card size. The reception card, if used, should also be placed in the inner envelope with the invitation.

A new innovation in reception cards is to include a refrigerator magnet with your invitation that has been preprinted with the details of your wedding date and reception. Your guests will find it a helpful reminder of your wedding date, and they're much more likely to remember the date!

A tissue, if used, is cut to the size of the invitation and is placed on its face. It is a holdover from the days when the ink on invitations could "bleed" and stick to the inner or outer envelope, especially in damp and/or warm weather. Recent improvements in the printing process make this enclosure unnecessary. Tissues have a tendency to crease and look worn when handled and can be difficult to keep fresh when you are assembling your invitations; that is one major reason why their use seems to be going out of style.

Which of the optional parts of a wedding invitation should you use? Your invitations are designed to serve a purpose--they invite your guests to your ceremony, and optionally to other parts of the celebration on your wedding day. Enclosures such as the RSVP card and envelope or the reception card are used to add to the terms of the invitation.

If everyone is invited to the reception and you don't need responses, simply add that part to the bottom of your invitation and don't use an enclosure at all. This is typically worded as, "Reception immediately following the ceremony/Mike's Truck Stop/34 West Motorcycle Road/Hammsville, Pennsylvania."

If not everyone will be invited to the reception, leave off those lines from the invitation, and add it to either a reception card or an RSVP card, depending on whether or not you require responses.