Formal weddings are all about etiquette. This starts before the wedding, with the wedding invitations. Depending on where you get your letterpress wedding invitations, they may or may not already be assembled correctly. If they arrive in separate stacks, don't panic. Despite the fact that assembling the invitations will be a time consuming process, it is relatively simple to do. Typical letterpress invitations come with enclosure cards and envelopes, the invitations, and those envelopes, which must be assembled a certain way to follow wedding etiquette. After assembly, the invitations should be addressed a certain way.
Enclosure Cards and Envelopes
There are a variety of enclosure cards that may be included with your wedding invitation. These enclosure cards are designed to make it easier on the couple and the guests when the big day arrives. Common enclosure cards include: response cards (for quick indication of wedding attendance), reception cards, ceremony cards, and pew cards. Some other items you may want to include with the invitation may be a map with directions to the ceremony and reception, transportation cards, and admission cards.
The most commonly selected enclosure card is a response card. This is a card the guest will mail back to the couple, with the selection of "will be attending" or "will not be attending." These are designed to make it easy for guests to respond to the invitation, which will make it easy for the couple to determine the final guest count for reception and meal purposes.
The response card should be placed in the smaller envelope, and the envelope should have the name and address of the person or people receiving the replies already on it. This can be handwritten if the handwriting is nice, or a calligrapher can be used. Appropriate postage should be affixed to the envelope.
Invitations and Envelopes
Wedding invitations will have two envelopes: an outer envelope for mailing purposes, and an inner envelope to protect the beauty of the invitation. This is because in times when the invitations used to be hand delivered, the outer envelope could get dirty without ruining the actual invitation.
When writing the address on the outer envelope, include the guests names, and do not use any abbreviations. For example, if you are sending the invitation to a post office box, the words "post office box" should be written out instead of using "P.O. Box." The return address should be on the back flap of the envelope instead of the upper left corner.
The inside envelope only needs to include the guest names, using only their title and surname. In the case of families with children under age 18 also being invited, the children's first names should also be listed on the inner envelope, on the line below their parents.
The addresses and names can be handwritten if the handwriting is nice, or a calligrapher can be used.
Wedding etiquette can be overwhelming for many of us, but when you take your time, the wedding invitations don't have to be a stressful endeavor.
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