A standard invitation suite includes the invitation, a reception card, a RSVP card and outer envelopes. Traditionally, inner envelopes are also used but we have seen a shift away from this practice with budget-conscious brides and "green" brides leading the charge.
When choosing your invitations, it is important to note a few pointers:
Avoid odd shapes and sizes. Square invites look awesome but are more expensive to mail since they cannot go through a standard machine. Small RSVP cards can cause problems at the post office, as well as certain types of envelope materials, like vellum, that catch in the machine. Dimension requirements can be found at usps.com.
Types of Printing:
Digital - the least expensive, this flat printing allows for an array of creativity in the terms of colors and design capabilities. Certain textured papers don't work well with this method of printing if there is a lot of color used.
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| Sara E. Invitation |
Offset - similar to digital in that it is a "flat" printing process, offset can be used with a variety of papers. Can get expensive when using more than 1 or two colors.
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| Sara E. Invitation |
Thermography - this method called "the poor man's engraving" is cheaper than engraving since the letters are actually raised on top of the paper instead of pressed in. Perfect for a formal look.
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| From Practical Manliness website |
Letterpress - a beautiful but more expensive process. Letterpress is where the letters are pressed into the paper for a vintage look.
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| From Wedding Times website |
Engraving - the most expensive and used for very formal weddings. A metal plate is incised and inked. Transferring it to paper creates raised letters.
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| By GreerChicago on Flickr |
When to send?
Wedding invitations need to be sent out 6-8 weeks before the wedding. The response cards must always be sent with postage. Make sure you have the right amount of postage on the response cards by taking your finished invite to the Post Office to be weighed and measured. The Post Office will also weigh the entire invite so you have the correct postage for the invitation suite.
Do Not, I repeat, Do Not enclose gift registry cards with your invitation. This information can be passed along to your guests by family members or can be listed on your wedding website.
Next week, we will look at how to properly address your invitations and how to cut down the guest list.
We here at Sara E. like to make life a lot more simple for our brides. That is why we offer finishing and mailing services. We can have the invitation weighed, buy postage, address your envelopes, put the invitations together and send them out for you. In a world where brides are more and more busy, we like to help take the stress off your big day! Contact us at saraecustomdesigns@gmail.com for more info.
Happy Planning!
