Invitation Components and Options FAQs

• Commission a custom design. If budget allows, have a stationery designer create a custom design based on your inspiration. You can go directly to a designer that knows stationery, or find an artist whose work inspires you (e.g. we once created graphic novel-style invitations in collaboration with a graphic novelist.)
• Note that the design process usually takes 3-4 weeks depending on the complexity of the project. Note that wedding invitation design and production is a specialized niche in the design world- not all designers are in tune with what makes a high-impact wedding invitation (as opposed to a corporate invitation or identity), so be sure to review your designer's portfolio carefully.
• Use unexpected materials. Print your invitation on wood, fabric, handkerchiefs, Plexiglas, a custom balloon, etc.
• Use an unusual print method. If budget allows, hand-crafted print methods like engraving, foil-stamping, or letterpress make an invitation really stand out regardless of the design.
• Add handmade details: ribbon, envelope liners, backing cards, a decorative paper band to hold all the pieces together.
• Add calligraphy: You can either have a calligrapher address your envelopes or design part or all of your invitation (the portions that are handwritten are scanned and then printed).
• Get creative with your wording
• Choose an invitation concept that matches your personal history, wedding venue or style. If you and your fiancé are academics, create a "bookish" invitation channelling vintage book design. If you're in the gaming industry, incorporate 8-bit video game elements into the artwork or wording. If you're getting married on the beach, send a "message in a bottle." If it's a destination wedding, design your invitation to look like a ticket or passport.

Inner and outer envelopes, or double envelopes, are the traditional American way of presenting wedding invitations. They are never used for European invitations. The inner envelope serves a few practical purposes:

• Protects the invitation and inserts once the guest tears open the outer envelope. It is specially made to just fit into the outer envelope and has no glue on the flap. (We always imagine the inner envelope being presented to the guest on a silver tray by a butler; since no one has butlers anymore, it's now just an added layer of protection!)
• Reiterates who's invited. It is placed in the outer envelope with the flap facing away from you and the front addressed with the guest's name.

That said, inner envelopes typically are used only for very formal and traditional weddings these days because they:

• Add to the cost of an invitation- inner and outer envelopes practically scream for hand calligraphy which, in addition to the cost of the extra envelopes, pushes the invitation cost up and can double it in some circumstances.
• Come in very limited colours and sizes (typically, white and ecru to fit a 5" x 7" invitation).
• Are less eco-friendly than single envelopes.

Tissue is a relic of engraving and old-fashioned offset printing in which the ink would stay wet for a while after printing. A piece of flat, translucent tissue would be placed on top of the invitation to keep ink from rubbing off onto the envelope or other insert cards. Today, this rarely happens, so the only tissue you need is the kind that keeps eyes dry at your wedding ceremony!

The options, from least to most-expensive, are:

• Hand address them (either by yourself, or by a friend or relative with neat writing). Use a high-quality rollerball pen, preferably in black ink or in a colour that coordinates with your invitation, if applicable. If you are writing on a dark envelope, use a white or silver gel pen.
• Print addresses on the envelopes using a nice font. The font can be calligraphy-inspired, or it can match the font used on your invitations. You can sometimes do this on a home printer, but be sure to test it before committing as some envelopes are difficult to feed. An inkjet printer is usually the safest way to go since laser printer ink can rub off in the mail. Alternatively, your stationer may be able to print the addresses on your envelopes for you, sometimes called "computer calligraphy." Note, however, that in our experience, "computer calligraphy" technology still has a ways to go- envelopes are usually laser printed, and envelopes may come back crooked and/or ink may sometimes rub off. Cost: From about $1/envelope
• Print nice custom address labels. Some DIY shops like www.paper-source.com offer print-at-home labels that are cute (avoid using office labels at all costs, even the clear kind, unless you want your invitation to look like corporate or junk mail). Some stationers, including Hello!Lucky, will print nice matte-laminated wrap-around labels that coordinate with your design and include both your return address and the guests' address. The design matches your invitations, and the laminate ensures that your invitations will get to guests in tact. Cost: $0.85 / blank label (DIY from Paper Source) to $2.25 / variable printed label from Hello!Lucky (includes proofing, return address, and matte laminate)
• Hire a calligrapher. Cost: From about $4/envelope

Nothing beats the look and feel of gorgeous hand-calligraphy for making your invitation really stand out in the mail. Guests love to see their names handwritten in ornate script and will often keep any calligraphed items as a lasting memento of your wedding.
That said, it can be expensive, averaging around $4-$5 per envelope. If you like the look but calligraphy isn't in your budget, you have a few options:

• Hand address the envelopes in neat writing. Not as dramatic as calligraphy, but a lovely personal touch that guests will appreciate.
• Learn calligraphy yourself. It takes a few weeks of practice, but it's a great skill to have! See our book Handmade Weddings for instructions.
• Get your addresses printed (or print them at home) in a handwriting font. Calligraphy-like fonts are available at www.myfonts.com and generally cost $20-$50. You may also be able to find some nice free calligraphy fonts.

This depends on calligrapher. Generally it's a good idea to allow 2-3 weeks for calligraphy. You can ask your stationer to print your invitation envelopes ahead so that your calligrapher can get started while you're finalizing your invitations. Calligraphy is labour-intensive so usually costs about $4-$5 per envelope for the guest address (not including your return address).
Tips for working with a calligrapher:

• Order at least 20% extra envelopes for the calligrapher to cover addressing mistakes.
• Addressing opaque (coloured or lined) envelopes may cost more than white envelopes because the calligraphy must hand line the envelopes before addressing them.
• The calligrapher makes light pencil lines on your envelopes to ensure proper alignment, then erases them when the addresses are complete. For white envelopes, calligraphers will typically use a light table, which allows a lined template to show through the envelope to guide alignment.
• If your calligrapher is not local, remember to budget for the time and cost of sending the envelopes to and from the calligrapher.
• When putting together your guest list, spell out all abbreviations and list guests' names with formal titles (e.g. Mr., Mrs.) exactly as you want them to appear. Some calligraphers will catch etiquette and even address errors, but you should be prepared for your envelopes to be addressed exactly as noted in your list.

In today's GPS-enabled world, a map or directions card is often unnecessary, especially if most of your guests are local. However if you're expecting many out-of-town guests, a map or directions card can be a nice courtesy since guests can take it with them on the go. Consider including directions if:

• You're expecting a lot of out-of-town guests.
• Your wedding is in a destination (particularly if English is not spoken) or a remote area where GPS may not work.
• You weekend events are taking place at several locations- it can be handy for guests to have all the locations on one card so that they can get the lay of the land at a glance.
• You have other info to convey- weekend itinerary, attire, transportation and parking, etc. Since you'll be printing an info card anyway, including a map means guests have all the important details that they need in one place.