Invitation Essentials: What To Include In Your Wedding Suite

Wedding invitation suites can be a major undertaking, from designing to packaging and sending. The suite consists of all the paper goods sent with the wedding invitation, including a response card, directions, and accommodations. The invitation itself should include the couple's names, the date and time, and the ceremony and reception locations. Response cards are also important, as they allow guests to confirm their attendance and indicate any dietary preferences or if they are bringing a guest. Other optional additions to the suite include a reception card, a directions card, a weekend events card, and an accommodations card.

RSVP card and envelope

The RSVP card and envelope are crucial components of your wedding invitation suite. Here's a detailed guide on what to include and consider for this part of your wedding stationery:

RSVP Card Content:

• Guest Names: Traditionally, RSVP cards include a long blank line with a printed "M" for guests to write their names, including their proper honorifics (Mr., Mrs., Ms., or Miss). Alternatively, you can use the word "Name:" before the blank line. This guarantees you know who is attending and ensures correct spelling on the seating chart.
• RSVP Deadline: Clearly state the date you need the recipient's response. This creates a sense of urgency and helps with your planning. Formal wording options include, "The favor of a reply is requested by," or "Your reply is requested by." For a more casual vibe, use phrases like "RSVP by" or "Please respond by."
• Accept or Decline Options: Allow guests to indicate whether they will attend or not. This is the primary purpose of the RSVP card. You can use checkboxes, circling, or fill-in-the-blank lines for this section.
• Meal Choices: If you're serving a sit-down dinner, include a section for guests to select their entrée and dessert preferences. Be sure to accommodate guests with food allergies or dietary restrictions by providing a line for them to detail their requirements.
• Additional Details: If you're inviting out-of-town guests, consider including a line for them to specify their accommodation or travel plans. This is especially useful if you have room blocks at hotels and helps with coordinating welcome gifts and transportation.
• Special Requests: You can also include a section for guests to share their song requests, drink preferences, or a favourite memory/relationship advice.

RSVP Envelope:

• Pre-addressed and Pre-stamped: Include a small envelope designed to fit the RSVP card. It should be empty, stamped, and marked with your address to make it convenient for guests to mail their responses.
• Return Address: Don't forget to include your return address on the front of the RSVP envelope. This ensures that guests can easily send their responses to the correct location.

Additional Tips:

• Numbering and Spreadsheets: To keep track of responses, consider numbering each RSVP card subtly and creating a corresponding spreadsheet. This helps identify responses, especially if guests forget to fill in their names or have tricky-to-read handwriting.
• Creative and Personal Touches: Feel free to add creative and personal touches to your RSVP cards. You can inject your personality, theme, or aesthetic. Include fun questions or requests that align with your wedding style.
• Deadline Reminders: Set an RSVP deadline that gives you enough time for planning and coordinating with vendors. Typically, this is around four weeks before the wedding date. Remind guests to RSVP about a week before the deadline to ensure timely responses.

Remember, the RSVP card and envelope are essential for gathering the information you need to finalise your wedding plans, so make them clear, informative, and tailored to your special day!

Reception card

A reception card is a traditional way to convey information about the festivities occurring after the wedding ceremony, especially if the reception is at a different location to the ceremony. It is also an opportunity to let your guests know what to expect at the reception, such as food and drink, and even the dress code.

If your reception is at a different location to the ceremony, it is best to include a separate reception card. This can be a multi-purpose "Information" insert, including the reception specifics alongside helpful details like your wedding website or hotel accommodations.

If your reception is at the same location as the ceremony, you can simply include a line on the invitation such as "Reception to Follow", "Celebration to Follow", or "Dinner and Dancing to Follow". If your reception is at a different location, you'll need to include a separate reception card with the start time and address.

• "The celebration continues // with cocktails, dinner and dancing"
• "Please join us // for drinks, dinner and merriment"
• "Celebrate // please join us for drinks, dinner and dancing"
• "And afterward at the reception // location"
• "Reception to follow // location"
• "Reception immediately following // location"
• "Cocktails, dinner and dancing to follow // location"

Directions card

A directions card is an important part of a wedding invitation suite, ensuring your guests can easily find the venue and don't get unnecessarily stressed while driving around. Here are some tips and suggestions for creating detailed and instructive directions cards for your wedding invitation sets:

Paragraph 1:

Provide clear and concise driving instructions from different directions or locations. For example, you can include instructions for guests driving from the north, south, east, and west, ensuring they can easily navigate to the wedding venue. Clear instructions will be especially helpful for guests who are unfamiliar with the area or those without smartphones. While maps are not a requirement, including a custom map or a map card can be a cute touch, especially if you have multiple wedding events at different locations.

Paragraph 2:

Include the full address of both the wedding ceremony venue and the reception site, if they are separate locations. This ensures that your guests have all the information they need to arrive at the right place. You can also mention any specific details or instructions related to parking, making it more convenient for your guests. Additionally, if there are any unique aspects to the venue or surrounding area, you can include this information to make it easier for guests to identify the location.

Paragraph 3:

Consider any potential challenges your guests may face when navigating to the wedding venue. For example, mention if there are any areas with limited or no cell phone reception, or if the venue is in a rural area with unreliable GPS navigation. By providing this information, guests can be better prepared and may choose to print out directions or take other necessary steps to ensure they arrive at the wedding on time.

Paragraph 4:

In addition to the directions card, you can also include other enclosure cards with relevant information. For example, an accommodations card can provide details about nearby hotels or hotel blocks for out-of-town guests. A wedding itinerary card can outline other wedding-related events, such as a welcome brunch or post-wedding gathering. These additional cards ensure that your guests have a comprehensive understanding of the wedding festivities and can plan their attendance accordingly.

Paragraph 5:

Finally, don't forget to include your wedding website URL on the directions card or as a separate enclosure card. Your wedding website can serve as a central hub for all the information your guests may need, including directions, accommodation options, dress code, and any other relevant details. It is a good idea to encourage guests to visit the website and provide updates or additional information as needed.

Weekend events card

A weekend wedding is a wonderful way to celebrate your special day. Here is some suggested content for your 'Weekend events card':

Paragraph 1:

Introduce the card's purpose, providing an overview of the weekend's festivities. This will help guests understand the timeline of events and plan their attendance accordingly. Include a brief welcome message, expressing your excitement to celebrate with them.

Paragraph 2:

Detail the schedule of events, providing dates, times, and locations. Be sure to mention any pre-wedding activities, such as a welcome cocktail hour, rehearsal dinner, or brunch. If there are specific dress codes for each event, this is a great place to mention them.

Paragraph 3:

Provide practical information, such as accommodation options and transportation arrangements. Let guests know about any room blocks reserved at nearby hotels, along with booking instructions and deadlines. If there will be shuttle services or recommended parking areas, include those details as well.

Paragraph 4:

Share any additional pertinent information. This could include directions to the venues, especially if they are in rural or hard-to-find locations. You can also mention your wedding website, encouraging guests to visit for further details and updates.

Paragraph 5: (Optional)

Add a personal touch with a brief message of anticipation and gratitude. You can also use this space to mention any unique aspects of the wedding, such as activities, themes, or special performances that guests can look forward to.

Remember to keep the content concise and clear, ensuring that your guests have all the essential information they need to fully participate in your wedding weekend celebrations.

Accommodations card

An accommodations card is a great way to provide essential information for guests who are travelling to your wedding. This card is especially useful if you have a lot of out-of-town guests who may not be able to find room block details on your wedding website.

Hotel Information

Provide the name and street address of the hotel(s) where you have reserved room blocks for your guests. You may also want to include the hotel's phone number.

Booking Information

Inform guests of the name or group code your room blocks are listed under, along with the deadline to reserve rooms by.

Shuttle Service

If you are providing a shuttle service from the hotel(s) to your venue, be sure to include this information on the accommodations card.

When designing your accommodations card, it is important to keep the wording brief and to the point. A cluttered card with too much text may be difficult for guests to read. You may also want to consider including your wedding website URL at the bottom of the card, so guests can easily access additional information.

Remember, the accommodations card is just one component of your wedding invitation suite. Other traditional elements to include are the invitation itself, response card and envelope, and an outer envelope to hold all the pieces together.

Frequently asked questions