From RSVP cards to return envelopes to maps to schedules to your main invite, wedding invitation suites contain some of the most important pieces of your wedding correspondence. No matter your wedding style—timeless and elegant or edgy and modern–custom wedding invitation suites will help guide your overall wedding theme and keep guests in the loop and up to date.
Crafting wedding invitation suites that you love is a classic way to capture the essence of your big day on paper. A well-designed, personal invitation will get your guests excited to kick off the festivities and will serve as a wonderful memento for you and your loved ones for years to come. Whether you select delicate letterpress wedding invitations or make a statement with foil-printed RSVP cards, every detail should capture and reflect your design goals.
Not sure what should be in a wedding suite or where to begin? Volk’s here to help you get started with our comprehensive guide to wedding invitation suites.
What's Included in a Wedding Invitation Suite
The wedding invitation suite is a crucial part of the pre-wedding preparations for nearlyweds and their guests. It acts as an official marker, announcing your happy news to friends and family, and tells your guests when and where to show up!
But what exactly goes into a wedding invitation suite and what is most important to include in your suite envelope? Here are a few essentials:
The Main Invitation
Generally the largest card in the envelope, the main invitation is the feature of any wedding suite. Whether you’re going for a whimsical, Baroque look or a sleek, Art Deco design, your invitations can help define your wedding aesthetic.
The main invitation is also where the largest pieces of information are included for your guests. Names of the nearlyweds, who might be hosting them at the celebrating, date/time/location, and sometimes dress code belong here.
RSVP Card
One of the most functional aspects of your wedding invitation suite is the RSVP card. These cards should leave room for guests to include their names and the number of guests attending. You can also add space for guests to indicate meal preferences and dietary restrictions.
The rest is up to you! These cards are generally smaller than the actual invitations, so if you want to include any cheeky questions for your guests (marriage advice, song requests, hashtags, etc.) make sure you leave enough room for the guests to write their response. If you’re choosing to have your guests reply online, you can include a QR code that links directly to the RSVP, or use your RSVP card to direct them to your wedding website where replies will be accepted.
Stamps and Envelopes
If you’re expecting RSVP cards to be returned by mail, it’s standard to include stamped return envelopes for your guests’ RSVPs. This way, they can get answers to you ASAP and you can get a headcount sooner rather than later.
RSVP envelopes are also a great way to add color to your invitation suite, so don’t be afraid to go bold. Stamps can be B-O-R-I-N-G, but they can also add a unique element to your invitation suite if you know what you're looking for. In fact, there are people you can hire to curate selections of vintage stamps to go with your wedding invites! So don't hesitate to look around and find options that go beyond the boring (and, let's face it, not very wedding-ish) american flag Forever stamps. They're out there for the finding!
Volk Tip: Drop the RSVP envelope and send a postcard instead! Then use that extra money for your curated postage on your outer envelope or ribbon or an envelope liner.
Details Cards
Have additional ideas or specific info you want to share with your guests? At Volk, we feel your creativity should never be limited, especially when it comes to your big day. We love crafting distinct details cards to make your invitation suite even more personal.
What’s a details card? Generally, details cards are any card beyond your main invite and RSVP that offer additional information for your guests. If you are not inviting everyone to the ceremony, it might be a separate ceremony invite, or a rehearsal dinner invite. For destination weddings, details cards might offer guests information about hotel blocks or the destination. In this invitation suite by Volk, the details cards were all grouped together for easily accessible destination information.
Agenda
In your wedding invitation suite, you can also add a brief schedule of events for guests to reference. Especially if you’re planning a full weekend of celebrations, it can be useful to give your guests an idea of what’s happening and when. From welcome dinners to excursions to day-after brunches, consider including a preview in your invitation suite. Adding the locations of each event, like restaurants and venues, can help your guests plan for transportation and decide what they need to pack for the big weekend.
Volk Tip: keep it short and sweet! Even if you have a lengthy schedule of events, this preliminary agenda should give guests a basic idea and fit neatly on a card. For more detailed schedules, consider uploading info to your wedding website or including a schedule in your welcome bags.
Make it Yours
Once you have all your necessary details included in your wedding invitation suites, get creative! Wedding invitation suites, like these by Volk, can be designed specifically with your event and relationship in mind—ensuring it fits your exact aesthetic and style.. Pleasing, well-designed suites can also provide a nice keepsake for your friends and family to look back on your wedding day.
Here are a few of Volk’s favorite ways to customize your suites.
Colors and Fonts
These elements are the foundational building blocks that will have the most impact on other future wedding details. Wedding colors are one of the first things on a nearlywed’s mind! If your wedding colors are gold and pink, mirroring those in your invitations is a beautiful way to give your guests a sneak peek into what your celebration will hold.
From a designer’s perspective, the fonts on your invite speak volumes about your event! It’s important to select fonts that are legible, so guests can clearly read your stationery, but you also want to find fonts that reflect your unique day and can be used throughout the event in signage, table numbers, and more. A wedding stationer can help you find a font that suits your event.
Maps
At Volk, we live for those extra, custom details that are unique to your big day (and make your life way easier). Consider collaborating with your invitation designer to come up with a custom map for your invitation suite. Whether you’re getting married in your Midwestern college town and want to point out some “historic” spots or you’re tying the knot abroad and need a simple map of the area, Volk has you covered. Extra touches like these can make your wedding weekend more interactive and can help your guests discover new restaurants or find spots special to your love story.
Fun Facts
Oftentimes, weddings bring a big group of family and friends together, especially folks you may not have seen for a while. It’s possible that some guests haven’t actually met your partner before the big day! If this is the case, it can be a fun idea to include a small card with your love story or some interesting facts about you and your partner. While you’ll still have to make a few introductions at your reception, this is a great way to help your guests feel welcome and included.
Handcrafted Touches
We’re all familiar with colored laser printing, which essentially prints your text and images flat on paper. To take your invites to the next level, consider adding texture and detail with handcrafted techniques like foil printing, blind embossing, and letterpress.
Letterpress wedding invitations like these give a timeless look that will have your guests marveling at the fine craftsmanship of your cards.
With gorgeous finishes and custom quality, using traditional techniques can achieve a variety of looks. Uniquely crafted cards help your wedding invites to stand apart and really give that “living memory” factor that will bring you right back to your wedding day for years to come.
P.S. Check out these ideas from Brides for how to preserve your invitations for years to come.
An ideal wedding invitation suite combines your unique design sensibility with all the right information your guests need to party with you and your partner. This one elegant envelope serves as an introduction to your entire wedding and even the subtlest design choices and features can help communicate your vision for the big day.
When it comes to what should be included in a wedding suite, check in with your designers and collaborate to make sure your suites are well-designed and memorable. With these tips from Volk, you can feel confident taking this step in your wedding journey and can create invitation suites that you’ll love to look back on.
