Once you have your wedding and reception venues, if they are different you are ready to start on your invitations, although not to send them out, but to decide how you will execute them with the wording, designs, and what's inside the envelope. Some of it depends on the type or formality of your wedding; whether it is casual or formal. You could go with an email if it is a very casual event. If it is a more traditional or formal wedding then you'll probably want to have engraved invitations or you could do them yourself or have some straight out of a box. You've heard of Bed-in-a-Bag right, well now at Michaels (craft store) they have something that looks like Bride-in-a-Box, although that is not what they call it. It's really called The Bride. I like my title better, but there might already be something else called that.
Whatever direction you choose, make sure you are aware of the price point surrounding your choice. Remember, however many guests you would like at the wedding the cost for postage will minimally be $0.44/invitation (until the price of stamps rises) and really if you are including two sets of envelopes (outer to them and an inner back to you) it might be as much as $0.80 - $1.50/invitation. Unless you are hand delivering each invitation, that is your bottom line.
Suggestion: Pick out the envelope size and shape, then assemble all of the parts of your invitation and take to your local post office to find out the price of each invitation before you make your final decision. You can take several different configurations, so you know exactly what each one's price point is. Tip: A rectangle envelope is considered standard postage, whereas a square envelope is not and requires additional postage.
There are many styles of invitations, including the ones that you design yourself depending on your budget. Here are a few you might see:
The Pocket - Usually a 3-sectioned folded card stock, consisting of two folds. The fold closest to the bottom or to the right if horizontal rather than vertical, holds the invitation announcement. (Also known as the pocket fold enclosure.) Envelope is extra.
The Pochette - Square center with four rounded flaps. (If you think about it too hard and look at it objectively, it is reminiscent of a diaper with four rounded flaps rather than two.) Usually sealed with a cute sticker. Folds into itself so you can mail it out. For return RSVP, enclose a small self-addressed stamped card for guests return response.
Seal & Send - Usually four sections with a perforation for the return card. There are three folds with one as the perforated card that folds into itself and you seal it before sending it out to your guests. This saves you time and extra postage by eliminating the envelope.
Jacket Invitation - Usually invitation is made of card stock wrapped in a cutaway vellum (much like a tuxedo jacket) held in place with by ribbon.
Gate Fold - Similar to the Jacket invitation, except that the folded flaps meet in the middle. Can be held together with a seal, but commonly held together with ribbon. Envelope extra.
Layer Invitation - Usually the top card* has the information or wording on it. The card is another color which frames the invitation itself. Trivia: Often the top layer of the card's color is a representation of the bride and the color of the bottom card layer is representative of the groom. Sometimes the ink is the same color as the bottom card's color which integrates the two people coming together in marriage.
There are of course many other various types of invitations. I am sure I have only scratched the surface and I believe some of these names will change from company to company. For our invitation papers, I went to Paper Presentation on West 18th Street, between 6th & 7th Avenues. I used all of my invitation layers from their paper collection. *(I used special paper rather than card stock, which kept the postage down.) My invitations were a combination of gate and layered, so there is some creativity available, no matter the formality of your wedding.
They also have a wedding engraving section on the second floor and if you know what you want when you go in you can have your invitation back within a day or two of ordering. You may of course want to go with a department store or even online. All-in-all, your choices are varied. All you have to do is decide what you really like, whether it expresses the feel of your nuptials and if it is within your budget.
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