Wedding invitations are much more than just the invitation itself. Invitation enclosures do everything from helping you keep track of the number of guests to getting your guests to the ceremony. So which enclosures do you need for your wedding? Here is a quick rundown:
Some ceremonies are more private. As such, you may want to use a ceremony card. Instead of sending out invitations, you can send out announcements with a ceremony card enclosure to those you would like to invite to the wedding and a reception card enclosure to those you would like to invite to the reception. Unlike other enclosures, ceremony cards should be placed in front of the announcement so they are the first item your guests sees when they open it.
When to include ceremony cards: If you are inviting a lot of people to your reception, but only a few to the actual wedding ceremony, you should include a ceremony card enclosure. Ceremony cards are also helpful for religious ceremonies if only certain people can attend or if others may feel uncomfortable attending.
Since invitations only have so much room, couples often do not have room to include all of the reception information. A reception card enclosure is an excellent solution. Having a separate reception card allows more room to give your guests detailed information about the party. Reception cards are also a great solution if you are inviting more guests to the ceremony than the reception, as you have the option to insert them into as many invitations as you like.
When to include reception cards: If your reception directly follows your ceremony and is at the same location, you should be able to include "Reception immediately following ceremony" at the bottom of your invitation. If your reception will be on a different day, begin at a specific time or be held at a different location, you should include a reception card enclosure with your invitation.
Whether you are inviting a lot of people to your wedding or just a few, it is important to keep track of who is coming and who is unable to attend. Response cards ensure you have an accurate count of attending guests. You can also use response cards to find out guests' meal preferences. Every response card should be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
When to include response cards: As a rule of thumb, every wedding invitation should include a response card enclosure. If, however, you are having a very small ceremony with immediate family only, you may not need a response card.
As wonderful as GPS Navigation Units are, not everyone is lucky enough to own one. Including a map and direction card with your invitation is a great way to ensure your guests have an easy time getting to and from your ceremony and reception. It is important to include directions for guests travelling North, South, East and West, and to give those directions from the closest major highway - not local landmarks.
When to include map and directions cards: If the majority of your guests are coming from out of town, it is imperative to include a map and direction card. If the majority of your guests are local, a map and direction card is not necessary.
Most brides and grooms want their family and closest friends to have the best seats in the house. Pew cards can be sent to such guests informing them of a special area at the ceremony you would like them to be seated. These guests will then bring the pew cards with them to the ceremony and present them to the ushers, who will them seat them accordingly. Pew cards can be included with the invitation, but are often sent after the RSVPs are received and the exact number of reserved rows is set.
When to include pew cards: Pew cards are especially helpful if you will be having a large ceremony, or if your ceremony will be in a large hall.
Every wedding is different and, as such, there is really no end to the number of enclosures your invitation may require. If you are having an outdoor wedding, you may want to insert a rain card alerting your guests to an alternate location in case of rain. If your ceremony or reception will be at a country club or special hall, you may need to include parking cards. You may want to include a website card, a registry card or even a card with information about the wedding ceremony. The possibilities are truly endless.
The best way to make sure your invitation includes all the information your guests need is to sit down and write out all of the important details. You can then determine the best way to include that information in your invitation - whether that means one enclosure or five.
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