How To Stuff Wedding Invitations

Make your invitations say, "I know what I'm doing" by learning the formal way to stuff your wedding invitations.

I looked on many different websites to try and help me learn, but none of them had any diagrams! I'm a visual learner, and I'm sure there are others out there who can't just be told how to do it, they have to be shown. I know my drawings suck, but hopefully they are easy to understand. The dotted lines represent the part that is behind everything or in the case of the envelopes, the part you cannot see if you are doing it right.

First off, make sure you have the same number of each insert. It sounds simple enough, but oversights do happen! If you are making your own invitations, be sure you make extras just in case. It helps if you set it up on a table like an assembly line. Be sure to make a prototype (make one that is an example of what all the rest are going to look like) and take it to the post office to be weighed.

1. The invitation: (shown in red). If you would like to use tissue paper now is the time. It is considered "proper" but is no longer necessary with the invention of quick drying ink and embossing powders if you are making your own invitations. Cover the words of the invitation with your tissue paper. *ADDED*- to make your invitation a little more special, you can buy lightly scented tissue paper. But this is usually thrown out anyways. (The light gray around the edges is the tissue paper)

2. The extra inserts: (RSVP card [shown in turquoise w/ blue envelope], driving directions, hotel info, etc[not shown]). The simplest way to do this (and this is the hardest part) is to put everything in order from smallest to largest (assuming your invitation is the largest insert). The smallest inserts go on top of the larger inserts. Inserts with their own envelopes (RSVP cards) should be tucked under the flap of their respective envelopes, word-side facing up. *Remember* RSVP cards should already have the return address on them with a postage stamp. *TIP* To help keep track of who has RSVPed and who hasn't, number the back of the RSVP cards as they correspond to your guest list. If you are making your own cards, you can have a place for your guests to write their names (i.e.: M_____________________. If you have separate reception invitations, be sure to include the address and driving directions of the reception if it is different from the ceremony. *It is rude to invite someone to the wedding ceremony and exclude them at the reception. Rule of thumb is: If you don't want to feed/entertain them at your reception, don't invite them to the wedding ceremony*

3. Placing inserts into the Inner Envelope(non-glue flap): (inner envelope shown in green). Grab all of your inserts in one hand, word-side up, smallest to largest, invitation is last. Open the inner envelope in your free hand. Tuck everything in so that when your guests open the inner envelope from behind, they can read the words face-up. When addressing this envelope, you can use abbreviations for Dr. etc, also list any children's names on this one (if they are invited of course). The "nicer" way to exclude a guest's children is to say: Adult Reception, or Please no children under the age of __. Remember if you are excluding one child of a certain age, you must exclude them all of that same age.

4. Turn your Inner Envelope so that the front (the word-side without the flap) is facing you. This envelope should still be the non-glue flap.

5. The Outer Envelope: (shown in brown): Hold your Inner envelope, word-side up. Slip Inner envelope into Outer envelope, so that when your guests open the Outer envelope flap, they will see the words on the Inner envelope facing them. The Outer Envelope should be addressed very formally. All abbreviations should be spelled out. Do not include any children's names. Names should be listed alphabetically, not by gender. Military ranks should be spelled out. Retired military personnel are addressed the same as if they were still Active Duty.

6. The finished product: this is the front of the Outer envelope. DO NOT SEAL IT UNTIL YOU HAVE DOUBLE CHECKED THE INSERTS!! Go to your local post office and have one "Prototype" weighed BEFORE you purchase stamps! I cannot stress this enough. It is tacky to have to add extra stamps because you didn't have enough postage to begin with.

*For more information on addressing the envelopes there are a wide variety of great websites out there with lots of wording options.