Choosing wedding invitation envelopes is important as they are the first thing guests see. Envelopes come in various shapes, sizes, and designs, including the traditional double envelope. Brides can choose from a range of materials and colors, with parchment being a popular choice. Etiquette requires hand-addressed envelopes, and prices vary depending on the type of envelope chosen. Ordering in advance allows for corrections and price comparisons.
Choosing invitations is an integral part of planning a wedding. However, choosing wedding invitations is also an important process. Wedding invitation envelopes are the first things potential guests will see, so a bride does well to choose envelopes that are tasteful and can reflect the colors or theme of the wedding.
Wedding invitation envelopes come in many shapes, sizes and designs. The more traditional design is the larger and heavier outer envelope, with a smaller envelope containing the actual invitation. The double envelope is a tradition with an interesting history. Prior to the 20th century, nearly all wedding invitations were hand delivered to recipients, and by the early 18th century, most of those who actually sent engraved invitations were of the upper class. The recipient’s butler would take the (probably dirty) envelope from the courier, open it, and present the neat, clean inner envelope to the hostess. Thus was born a tradition that continues today.
A bride can go to a local bridal salon, printer, or online to choose wedding invitation envelopes. Her choices are almost endless. She can choose heavy paper, vellum, vellum and square or rectangular shaped envelopes. One shape that is becoming increasingly popular in wedding invitation envelopes is the “pochette”. This is a square shaped envelope, with folding tabs on each side, which fold up to form the envelope. Wedding invitation envelopes come in nearly every color imaginable, and a bride may even be able to match her envelopes with the colors of her bouquet if she so chooses.
Some wedding invitation envelopes are plain, inside and out, but a bride can choose one lined with foil, again in a range of colors. You can match the foil lining to the color of the ink used on the invitation or choose a color that complements the paper.
A very formal and traditional version of wedding invitation envelopes is a parchment envelope. This is heavy paper with a subtle marbled finish. Parchment often has a “deckled” edge, meaning that the edge of the paper has a torn appearance, giving it a handmade look. Parchment is considered to be one of the most attractive forms of envelopes for wedding invitations.
Etiquette requires that wedding invitation envelopes be engraved or, preferably, hand-addressed. While envelopes addressed on a computer printer or with mailing labels may gain popularity, sticklers for proper labeling still say hand-addressed envelopes are best.
Most wedding invitation envelopes come as a “bundle” price with the invitations themselves. However, a bride will usually pay extra for lined, vellum, or parchment envelopes, and these fees will be listed with the invitation prices. Ordering the invitations and envelopes in advance ensures that the bride can make corrections if something is wrong with the finished product, so this process should be high on the bride’s “to-do” list. By comparing prices from various sources, you will be able to find what you want at the best price.
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