Wedding invitation cards are the first thing your guests see from your wedding, so they matter. The best wedding invitation cards are the ones that match your wedding's style, your budget, and your mailing timeline. Work through these three basics before you look at any designs.
What Do You Need to Know Before Choosing Wedding Invitation Cards?
Start with your guest list. Your invitation design, paper weight, and printing method all depend on how many cards you need and how far they travel.
Set a budget per card before you search. That includes the envelope, the printing, and the postage if you want a full picture.
Decide on a general style early. Formal, garden, rustic, modern, each style pushes you toward certain colors, fonts, and paper textures.
- Formal weddings work with classic serif fonts and heavyweight cotton paper.
- Casual or outdoor weddings suit lighter designs, maybe with a watercolor or botanical touch.
- Theme weddings such as beach or vintage call for custom icons or motifs, which cost a bit more.
Think about the whole package, not just the card. Envelopes, liners, belly bands, and wax seals all shape the first impression. The more layers you add, the more you will pay for materials and assembly.
Also think about how you will order. Some couples buy printed cards from a stationery shop; others order online from a custom printing service. Both work, but online ordering gives you more chances to preview a digital proof before it goes to press.
How Many Wedding Invitation Cards Do You Need to Order?
Order one card per household, not per guest. A married couple, a family with kids, or two roommates each count as one household.
Count your invited households from the guest list you already have. Total them up, then add about 10 percent for keepsakes, lost address changes, and printing mistakes.
If you want extra cards for your own album or for late add-on guests, order 20 to 25 extras. They are cheap compared with reprinting the whole batch.
What Sizes and Formats Are Standard for Wedding Invitations?
Most wedding invitation cards fall into a few familiar shapes. The most common is a 5x7 inch flat card that fits a standard A7 envelope.
Other formats include:
- Flat card: a single sheet of paper, the most budget-friendly option.
- Folded card: a 5x7 card that folds open, giving you more room for text.
- Pocket or layered card: has a pocket that holds the invitation, reception card, and reply card.
- Magnet invitation: a magnetic card that often serves as a keepsake on the fridge.
Tall or oversized invitations (like a 6x9 or a long vertical card) stand out but need extra postage. Check the post office rate for non-standard sizes before choosing one.
You can also choose an envelope liner or a wrap-around band to dress up a simple card. These add color without raising the printing cost much.
How to Word Wedding Invitation Cards Properly?
Classic wording has four parts: the host line, the request line, the names, and the date and location. In a formal invitation, the host line comes first, for example "Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Miller request the honor of your presence..."
If both sets of parents are hosting, you can list both lines. If the couple is hosting, simply start with the request line, like "Together with their families..."
For casual wording, you have more freedom. A simple line such as "Please join us as we celebrate our wedding" reads warmly and skips strict etiquette.
Show this sample structure for traditional invitations:
- Host line: names of the people who are hosting
- Request line: "request the honor of your presence" for a ceremony, "request the pleasure of your company" for the reception
- Couple's names: the full legal name or a first-name style
- Date and time: written out in full for formal cards, numerals are fine for casual ones
- Location: the venue name, city, and state
- Reception line: "Reception to follow" if it applies
Check your wording for accuracy before you order. A typo in the date is the most common reason couples need a reprint.
When Should You Send Wedding Invitation Cards?
Send wedding invitations six to eight weeks before the wedding date. That gives guests time to plan travel, sort child care, and reply by the RSVP deadline.
For a destination wedding, send them earlier, about 12 weeks out. Guests need more time to book flights and hotels.
If you have many guests traveling from far away, a save-the-date card is worth sending six to nine months in advance. Save the dates are optional but reduce missed guests.
Wedding Invitation Cards: Common Questions
Can I send digital wedding invitations?
Digital invitations work well for small weddings or last-minute invites. They cost almost nothing and let guests reply instantly.
For formal weddings, a printed card is still the standard. Some couples send a printed invitation first and a digital reminder later.
Do I need a separate reception card?
Only if the reception is at a different venue from the ceremony. If both happen in the same place, just add a line that says "Reception to follow."
Should I include a registry information card?
Registry cards used to be a staple, but modern etiquette says to skip them. Guests can find your registry through your wedding website, which you can print on a separate insert or on the back of the invitation.
Keep the invitation itself clean and free of registry details. It keeps the focus on the ceremony and the celebration.
How much do wedding invitation cards cost?
Prices vary widely depending on the printing method and paper weight. Digital printing is the cheapest, letterpress or engraving cost more, and foil stamping sits somewhere in between.
A typical run of 100 cards can cost anywhere from $150 to over $1,000. Get quotes from several printers and compare per-card prices.
Is there any special etiquette for a second wedding?
Second weddings often use simpler wording and the couple usually hosts. You can skip the elaborate host line and write "Together with their children" if that fits your family.
The Bottom Line on Wedding Invitation Cards
Get the basics right: count households, add 10 percent, order a standard size, and mail them six to eight weeks out. Pick wording that matches the formality of your ceremony. And proofread the date and time twice before you confirm the order.
Wedding invitation cards are only the start of your wedding paper trail. Once they are mailed, you can turn your attention to seating charts and programs.