Little Extras You Can Add to Your Invites
Wedding invitations are all about the details, so why not go all out with the extras! From the proper way to address invites to adding a personal touch to the design, there are a lot of factors that go into an invite. It may seem like a lot, but we’ve broken down the little extras you can add to your invites so that your guests are impressed!
The Proper Way to Address Invites
First, let’s discuss addressing the invites. One key factor in invites that you may overlook at first is how to properly address invites. There are multiple ways to address an invite depending on who it’s going to. Many couples nowadays may even prefer a more casual approach over formal address etiquette, although, it’s up to you as to how you may address your envelopes.
According to wedding etiquette, every situation and person should be addressed a certain way. We broke down common scenarios for you to understand them a little bit better!
A Married Couple With the Same Last Name
Outer Envelope:
Mr. James and Mrs. Mary Smith
OR
Mr. and Mrs. James Smith
Inner Envelope:
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
OR
James and Mary
A Married Couple With Different Last Names
In this scenario, list the individual you are the closest with first. If you have a similar relationship with both, list alphabetically.
Outer Envelope:
Mr. James Smith and Mrs. Mary Wilson
Inner Envelope:
Mr. Smith and Mrs. Wilson
OR
James and Mary
Children and Families
Children under 18 can be included with their parents’ invitation on the inner envelopes only on the next line after their parents’ names. Children over 18 and not residing at home should receive their own invitations.
An Unmarried Couple Living Together
The only difference between an unmarried couple and married couple is the separate lines for the names.
Mr. James Smith
Ms. Mary Wilson
Once you have the addressing portion down (which your stationery designer, like OKOTA, will help you with), you can focus on other details to add to your invites!
Calligraphy Addressing
This is a beautiful way to make your envelopes really pop! With so many forms of calligraphy, it can really make an envelope look more eloquent. Unlike printing, calligraphy adds a more personal and creative touch to your envelopes. You can customize the fonts, ink color, and placement. OKOTA offers a variety of calligraphy fonts and designs to choose from so that your invites look their absolute best!
Wax Seals
Wax seals are a unique way of adding a vintage and traditional touch to the backside of your envelope. Since many envelopes don’t have anything on their backside, this draws the eye to the back for a design aspect as well. If you have a more formal wedding, this can really add flair to your invite design. With wax seals, you can customize what you want it to look, whether it’s an initial in red or a little design in gold, it will surely add to the overall appearance of your invite.
Ribbons
Nowadays, many people are skipping out on the inner envelope in favor of using another object to hold invite items together. This is a great opportunity to incorporate a ribbon in order to organize the contents of your invite! A ribbon can add a pop of color while remaining simple yet elegant. Even better, ribbons allow a variety of choices to choose from. Whether you keep your invite simple and do a patterned ribbon for fun, or choose a satin ivory ribbon for elegance, it’s a great way to stand out while keeping it together (literally).
Charms
Hear us out on this one! Charms can be a great way to add a delicate touch to your invites. They don’t have to be big (and nothing like what you put on your bracelet in high school), but they can add an elegant touch when done well. I love adding charms to ribbons on invites to adorn them with something simple, yet personal. A charm can be your initial, or it can be a cute theme item, such as a leaf for a fall wedding. Check out our other blog post for classy ways to incorporate a holiday into your wedding.
Greenery
If you love invitation designs, but don’t want anything over-the-top, greenery may be your best choice! Just like incorporating greenery into your florals, it’s a great “filler” that’s neutral and also beautiful. It can frame the invite or can even be designed to be on the back flap of the outer envelope. Either way, it’s a neutral and classic design if you’re unsure about what you want to add to your invite.
As you’ve probably noted in our recent blog posts, there’s a lot of information regarding wedding invitations! It may seem overwhelming, but that’s why we love to help break it down for you. If you’re planning a wedding and are looking for a custom stationery designer like OKOTA, you can fill out our online form or schedule a consultation.