It all starts with the simplicity of your wedding stationery and ends with your guests lining up with their sparklers wishing you farewell at your reception. From start to finish, the experts at Shine Wedding Invitations are here to lend a hand in creating the perfect invitation reveal.

Each couple is a lovely blend of traditions, values, and promise. We wholeheartedly believe that when two decide to become one, the fine details within the invitation suite should encompass the same elements of their relationship.

The details for the wedding day may be the same. Your request for their RSVP may be included either way, but when special details are added and incorporated, it makes for a truly memorable experience. Read on for 5 different ways to create an enchanting and magical opening experience for each of your guests, friends, and family.

The Fine Details within an Invitation Suite

Whether you’re modern, timeless, elegant, classic, or romantic, we have the perfect combination of liners, embellishments, and stationery for you to share with your guests! Each of these elements can be paired together to create a different experience that corresponds to the style that works best for you. The possibilities are endless within these refined details.

Wedding Stationery Pieces

From the invitation to the belly band, below are the different components available to include in your customized wedding invitation suite.

INVITATION

The invitation is most important part of the suite. Made up of all the details to your big day, this piece holds all the information for your guests. Included on the invitation is the host line, request line, bride’s name, groom’s name, date and time, venue name and address, and a reception line. See a few wording examples here.

RESPONSE CARD

The response card is the second most important card included in the suite. This component asks the guest if they will either be in attendance to the ceremony or not. Typically this card includes a response title, reply by date, m-line, accepts/regrets, and meal options, if applicable.

SMALL ENCLOSURE

The small enclosure is typically used for reception details, but is also great for wishing wells, registries, parking information, proper attire, or websites.

LARGE ENCLOSURE

As for the large enclosure, we typically see this piece used for accommodations, travel info, or a schedule of events. However, we have also seen it used to combine smaller bits of information together or used as a map. The choice is completely up to you!

BELLY BAND

A 1.5” belly band is perfect for holding all of the pieces together within the envelope. This piece is typically personalized with your choice of color and the names of the couple.

Envelope Styles

There are two types of envelope styles available for your invitation suite: single envelopes and double envelopes. Our single envelope style is only available for our classic invitation collection and our vellum invitation collection. Our double envelope style is available for all collections, but is required for our ribbon invitation collection, floral invitation collection, and letterpress invitation collection.

SINGLE ENVELOPES

Our single envelope style is more popular of the two styles, however, it only provides one layer of protection for your invitation suite, compared to our double envelopes, which provides two.

DOUBLE ENVELOPES

Our double envelope style is what we highly recommend for all wedding invitation purchases. Due to the unpredictable conditions in which a piece of mail is exposed to on its journey, double envelopes will better protect the elegant and beautiful arrangement inside. Double envelopes consist of two invitation envelopes: the outer and the inner. The outer envelope, which will have the name and address on the front, will most likely get marred up as it travels to each of your guests. To preserve the delicacy and astonishing overall look of your luxurious wedding stationery, the inner envelope will remain clean and untouched, which will only add to each of your guests’ experiences of opening your invitation suite.

To make sure you feel confident and up-to-date with what should be featured on these envelopes, we invite you to review our guide on what to include on the inner and outer envelopes.

Envelope Addressing

There are a few different addressing options available for your envelopes: guest addressing, return addressing, and inner envelope name printing.

GUEST ADDRESSING

Our favorite way to make sure guests relish your wedding invite opening experience is by crafting convenient, elegant guest addressing. This type of addressing includes the guest’s name and address on the front of the envelope and is available for save the dates, invitations, and thank you cards. Find our template spreadsheet to set up your guest addressing here.

RETURN ADDRESSING

Return addressing is available for save the dates, invitations, thank you cards, and response cards. For your save the dates, invitations, and thank you cards, your name and return address will be printed on the back flap of the envelopes. For response cards, your name and address will be printed on the front.

Response card return addressing makes it easy for your invitees to follow up with their RSVP to an invitation. With your information written out on the return envelope, all they have to do is fill out their responses, seal it, and send it back.

NAME PRINTING

Name printing is for inner envelopes, which are part of our double envelope style, is available for your invitation suite. For luxury wedding invitations, it is ideal to craft the names in a way that ties into the look of the invitations and overall wedding tone. We recommend investing in our custom name printing services to make a lasting impression.

Envelope Liners

Our easy-to-apply envelope liners are perfect for a little extra color. Out of 12 classic patterns and 12 floral patterns to choose from, the options are endless. All 24 liners are available in each collection for true customization.

CLASSIC PATTERNS

Each of these envelope liner patterns are created with beautiful vector images. All of our classic liners can be customized to any color shown on our color chart. See an example of a navy garden rose liner here.

FLORAL PATTERNS

Carefully arranged florals make up our floral envelope liners. Creating light and airy imagery that perfectly accents our simple and elegant invitation designs, these liners add depth to any invitation suite. See an example of our Lilah floral liner here.

Embellishments

We know an elegant invitation suite when we see one showered in our luxurious embellishments. Vellum jackets, wax seals, silk ribbon, and personalized stamps are the perfect toppers to any suite.

VELLUM JACKETS

A vellum jacket is anything but ordinary. This extravagant, semi-transparent covering, gently holds the invitation suite in place as it wraps around to the front. With the use of this embellishment, your guests will surely be impressed when they open your stationery for the first time.

WAX SEALS

Our wax seals have been handcrafted to perfection with three exclusive designs for you to choose from. This ornamentation creates a tangible experience that brings us back to traditional ways. Melted wax and pressed with a metal stamp, the seals are perfect for sealing your vellum jacket closed or placing on the back of your inner envelope.

100% SILK CHARMEUSE RIBBON

Silky and shiny on one side, matte on the other, our silk ribbon is the perfect finale for any invitation suite. Adding more to the suite than just delicate ribbon, this embellishment highlights romanticism and elegance.

PERSONALIZED STAMPS

When you invest in custom stamps that match your invitation design, it is only another compelling way to ensure the entire look and feel of your wedding remains consistent from start to finish. You can find one of our favorite examples of a custom stamp here.

Creating a Unique Experience for Each Style

You know what they say: it is all in the details. Just as a wedding reception is brought to life with beautiful floral arrangements, table settings, and overall ambiance, the fine details will transform your wedding invitation stationery into luxury. When creating a unique experience for your guests, the overall picture will definitely be one to remember for years to come.

Below are five experiences your guests can have while opening your invitation stationery for the first time. According to your personal style, we’re certain they will wow your guests the minute they’re collected from the mailbox.

The Modern Experience

A contemporary challenge of combining the old with the new. This modern style is nothing other than clean and simple, with a touch of bold navy accents.

Among the mail strewn across the dining room table, the white matte envelope stands out from the rest. Its bright color just radiates, drawing you in with excitement. Simply addressed on the front in a bold serif that bounces off the stationery, you open the invitation envelope with ease.

To your surprise, the bold belly band matches and compliments the navy garden rose envelope liner directly above. Pulling out the invitation within, and revealing its modern appeal, you’re in awe of the sophistication and simplicity of the overall design and feel. From the response card to the schedule of events on the large enclosure, displaying the wedding weekend ahead, the sensation of joy takes over. On the invitation, the names are printed in a bold slab serif that stands out to the eye. Paired with a modern calligraphy-inspired font, the two typefaces only emphasize the beauty encompassed in the design.

The Timeless Experience

“May your love be modern enough to survive the time, but old-fashioned enough to last forever.” Creating a timeless experience, is to create something so beautiful that it cannot be affected by the ever changing times.

Gliding a finger along the seal, releasing the flap to the outer envelope, exposed a crisp bright white second envelope that remained protected throughout the journey it traveled to be here. By removing the inner envelope, the guest name is presented in a timeless serif font. Similar to the crispness of the envelope itself, the inner envelope name printing is clean and printed in black ink, for easy legibility.

Enclosed in an inner envelope, lined with a light blue anemones envelope liner, this suite is nothing other than timeless and romantic. From the bright white letterpress paper that has an ever-so-slight texture of cotton, to the deep and dramatic impression of the metal type pressing into the stationery, the letterpress printing method creates an experience within itself. With an invitation suite wrapped snug in a light blue belly band, we’re certain your guests will enjoy for the rest of time.

The Elegant Experience

A style that bridges the gap between romanticism and a modern time. This envelope opening experience is one for the books in its simple look and feel.

Glimmering in the sunlight, as it sits in the mailbox, the invitation envelope catches your eye as you pull into the driveway at home. Reaching for the mail, you can’t help but wonder what’s inside the envelope. Elegantly printed in a thin script on the front is your name and address. While opening the outer envelope, you’re presented with a second envelope that encases the invitation suite. The inner envelope remains cohesive by presenting the first names of the guests formally invited to the event.

While reaching for the invitation inside, you’re impressed by the matching blush envelope liner and complimentary pale pink silk ribbon. Tied with perfection in a bow, the silk ribbon simply and delicately drapes over the edges of the stationery, like a beautiful silk waterfall. As the ribbon is untied, the invitation suite unfolds before you onto the table top. From the invitation to the small enclosure, and everything in between, it’s amazing how many details can be included in a suite, but remain so elegant and simple.

The Classic Experience

Traditionally simplistic, this experience brings everyone back to a time where invitations were hand written, sealed, and delivered to each of their guests.

In the pile of daily mail, a light ivory envelope corner draws your attention. Printed in crisp black ink, the guest’s name and address is highlighted on the front of the invitation envelope. You’ve been looking so forward to this day and seeing your best friend’s invite finally arrive to you. In the upper right hand corner, the envelope is cohesively branded with their personalized stamps – black initials with a light gray background.

Quickly swiping a finger under the back flap of the outer envelope only to find another envelope held together by a metallic silver wax seal. The seal was stamped with a florette design to resemble the white peonies picked for the table arrangements, bouquets, and boutonnieres.

After lifting the wax seal, the beautiful invitation presented itself in its delicate form. Reaching inside to lift out the pieces, held tightly by a light gray belly band, the stationery gleamed. It was finally here. Sliding the belly band over the pieces to release them from the bind, the excitement was too much to hold in. From the reception info on the small enclosure, to the rehearsal dinner invite scripted out on the large enclosure, this invitation was unforgettable.

The Romantic Experience

The ever-enchanting and romantic feel every couple desires for their big day only adds to this invitation reveal.

Your finger slides along the back of the envelope, allowing the invitation to truly shine on the inside. Paired with a rose quartz hydrangea envelope liner, the invitation is enclosed in a semi-transparent vellum jacket and secured with a pearl white wax seal. The seal has been stamped with a posy design that plays off of the envelope liner. Before revealing the invitation itself, you sit back and take in the overall elegance and simplicity this suite provides.

Separating the seal and opening the jacket, the invitation suite is neatly assembled together with a solid 2” rose quartz belly band. Once the belly band is removed, the invitation piece blossoms out and gently lays on the table. Looking through the pieces strewn out before you, all of your questions about where to stay and what to do have been answered. From the registry details to the preferred accommodations, everything you need to know is in front of you.

The Overall Wedding Experience

The double envelopes, custom return addressing, and vellum jackets bring the invitations together – creating a truly amazing experience for your friends and family. Our passion is found in crafting the dream wedding invitation suites that set the tone for your wedding from start to finish. With over 50 wedding invitation designs, we’re certain you’ll find the perfect one to fit your wedding theme and style.

Feel the invitations yourself by requesting a free sample set today!