Bride’s Guide to Traditional Wedding Invitations and Earth-Friendly Alternatives

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Although it is a breach of traditional etiquette to omit sending paper invitations to the wedding itself, you can send e-invitations to your invited guests.  You have to weigh your desire to uphold tradition versus your need to prevent waste.  It is obviously important to make an environmentally friendly decision.  If you do omit paper invitations, you can set up a dedicated web-site that invited guests can access to reply to your invitations.  You can also provide a phone number as an alternative method of RSVP for guests who may feel uncomfortable responding online.  By issuing your invitations online, you will save the expense of purchasing paper invitations.  You will save the expense of postage, and you will save a tree.

By creating a homepage dedicated to your upcoming wedding, you will have an easy way to convey information to your invited guests.  You can share photos, stories of how you met your future groom, wedding trivia, and any other tidbits related to your upcoming nuptials

Of course, your wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event.  If you decide that paper invitations are important to you, have them.  You will have other opportunities to make choices that will minimize your impact on the earth. 

There are alternatives to traditional paper invitations.  For example, shower invitations can be printed on recycled paper.  The hosts can request that the invitations be brought to the shower.  To encourage the return of the invitations, they can be used as tickets in a raffle to win a door prize.  After the raffle, the invitations can be placed directly into the recycling bin.

You can also have bridal shower invitations printed on easily biodegradable paper with embedded seeds.  The recipient can actually plant the invitation in the ground, add water, and wait for the seeds to germinate.  Imagine all those flowers growing in your honor.

Like the previously mentioned shower invitations, wedding invitations can be printed on recycled paper.  You can collect them at the wedding reception to be used in a raffle for a door prize.  Or they can be printed on paper which is embedded with seeds, and your guests can plant them.  To conserve paper, you can issue invitations on postcards.

If you send traditional paper invitations, include only the bare minimum necessary in the envelope.  At most, a wedding invitation will include outer envelopes, inner envelopes, reception cards, response cards, pew cards, admission cards, at home cards, name cards, directions, maps, and sheets of tissue paper in between each item to prevent smudging.

Outer envelopes are traditionally addressed by hand to the invited guests.  Your return address should be embossed, engraved, or thermographed on the back flap.  The outer envelope is essential when issuing paper invitations unless you are using postcards.

Inner envelopes are used to hold all the invitation insertions and would be addressed only with the names of the guests.  These envelopes are unnecessary and should be eliminated.

Reception cards are used to invite guests to the reception when it is held in a separate location from the ceremony.  This information can be included on the same piece of paper as the invitation to the ceremony.  In most cases, you can eliminate the reception card.

Response cards are important because they help you to determine how many invited guests will actually be attending the reception.  You can use that information to figure out your necessary food budget.  However, if you wish to eliminate this card, you can provide alternate ways for people to respond via telephone or internet.

Pew cards are sent to specific individuals who will be seated at the front of the church.  It is your decision if you feel this is a necessary addition to your invitation packets. 

Admission cards are rarely used.  If you are holding the ceremony or reception at a location which requires paid admission, you may want to provide admission cards to your guests so that they may attend.

At-home cards are used to encourage visits to the new bride and groom.  You can verbally invite friends and family to visit you instead.

Name cards show the name that the bride, and sometimes the groom, will use after the marriage has taken place.  For example a bride may trade her maiden name for her husband’s last name, combine the two surnames using a hyphen, or retain her maiden name.  Sometimes, the groom will change his name as well (for example, if his last name is Smith and hers is Jones, they may decide to share the surname Smith-Jones).  In any event, this is information that can be expressed to friends and family orally.  In the interest of conserving paper, there is no need to supply a name card with the invitation.

Directions and maps are usually included to ensure that guests are able to find the ceremony and reception site(s).  If the events are being held at a local and well-known venue, then directions and maps would not be necessary.  However, if it is necessary to provide directions, you can refer invited guests to your wedding homepage for links to directions and maps.

However you decide to announce your special day, be mindful of the environment.  Your family and friends love you.  People who know and love you understand your passion for each other combined with your passion for being kind to the earth.  Consider your options and make the decision which is best for you.