A NOTE FROM KELSEY
owner & principal designer
Congratulations on your engagement and booking your Wedding Invitations! Below is a complete guide to walk you through everything you need to know when customizing and designing your paper goods. Go ahead and bookmark this page now so you can easily come back to it as questions pop up. I’ll be sharing helpful resources, wording suggestions, proper address list formatting, tips for postage and mailing your invitations, and so much more!
I’ve been in the wedding industry for over a decade and have had the pleasure of designing wedding invitations for 100+ couples from coast to coast. Our studio offers in-house calligraphy and design services, enabling us to provide each of our clients with a personalized experience. I look forward to working together to create beautiful paper goods, tailored to your wedding day and your needs.
xo Kelsey
WHAT TO EXPECT: THE DESIGN & PRODUCTION PROCESS
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Before we begin designing your wedding stationery, you’ll receive a Customization Form. Here, you’ll select the paper, ink and envelope colors you’d like to incorporate into your paper goods. You’ll also have the opportunity to add on any upgrades or embellishments at this time.
Within the Customization Form, you will be able to upload any design inspiration with us. We can use this to offer suggestions based on your mood board or photos you have gravitated towards.
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Once you have selected the add-ons and upgrades you’d like to move forward with, you'll be sent a contract to be signed electronically. It's written in plain, easy-to-understand language, and clearly explains what we are both agreeing to.
Any items selected within the Customization Form will be automatically added on to your invoice. A 50% payment of the total invoice is required to move forward. The remaining balance will be due prior to your invitations being sent to production.
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Once your customizations & embellishments have been selected, you’ll receive a form to submit your wording and information. This form will walk you through each piece of the invitation suite to collect all pertinent information required.
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Once your wording form has been submitted, our team will begin designing your paper goods. A comprehensive design proof will be provided to you. You’ll share any feedback/edits within the provided form.
Once your edits have been received, our team will make any necessary changes and share an updated design proof with you. Two rounds of revisions are included complimentary. Additional revisions will incur a fee of $50 per round.
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Before your items can be approved for print, you’ll need to submit your guest address list. You’ll receive detailed instructions on how to properly format and submit your Address List.
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Once your designs are perfect and you have no further changes, you’ll submit your final approval. At this time, you’ll complete the remaining balance on your invoice.
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Once final approval & payment has been received, your designs will be sent to production. No further changes can be made.
Your paper goods are sent to print and any embellishments that require assembly will be handled for you. Everything is hand-checked by The LPC Team for quality assurance.
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Once completed, your paper goods will be carefully packaged and shipped to your doorstep - ready for final assembly and to be mailed to your guests. You’ll receive a notification when your package has been shipped, along with tracking information.
If you opted for full-service mailing, your invitations are dropped to our local post office hub to be delivered directly to your guests. Any extra invitation sets will be shipped to you in a separate package.
CUSTOMIZING YOUR INVITATIONS
PAPER STOCKS
120LB EGGSHELL PAPER
(SINGLE PLY)
available in bright white or ivory
This is our standard paper included with all orders. Sturdier than your average card stock, it is available in both bright white or ivory tones.
240LB EGGSHELL PAPER
(DOUBLE PLY)
available in bright white or ivory
This is our upgraded paper option for clients looking to add a wow-factor to their invitation cards. Available for an additional fee, it is available in bright white or ivory tones.
PRINT METHODS
DIGITAL PRINTING
Digital Printing, also known as Flat Printing, is the standard print method included in all LPC Collection offerings. Digital Printing prints smoothly to the paper, with no raised or indented impression.
LETTERPRESS PRINTING
Letterpress printing is an upgraded print method, and one of our favorites. It is done by creating a plate of your design which uses ink to leave a beautiful impression of your design. You can feel the indentation of the design when you run your fingers over the paper.
FOIL PRINTING
Foil printing is another beautiful print upgrade option. Using metallic foil, your design is pressed into the paper, leaving an indentation similar to letterpress. The result is shiny metallic goodness that sparkles when the light hits it.
OVERVIEW OF EMBELLISHMENTS
PRINTED GUEST ADDRESSING
This format of guest addressing is included in all Collection packages. Your guests names and addresses are typed out in a matching Serif font. Displayed above is a digitized calligraphy script “Kindly Deliver To:”, perfectly coordinating with the script throughout your invitation design. This addressing style is available in all offered ink colors.
CALLIGRAPHY GUEST ADDRESSING
This format of guest addressing is available as an upgrade on all packages. Your guest’s names and addresses are individually calligraphed by hand in the same style calligraphy script as you see throughout your wedding invitations. This is a beautiful way to wow your guests and ensure that your wedding invitations stand out from the rest of the mail they receive. This addressing style is available in all offered ink colors, as well as metallic options like antique gold.
ENVELOPE LINERS
Envelope Liners can be added to any invitation suite. We offer a range of designs to choose from to compliment your design and add a special touch.
Design Options include: Vintage Floral Artwork, Solid Colors, Botanical Illustration, Floral Line Artwork and more.
WAX SEALS
Wax Seals have been a favorite embellishment among our couples. With many color options and even a few different shapes to choose from, there are so many ways you can use Wax Seals within your invitation suite. Combine them with Twine, Ribbon or Vellum for a really stunning presentation.
Color Options include: Antique Gold, Champagne, Copper, Taupe, White, Black, Navy, and more.
SILK RIBBON & TWINE
Silk ribbon and twine wraps are not only functional, but they also bring a lovely texture to your invitation suite. Silk Ribbon & Twine can stand on their own, but also pairs beautifully with wax seals and vellum wraps.
Available Silk Ribbon Colors: White, Golden, Mauve, Pale Sage, Ice, French Blue, Cool Grey, Charcoal, and Black
Available Twine Colors: Natural (Kraft) and Black
VELLUM WRAP
Vellum is a transparent paper - when used as a wrap, the vellum gatefold creates a stunning presentation of the invitation suite as your guests open their envelopes.
Note: It is highly recommended to pair at least one of the following embellishments with the Vellum Wrap: Silk Ribbon, Twine, and/or Wax Seals.
VENUE ILLUSTRATION
Give your guests a peek of where they are headed by adding a hand-drawn illustration of your wedding venue to your invitation suite. This illustration can be used in various locations throughout your invitation suite. Whether you display it on your Details Card or add it to your Envelope Liners, it will surely make an incredible impact to your paper goods.
Note: You may purchase an Extended Use License for an additional fee should you wish to use the illustration with an outside vendor.
VINTAGE POSTAGE
Vintage Postage is an incredibly unique way to add personalization to your invitation suite. By sourcing vintage stamps that are no longer in circulation, we curate a set of vintage postage that coordinates with the colors within your invitation suite and overall wedding design. With so many options to choose from, we can even include important places and themes that give a little nod to your love story.
FULL-SERVICE ASSEMBLY & MAILING
When you add on this service, our team will handle every step of assembling and mailing your wedding invitations. They’ll be expertly assembled, stuffed and sealed by our production team. We’ll add postage and deliver them to our local post office for processing so they arrive to your guests in a timely manner!
INVITATION WORDING & ETIQUETTE
Use the drop down below to read suggestions and helpful tips when submitting your wording information. Of course, if you have any specific scenarios you need assistance with, don’t hesitate. to reach out!
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FORMAL INVITATION WORDING
A wedding invitation is issued by the host(s). For formal invitations, the hosts' name(s) are spelled out and include middle names and titles.
Titles such as Mr. and Mrs. are not spelled out. Doctor should be spelled out, unless the name would be too long to fit on one line.
The phrase "the honour of your presence" is used when the ceremony will take place in a house of worship. Honour is spelled with a "u" in the British fashion. For other venues "the pleasure of your company" is the traditional wording.
If the bride shares her parents' last name, only her first and middle name are used.
The groom's name is spelled out, and is preceded by a title. For example: Mr. Stephen Eugene Hall.
INFORMAL INVITATION WORDING
Unlike formally worded invitations, which use only "the honour of your presence" or "the pleasure of your company" to invite guests, less formal couples can keep their wedding invitation wording casual.
Titles and middle names can be omitted.
More casual verbiage can be used to invite guests. This is also helpful when the wedding is not hosted by any particular person, or is a joint effort on behalf of the couple & their families. Examples include:
Together with their families
With joyful heartsCLOSING LINE
If you are hosting a reception after your wedding ceremony, it is customary to include a closing line on your invitation card. Here are some suggestions:
-Reception to follow
-Dinner & dancing to follow
-A celebration to followIf your reception is hosted at a different location than your ceremony, it is helpful to include the reception venue name in the closing line. For example:
-Reception to follow at The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
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RESPONSE DATE
Consider the date your vendors might need a head count (caterers, for example). Typically, this is 3-4 weeks before your wedding.
MEAL SELECTIONS
If you are offering options for plated meals, it is customary to ask for your their preference. Keep these short & sweet: Chicken - Beef - Fish - Vegetarian
NOTING NUMBER OF GUESTS
Many couples find it helpful to include a line that notes how many guests from that household are invited. This is helpful when you want to invite a couple, but not their children - or a single friend who you aren’t giving a ‘plus one’ to. You can also opt to include an additional line where guests can mark how many will be in attendance.
ADDITIONAL EVENTS
If you are hosting additional wedding weekend events that all guests are invited to and you need a true headcount for, you can include an additional line for guests to RSVP to that event. This is helpful for welcome parties or seated post-wedding day brunches, but not necessary.
RESPONSE CARD ADDRESS
The response card should be addressed to whomever will be managing the RSVP’s. Traditionally, this is managed by the hosts of the wedding, but many of our couples opt to do this themselves.
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Your details card can include up to three sections, with optional subheadings for each. On this card you may opt to include important wedding information that guests need to be aware of. Below are a few suggestions for what to include. Be sure to select the most important items to include - you can always direct guests to visit your wedding website to find the remaining details.
ACCOMMODATIONS
If you have reserved room blocks for your guests, it is helpful to include the hotel information and name of the room block . If there is enough space, you can include the address & phone number as well.
TRANSPORTATION
If you are providing any transportation for your guests, include those details here.
Example: “Transportation will be provided between (hotel name) and (venue name) for our guests. Please visit the wedding website for more information.
ADDITIONAL EVENTS
If you are hosting additional wedding weekend events, you can share the information here. Important details include: name of event, location name/address, time of event, and attire.
ATTIRE
Share the appropriate attire for your wedding. Some examples include: cocktail, garden cocktail, black tie optional
WEDDING WEBSITE
Most of our couples have a wedding website which houses all pertinent information regarding their wedding. It’s incredibly helpful to include the web address to your wedding website so guests can easily find more information on travel, accommodations, wedding weekend events and your gift registry.
Example: “Please visit our wedding website to find more information on accommodations, weekend events, and our registry: www.ourwedding.com”
ADULTS-ONLY RECEPTION
If you prefer guests to not bring their children, you can include a short-but-sweet line on your details card.
Example: “While children are a blessing, please note this is an adults-only affair.”
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This is the verbiage you will use to make your wedding announcement. It can be as formal or informal as you’d like, however it’s recommended to match the overall formality of your wedding so your guests have an idea of what to expect.
FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENT LANGUAGE
“Please save the date for the wedding of <name> to <name>. Formal invitation to follow”
“Please save the date to celebrate the marriage uniting <name> and <name>. Formal invitation to follow”
INFORMAL ANNOUNCEMENT LANGUAGE
“Save the date - <name> and <name> are getting married! Invitation to follow.”
“Save our date - <name> and <name> are getting married! Invitation to follow.”
WEDDING WEBSITE
If you are hosting a destination wedding or would like to share more information, you can include the web address for your wedding website.
“For more information, please visit our wedding website at www.ourwedding.com”
“For additional details regarding travel and accommodations, please visit our wedding website at www.ourwedding.com”
GUEST ADDRESSING
ETIQUETTE FOR ADDRESSING HOUSEHOLDS
TITLES (Mr, Mrs, Ms, Mx) are suggested on formal invitations. For a more casual approach, you may omit titles.
TO A MARRIED COUPLE: Invitations are always addressed to both members of a married couple, even though you may know only one or know that only one will attend.
TO AN UNMARRIED COUPLE LIVING TOGETHER Invitations to an established couple who are unmarried but live at the same address are addressed to “Ms. Nancy Fellows and Mr. Scott Dunn,”
TO A MARRIED WOMAN DOCTOR OR TWO MARRIED DOCTORS: If the woman uses her husband’s name socially, the address is “Dr. Barbara and Mr. James Werner.” If she uses her maiden name both professionally and socially, it is “Dr. Barbara Hanson and Mr. James Werner.” If the husband is also a doctor, the address is either “The Drs. Werner” or “Drs. Barbara and Robert Werner.”
ADDING “AND GUEST”: If you are offering the guest a ‘plus one’, it is helpful to include “and Guest” after their name on the envelope. For a more formal approach, you can omit “and Guest" and simply include the number of seats reserved on the Response Card.
For additional scenarios on addressing invitations, please click here.
FORMATTING YOUR GUEST ADDRESS LIST
Please submit your guest addressing using this spreadsheet template.
Abbreviations are not preferred. Please spell out each word completely. (Drive, Georgia, Northeast, Apartment, Boulevard)
Place Apartment, Unit #, etc in a separate column.
Decide if you'd prefer "and" or "&" and use the same one throughout your list.
If you opted to include Number of Seats Reserved on the Response Card, be sure to place the corresponding number in the column.
Be sure to TRIPLE CHECK all spelling, punctuation, and etiquette before submitting. Your address list will be printed/calligraphed exactly as you have it written.
POSTAGE, ASSEMBLY & MAILING
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It is proper etiquette to include a USPS Forever stamp on your response envelopes, making it easy for your guests to submit their responses back to you. Be sure to purchase international stamps for your response envelopes if any of your guests are located outside of the United States.
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We strongly recommend waiting until you have the completed invitations in-hand before purchasing postage. Take a completed and assembled invitation suite to the same Post Office you plan to mail the invitations from and ask them to tell you how much postage is required. Due to the inconsistencies between Post Offices, we are unable to guarantee any postage estimate - but typically a standard invitation suite without embellishments requires around 2oz, or $0.84 postage. Please confirm this with your local Post Office prior to purchasing postage for the outer envelope.
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To assemble your invitation suite, we recommend layering the pieces from largest to smallest: the Details Card should be placed on the top center of the Invitation Card. Insert the RSVP Card into the flap of the Response Envelope, so the card is still visible. The Response Envelope flap should be pointed towards the right. Layer the RSVP Card/Envelope on the top center of the details card. Then, slide the stacked invitation suite into the main envelope, with the Response Envelope flap pointing up. Click here to see a visual of how your invitation suite should be assembled & stuffed. Lastly, we recommend using a clear-drying glue stick to seal your envelopes!
Once you have your invitations assembled, sealed & stamped, it’s time to drop them off at the post office. Request to have them “hand-cancelled”, this way they won’t be ran through the machine and are more likely to stay in good shape.
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If you included Full-Service Assembly & Mailing in your Invitation Package, our team will handle the purchasing of postage & invitation assembly for you. No need to worry about any of this!