As we are gearing up for the 2013 bridal season, many brides are being exposed to new terminology, new ideas, and basically a new world. A world that many wedding vendors are very familiar with and comfortable with, and forget that the brides are seeing and hearing this information for the first time. I have to admit, I am one of those. I was talking with a bride the other day and rattling off terminology that many designers and printers speak everyday, and then there was silence on the other end of the phone… I was confused, she was confused. Then it hit me… I’m speaking greek! I took a step back and started again, this time explaining every part, piece and terminology. That is one of my new goals for 2013, to slow down and explain. Also brides and grooms, never hesitate to ask the questions. If you don’t know ask!

SO over the next few weeks, we are going to explore the world of print and stationery. I was once told by a bride that the stationery world seems like mysterious world that nobody really talks about on the large wedding blogs… So it got me thinking that there really does need to be more information out there on stationery. I’m going to try my hardest.

To start off, lets take a look at the strange world of envelopes. Yes envelopes. Why envelopes you ask, well it is simple, they are a huge part of your stationery package, I’m not kidding, they really are. It is the first, very first thing, your guests will see that introduces them to your wedding. You want it to make an impression. Whether it is by a beautiful bold pop of color with the envelope, a gorgeous custom design printed on it or working with a talented calligrapher to add their magic touch, this is setting the tone, and first impression to your wedding.

Envelopes come in many sizes and a few shapes. Here are some of the most common sizes that are used in wedding stationery with their accompanying sizes:

• A9 (5.75″ x 8.75″) – these are so grand that they fit a 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of paper folded in half.
• A7.5 (5.5″ x 7.5″) – these are perfectly sized for an outer envelope of a standard wedding invitation. These are getting harder and harder to find because more and more couples are vering away from the double envelopes.
•  A7 (5.25″ x 7.25″)  - these are your standard size envelopes for wedding invitations. Almost all wedding invitations are designed to fit within this.
• A6 (6.5″ x 4.75″) – I personally love these for rehearsal dinner and engagement party invitations. They are slightly smaller then the traditional A7 but larger enough that they give a nice space of real estate to still use calligraphy.
• A2 (5.75″ x 4.375″) – These are a more popular size envelope for RSVPs.
• 4 bar (3.625″ x 5.125″) – These are the traditional RSVP envelope size. They are so cute and charming!
• Square envelopes – These come in two very standard sizes – 5.75″ square and 6.5″ square. These are beautiful for the out of the box invitation. I should mention there is an additional postage charge for being hip and square (check with your local post office or have your stationery designer weigh these and get an estimate postage cost).
• #10 Envelope (4.125″ x 9.5″) – These come in a few styles, with top opening and end opening flaps.  They are great for a long vertical wedding invitation.

To get a closer and better look at some beautiful envelopes work with your stationery designer and ask for samples. They should be able to provide you with samples and different color options for you to select from.

So some additional tips on envelopes.

Postage: there are some envelopes that cost more when sending, the square envelope particularly. Always check with your local post office or ask your stationery designer about this. Weight is also a factor here too. Paper is heavy, so make sure you always get your invitation weighed prior to sending out. And some smaller envelopes, you might be able to get away with saving some money, so check on that as well.

Color: Darker envelopes (ie. navy, red, slate, plum) require contrasting ink. So if you are using a dark color, or even a lighter color envelope, be sure to use an ink color that is legible. White or silver works very well on dark envelopes. You want to be sure that the mail sorters can read the address and you don’t end up with multiple returned invitations.

Liners: They are so pretty and create such a wonderful impression when your guests open your invitation! But they add an additional weight to your overall postage, and typically and additional cost when designing. Many stationery designers have to hand assemble these, so there are many hours of hand labor involved. But they really do look lovely and it always add just that extra detail that many people just don’t expect.

Calligraphy: LOVE, LOVE this detail. Work with your stationery designer to help come up with a design that will compliment your stationery. If you are working with a calligrapher separate from your stationery designer, be sure to introduce them, this way your designer can communicate the design and style and feel with them so your stationery has a consistant feel to it. This is something too you have to budget not only money, but time to. It typically takes a calligrapher 2 weeks to complet about 100 envelopes. So make sure to factor that in when setting up your schedule.

I would be more than happy to discuss any other design related questions! Fell free to shoot me an email at[email protected]

{photos and stationery by me! Simply Designed}