There are several components to most wedding invitations, such as response cards, inner envelopes and tissue paper. Learn the proper wedding invitation stuffing etiquette and avoid any embarrassing faux pas.
Planning Wedding Invitation Stuffing
There are so many tasks to perform as you plan your wedding that it can quickly become overwhelming. One such time consuming and rather tedious task is stuffing, addressing and mailing wedding invitations . As monotonous as it may be, this is also a vital step in the preparation process. Fortunately, there is wedding invitation stuffing etiquette to follow that will help you streamline the procedure.
Before you begin stuffing envelopes, there are a few considerations to think about. Determine who will be responsible for stuffing the wedding invitations. Ultimately, the job falls on the shoulders of the bride. However, assisting the bride with this task is considered a duty of the maid or matron of honor. Ideally the groom, bridesmaids and family members will pitch in to help as well, making faster and lighter work of the task.
Set aside a chunk of time when everyone can spread out what is needed and focus on addressing and stuffing wedding invitations. Depending on the size of the guest list, you might need a weekend afternoon or an entire day. While you can certainly break the task up over several days, completing the job in one sitting will eliminate confusion that may occur while addressing the inner and outer envelopes.
It is also a good idea to stuff one complete invitation and weigh it on a postal scale so that you can determine the amount of postage required. Purchase enough decorative postage stamps, which look much nicer than plain stamps or metered stamps from the Post Office, for all of the invitations.
Before Stuffing
When you are ready to begin stuffing wedding invitations, spread out everything you will need in a logical arrangement. Along with the invitations, you will need the inner and outer envelopes, tissue paper, writing utensils, the guest list and other enclosures such as reception cards, response cards and maps.
While this can be a fun social gathering of the bridal party, avoid setting out snacks and beverages in the area where you will be stuffing wedding invitations. Wedding invitation stuffing etiquette dictates that all fingers involved should be free of crumbs and grease that might mar the paper, and drinks can easily become hazardous around the delicate and limited stationery. Instead, plan a break in the kitchen or patio when everyone can stop for refreshments and stretches. All hands should be washed and dried thoroughly before stuffing wedding invitations resumes.
Stuffing the Invitations
No matter what type of wedding invitations you are sending, it is vital that you address both the inner and outer envelopes prior to stuffing the invitations into them. This will prevent unsightly bumps or holes that might occur if the envelopes were to be addresses after stuffing wedding invitations.
Fold the invitations if required and stamp all of the outer envelopes. Preparing an assembly line setup will help the process go more quickly and smoothly.
If using tissue paper, place this over the writing on the invitation first. Layer any enclosures atop the front of the invitation in order of size, with the largest enclosure on the bottom and the smallest on top. Stuff the invitation and enclosures into the inner envelope. The front of the invitation should face the opening of the envelope. If the wedding invitations are folded, the folded edge should go into the envelope first.
Seal the inner envelope and tuck it inside the outer envelope. The front of the inner envelope, which should include the guests’ names, will face the opening on the back of the outer envelope. Seal the outer envelope and repeat.
A final consideration of wedding invitation stuffing etiquette is that you mail them all at the same time. Go to the Post Office and hand them to a postal clerk for processing.
Image Credits
Quill Pen: sxc.hu/Oliver Gruener
