Questions for the Calligrapher, Part One: Inner Envelopes
Modern brides tend to skip the inner envelopes, but there are good reasons to spend a little extra to have both inner and outer.
1. Make it significant. The invitation arriving in the mail is one of the first glimpses your guests have in to the style and tone of your wedding. Make a statement. Make it significant. This is one of the biggest days of your life, let the invitation convey a small part of that magnitude.
2. It's a good investment. You have probably spent plenty of time and money considering your invitation choice. Using the two envelopes protects your invite and assures it will arrive without tearing or damage to the actual invite.
3. Clear up any confusion. By using an inner envelope you are able to address the confusion of who is actually invited.
For example, if you have a single friend and would like to extend the invite to them and a guest, the inner envelope would clarify that. The outer would read : Mr John Smith. The inner: John & Guest. Etiquette guidelines say that you should take it a step further and use the name of the guest on the inner envelope. But anyone inviting a confirmed bachelor or George Clooney knows that it's not always possible to do that.
Or, lets say you are inviting people with children, but want a kid-free event. The outer will say Mr & Mrs John Smith. The inner: John & Susan, delineating that little Bobby is not invited.
Conversely, you want the kids to come, the outer will read Mr & Mrs John Smith. The inner: John, Susan & Bobby
4. It's traditional. Even though you may not fancy yourself a traditional bride, there are a considerable number of traditions that seem to infuse themselves in any wedding planning. If you have any fondness for harkening back, or a desire to connect to the past, your invitation is a perfect place to start. What could be more traditionally elegant than a hand addressed paper invite delivered by hand to your door?
Would you use them?
Happy planning,
Kathryn Murray
P.S. Here is a great little piece about the history of inner envelopes courtesy of LCI Paper: http://bit.ly/mpTdk7