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Today, what we are going to talk about are the various structures & formats for your wedding invitations – this totally is the first look of your card, & it is with this, that your guest will get the first glimpse of what is inside.
The format / structure of the invitation also determines how much paper & printing goes into the card, thus finally determining your final costs as well.
For all you lovely people, we have put together a handy guide on some of the most popular & loved formats that not only look great but also make every card unique.
We totally understand that this is not what you do daily!
But is what we do each & every day & with all our heart & passion!
Hence, to make this easy-peasy for you, we have collated below a glossary of some technical words you should know before you read on!
Main Envelope / Outer envelope :
This is the first look of your invitation, as it is the outer most cover of your card. This is where your guest name & address will be written.
Folder / Jacket :
This is normally the second layer in your card – this is what you are pulling out of the main envelope. This acts as a holder for your inserts.
Not all invite formats have the folder, you’ll see more details on this as you read on.
Inserts / Leaves :
Your inserts are the different inlets of printed paper, that give information like date, time, venues, dress codes & family names. For most Indian / South – Asian weddings where there are multiple functions, having inserts / leaves makes it easier for you to create combinations for different events
We hope this helps, to make the forthcoming data easier to understand 🙂
Lets dive straight in!
1) The main envelope + folder + inserts (conventional & classic)
What this essentially includes is an envelope, then what comes next is the folder (which normally opens from the left, like a greeting card, or from the top).
When you further open the folder, you will see a pocket / holder for all the inserts for the functions!
This structure is one that has been used over the years, making it one of the most popular formats. It works really well for weddings or events, where the information needs to be split up in various date wise functions, specifically more than five, as this type of a folder can hold the inserts very well.
2) The Plain Jane (simple & timeless)
In this style, we have the envelope opening directly into the insert(s).
What this means is that, there is no separate folder / jacket for the inserts, thus reducing the amount of paper used & printing done.
Incase you’d like to cut costs or reduce usage of paper & printing, this proves to be a good alternative to the previous format.
This format works really well for Save the dates / Engagement invitations / single events as this is great for cards that do not have too much information.
3) The pocket style (a twist to the classic envelope)
This is pretty much like an old school envelope, but with an expandable pocket, more like a clutch pouch.
It is great when you have multiple events, as it can hold the inserts well, but also does not look empty when your guest may be receiving only one insert.
4) The envelope-cum-folder (convenient & compact)
This structure has been one of the most trending formats over the past 2-3 years!
This is actually a tri-fold envelope, which also acts as a holder for the inserts – as when this opens up, it has a pocket to keep them in place.
This uses lesser paper than the first format & is a compact version of the same!
5) The 4 fold opening (all about the drama)
This opening style, as the name suggests, opens from all 4 sides.
This structure does not have a separate folder to it, as the four fold itself acts as an envelope-cum-folder, thus minimizing use of paper!
6) The gate fold (royalty at it’s best)
This style, essentially opens up from the centre, resembling a gate.
The gate fold is normally used as a replacement to the traditional folder that holds the inserts & hence it does need to go in an envelope.
The reason for this is that, incase you do not put it in an envelope, the inserts may fall out from the top end of the gate fold.
7) The origami folding (experimental & fun)
This is one of our favourites! As the name suggests, it has a quirky folded origami folder.
Though the folding can be a little cumbersome at times, it does make for an interesting & off-beat shape, making the card look really out-of-the-box.
We can create a host of shapes & folding types so make it look unique to your style!
8) The book style (dreamy & vintage)
In this format, all your inserts are bound together in a book like structure, almost like a story book.
This is one of the most royal formats we use!
The only downside of the book style, is that, it does not give you the flexibility to make combinations of inserts, incase all your guests are not invited to each event / function.
And because of this, it is very popular with destination weddings, as every guest gets invited to every event, thus doing away with the management of multiple inserts.
All of the above can have a spine to make it look like a box, a magnet, a wax seal, a monogram sticker, etc.
These variations make the card look interesting as well as fun.
But we are always looking to create new concepts & creative adaptions of the humble envelope!
Stay tuned for lots of new things coming up this wedding season!
#Protips :-
– The heavier the card, the more it will cost to courier or ship. So do keep that in mind while deciding on your format & paper thickness
– Make sure there is enough space to write your guest name & address on every envelope.
Should you have any feedback or want us to cover any particular topic, feel free to let us know!
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Until next time,
Disha & Harsh Munshaw
Customizing Creativity
Customizing Creativity Blog 