When to Use Postcards for Wedding Invitations & Stationery
RSVPS
There are specific times where postcards make more sense than prints with envelopes. One major example is RSVPs. As an invitation designer, I almost always recommend using postcards for RSVPs to my clients. One of the main reasons for this is because the postcard is coming to you rather than being sent to your guest. Let’s be honest, unless you plan on saving your RSVPs as mementos, they serve you only one purpose- figuring out a head count. You won’t be affected if the postcard doesn’t come in pristine condition and it’s very seldom that postcards come so destroyed that you can’t make out the names and guest attending numbers.
BUDGET CONSTRAINTS
If budget is your top priority and you’re looking to save money then using postcards for Save the Dates, RSVPs and Thank You Cards is a good option. Keep in mind that in order to keep the cost down, you will have to stick to more basic card stocks - which also creates more risk for postal flaws. This decision will need to be made by comparing what is important to you. Is quality or cost more more important to you?
TIME If you are dreading every single thing about stuffing, gluing, addressing and stamping, then you are in the market for postcards. If your budget allows, choose the higher end printing and paper, along with guest addressing. This will save you from a lot of putzing around. One thing you won’t be able to avoid is getting addresses from guests and setting them up in templates for printing, typically excel files. If you are better at setting up labels, take that route for addressing!
When to Use Envelopes Instead of Postcards for Wedding Invitations & Stationery FLAWLESS CONDITION
If you want your prints to arrive to their destination in pristine condition, use an envelope! This is typically common for clients sending pictures. If you’re using a beautiful engagement photo that you want your guests to be able to save as a keepsake or place in a frame, I’d recommend using an envelope. Even if you are trying to be budget friendly, printing single sided, on a basic card stock, while use a basic envelope is still cheaper than printing premium postcards with clear coatings.
MEAL OPTIONS
While I often recommend using postcards for RSVPs, I have a different stance if you’re serving plated meals at your wedding. In this case, it is best to have guests return their RSVPs in an envelope. This will keep their response card in better condition, allowing you to clearly read their meal selections. The envelope protection will also create extra weight, which helps to avoid getting stuck and lost in postal machines.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
If what you are sending is considered extremely important, stick to placing the print in an envelope. This is one of the main reasons you will rarely see a formal wedding invitation sent as a postcard. Your invite has a greater chance of getting wrecked or lost, leaving guests unaware of the important information including what, when and where.
A great example of high importance would be if you are sending Save the Dates for a destination wedding that requires guests to plan and save money months in advance. This means that the information on the Save the Date is just as important as the information on the invite. The guests are going to want to be able to read the date, the destination, and accommodation information in order to begin planning for their upcoming trip.
How to Make Your Final Decision to Use a Postcard or an Envelope
When deciding on your wedding stationery, make a list of things that are important to you and set a budget. This will always help you make decisions on everything related to finalizing your invites - including being able to decide what category you fall in when it comes to postcards. If quality and images are important to you, then envelopes will most likely be your final decision. If budget and quantity are more important to you, then postcards will work great for you!
For more information or questions, head to the comment section below!