There’s a moment in wedding planning where everything stops feeling like tabs in a spreadsheet. It’s when you hold a finished invitation in your hand. The paper has weight. The colors look real. And suddenly you can picture people opening their mailbox and thinking, “Oh wow—this is happening.”
That’s why getting your invitation suite right matters. Not in a perfectionist way. In a practical way. You want it to look good, mail safely, and not force you into a panic reprint because the time is wrong or the border got trimmed off.
This guide covers the four pieces that most couples ask about: save the dates, invitation sets, reception-only cards, and thank you cards. I’ll explain what each one does, the sizes that tend to work best, what to print first, and the mistakes that cause the most headaches.
What a “wedding invitation suite” really means
People say “suite” and it sounds fancy, like you need six inserts, ribbon, wax seals, and a custom monogram.
You don’t.
A wedding invitation suite is just the set of paper (or digital) items that help guests answer three questions:
- When is it?
- Where is it?
- What do I need to do next? (RSVP, travel, attire, etc.)
In real life, your “invitation set” usually includes the main invitation, an RSVP card (or RSVP instructions), and sometimes a small details card. Save the dates come earlier. Reception-only cards are optional and situation-specific. Thank you cards come after.
If you keep that “job” in mind—inform, guide, confirm—it’s easier to decide what to print and what to skip.
Pick sizes that print well and mail well
If you only make one decision early, make it this: choose sizes that are common. Common sizes are cheaper, easier to stuff into envelopes, and less likely to trigger mailing issues.
Here are the sizes that show up over and over because they work.
| Card size (finished) | Common use | Typical envelope |
|---|---|---|
| 5″ x 7″ | Main invitation, save the date | A7 |
| 4.25″ x 5.5″ | RSVP cards, thank you cards, small invites | A2 |
| 4″ x 6″ | Postcard-style save the dates, RSVP postcards | Postcard mail or envelope (optional) |
A few practical notes that save pain later:
A 5×7 invitation feels “classic wedding” and gives you room for readable text. It also plays nicely with inserts (like an RSVP or details card).
A 4.25×5.5 card (A2) is a workhorse size. It’s perfect for thank you cards and RSVP cards because it’s easy to hold, easy to write on, and doesn’t feel cheap.
A 4×6 postcard save the date is simple and often cheaper to mail. It’s also the easiest option if you want a photo.
If you’re planning multiple inserts, don’t just think about card size. Think about the full stack: paper thickness + number of pieces + any extras like vellum wraps. Your suite might still fit an envelope, but it can become too thick or too rigid to run through machines cleanly. That’s where postage surprises happen.
Save the dates: what they do, what to include, and when to send
A save the date is a heads-up. It’s not the official invitation.
Its job is simple: reserve the date on people’s calendars so they don’t book travel, accept other weddings, or plan a big trip that weekend.
Because it’s an early heads-up, save the dates usually go out months before invitations. If guests need to travel, you’ll want more lead time.
What to put on a save the date (keep it lean):
- Your names
- Wedding date
- City/state (or general location)
- A line like “Invitation to follow”
- Your wedding website (optional but helpful)
What not to overthink:
- The exact timeline of the day
- Meal choices
- Dress code
- The full address of the venue (unless it’s helpful for travel)
Size-wise, a 4×6 postcard or a 5×7 card is the most common. If you’re tempted by magnets, they can be fun, but they often add thickness and can increase mailing complexity. If you want a magnet vibe without the mailing drama, a thick cardstock postcard can scratch the same itch.
One more tip I love: print one extra save the date and mail it to yourself. It’s a cheap test run. If it arrives scuffed or bent, you’ll know before you send 120 of them.
Invitation sets: the “official” invite and the RSVP flow
Your invitation set is the main event. This is what guests keep on the fridge, photograph, or dig out later when they realize they forgot the start time.
At minimum, your invitation needs:
- Who (names)
- What (wedding ceremony / celebration)
- When (date + start time)
- Where (venue + address)
- RSVP instructions + deadline
You can handle RSVPs two ways:
Traditional RSVP card.
This is still popular because it’s clear and it feels “complete.” The trade-off is you’ll pay return postage and you’ll wait for mail.
Online RSVP.
This is faster and reduces inserts, weight, and mail complexity. If you go this route, make the RSVP line painfully clear. Don’t hide it in tiny text. And give people a short URL or a QR code that actually scans.
Timing matters here too. You need enough time for:
- Final edits
- Printing and shipping
- Addressing envelopes
- Mailing time
- RSVP time
- Vendor deadlines (catering numbers, seating chart, etc.)
A lot of couples aim to have invitations in the mail somewhere around 6–8 weeks before the wedding for a local event, and earlier if travel is involved. The bigger point is this: don’t set an RSVP deadline that leaves you squeezed. Give yourself breathing room.
If you’re building a full invitation set, a common combo looks like:
- 5×7 main invite (A7 envelope)
- 4.25×5.5 RSVP card (A2 envelope) or QR/URL RSVP
- Small details card (directions, hotel block, weekend schedule)
That’s enough for most weddings.
Reception-only cards: when they make sense and how to word them clearly
Reception-only invitations exist because real weddings are messy in the best way. Sometimes you’re doing:
- A tiny ceremony (family only) and a bigger party later
- A private courthouse ceremony, then a reception another day
- A destination ceremony, then a hometown celebration
A reception-only card’s job is to prevent confusion and reduce hurt feelings. That means you want clear wording and no weird vagueness.
The cleanest approach is usually to treat the reception as its own event:
- “Join us for a reception celebrating…”
- Date, time, location
- RSVP instructions
If some guests are invited to both the ceremony and the reception, keep your systems clean. Either:
- Send different suites (ceremony guests get full details; reception guests get reception-only), or
- Use a main invitation that focuses on the celebration and include a small ceremony insert only for ceremony guests
Size-wise, reception-only cards often work best as an insert card rather than a full-size separate invitation. A smaller card tucked into the main envelope is easier and usually cheaper.
Big mistake to avoid: sending a reception-only card that looks like a ceremony invite but “quietly” removes the ceremony info. People notice. Clarity is kinder.
Thank you cards: print early so you can send them fast
Thank you cards are the piece everyone swears they’ll do quickly… and then life hits.
So here’s the move: print thank you cards early. Like, before the wedding if you can.
You can’t write the messages yet, but you can have a stack ready. That way, when gifts arrive, you’re not also trying to design stationery.
Common thank you formats:
- A2 folded card (4.25 x 5.5) with an A2 envelope
- Postcard-style thank you (less formal, fast to write)
If you’re worried about addressing, you can pre-print return addresses on envelopes, or even pre-print guest addresses if you’re very confident in your list. If you’re not confident, don’t. Nothing is more annoying than wasting envelopes because Aunt Lisa’s apartment number changed.
Also, don’t wait for “the perfect time” to write them. Write a few at a time. Ten notes after dinner is manageable. One hundred notes in a weekend feels like punishment.
Print setup basics that prevent expensive reprints
A wedding suite is one of the most common “reprint” products in the world, and it’s almost never because the printer messed up. It’s because the file setup wasn’t built for trimming and real paper.
Here are the basics that matter most.
Bleed, trim, and safe zone
If your design has color or photos touching the edge, you need bleed. That’s the extra image area that gets cut off so you don’t end up with thin white slivers.
Safe zone is the opposite idea. Keep important text and faces away from edges so trimming doesn’t clip them.
Color mode and images
Screens use RGB light. Printers use CMYK ink. If you design in RGB and convert late, colors can shift. It doesn’t mean your invite will look bad. It just means you should expect differences and proof carefully.
For photos and graphics, low resolution is the silent killer. A design can look “fine” on a phone and still print soft. If you’re using photos, make sure they’re high quality, and don’t stretch tiny images to fill a big card.
Fonts and PDFs
If you use a fancy font and it isn’t embedded, you can get weird substitutions. Export a print-ready PDF and make sure your fonts are included and your text stays crisp.
If you’re doing online proofing, zoom in and check:
- Every date and time
- Address spelling
- RSVP deadline
- Website URL (if you use one)
- Any tiny text (dress code, parking info, etc.)
One typo on a save the date is annoying. One typo on the invitation set is expensive.
What to print first, and the mistakes that trip people up
If you want a clean order of operations, here’s the simplest flow:
First: save the dates.
Once your date and venue are locked, you can print these without needing every detail finalized.
Second: invitation sets (and reception-only cards, if needed).
Design them together so they match. Print them together so color and paper feel consistent.
Third: thank you cards.
You can print these anytime, but earlier is easier.
Now the mistakes I see over and over:
Printing before details are stable.
If you’re still unsure about ceremony start time, don’t print. If your venue contract isn’t signed, don’t print. It sounds obvious, but this is the number one way people create a reprint situation.
Choosing a size because it looks cool online.
Square invites, odd shapes, or super thick builds can trigger non-standard mailing rules. It can still be worth it, but budget for extra steps.
Not testing the full assembled suite at the post office.
This is the grown-up move. Put everything in the envelope exactly as you’ll mail it. Seal it. Bring it in. Let them weigh and measure it. Then you’ll know the real postage and whether it needs special handling.
Making it too rigid or “lumpy.”
Wax seals on the outside, bulky bows, uneven thickness, or stiff inserts can push your envelope into “nonmachinable” territory. That can mean higher postage and more risk of damage.
Ignoring basic letter-size limits.
Mail has rules. If your finished envelope is too big, too thick, or not shaped in a machine-friendly way, it changes how it’s processed. A standard letter has maximum dimensions and thickness, and certain shapes (like square envelopes) can be treated differently.
If you do want something fancy, you can still do it. Just decide with your eyes open. Sometimes it’s worth paying the extra postage for the exact vibe you want. Sometimes it isn’t.
Conclusion: a suite that looks good and behaves in the real world
A wedding invitation suite is part design, part logistics. The sweet spot is when it looks like you, prints clean, and survives the mail without turning into a bent corner nightmare.
If you want the simplest plan: pick a common size, keep your suite lean, proof like a maniac, and test one fully assembled envelope before you send a hundred.
And remember: the goal isn’t to impress strangers on the internet. The goal is for your guests to understand the plan, show up on time, and feel excited when they open the envelope.
