You said yes, and now you and your fiancé are eagerly planning your big day. There are plenty of wedding elements that are familiar to you, like the dress and the cake. But unless you happened to have a debutante ball or frequent fancy dinners with important people, a wedding invitation is likely the most formal invitation you’ve ever sent.
Oh, and the invitation doesn’t end with the invitation itself. You also have to think about the envelope it goes in, and even what size envelope you need for the invitations.
The good news? There are no standard invitation envelope sizes. Sure, there are a few common envelope dimensions that are treated as standard envelope sizes, but nowadays, you have a lot of freedom to choose the envelope (and invitation) that will best suit your dream wedding.
Here’s how to pick the perfect envelope size to suit your perfect wedding.
Start With Your Wedding Theme and Colors
Before you start looking at envelope sizing, it’s best to start with your wedding theme and colors. This will set the tone for the whole event, which will make it easier to narrow down on an envelope size and style that suits your special day.
For example, a pink envelope would work for a romantic wedding (think soft hues, delicate colors, and florals) but for an alternative or modern wedding, it might feel out of place.
And on the note of colors, you should have your color scheme (or, at least, your color family) selected before you shop for envelopes. As a rule, you’ll be well-prepared if you choose a base color and two or three accent colors. This will be influenced by your wedding season (winter lends itself to jewel tones, while summer is perfect for light and bright colors) and your venue.
And yes, it might seem odd to think about your venue when selecting wedding envelopes, but keep in mind that your invitation suite is the first element of the wedding that guests will see. It should set the tone for the kind of event guests can expect.
Choosing the Right Style Envelope
With your colors and theme in hand, you’re ready to think about what style of envelope you’re looking for. The cross-section of color, style, and size will help narrow down your envelope selection to a much narrower menu so that you don’t waste time on envelopes you don’t like.
Among traditional envelopes, there are three styles that are typically used for envelopes:
- Baronial
- A-style
- Square
A-style envelopes are the most common envelope for invitations, characterized by a wide, square flap. Baronial envelopes are more formal and traditional than A-style envelopes, deeper and characterized by a large pointed flap. Square envelopes are exactly what they sound like–square-shaped envelopes with a square flap.
If you’re interested in a non-traditional wedding invitation, you may need a non-traditional envelope to house it. Keep in mind, however, that these will be custom and cost more to print.
Choosing the Right Size of Envelope
Knowing your envelope style and color in advance should help you winnow down your options relatively quickly. Picking your envelope size should leave you with just a handful of options to choose from.
Keep in mind that the size of your envelope will be significantly affected by the invitation (or rather, how much information and pattern you want on the invitation). In this post, we’re focusing solely on “A-size” envelopes, which are reserved for more formal communications like invitations.
A7 Envelopes
The A-size envelopes work on a scale from 1 to 10. A1 envelopes are the smallest, while A10 envelopes are the largest.
If you’re looking for envelopes for 5×7 invitations, you’re going to want A7 invitation envelopes. The A7 envelope size is roughly 5×7, plus or minus a quarter of an inch, so you may see 5×7 envelope size and A7 envelope size used interchangeably.
When they act as outer envelopes for wedding invitations, they can fit an insert of 5 1/8 by 7.
These are slightly larger envelopes intended for larger invitations, which can work for less traditional couples who want their invitation to make a big statement. But keep in mind that these envelopes (with their invitations inside) will cost more to mail.
Looking for A7 envelopes? We offer beautiful A-style A7 envelopes in 40 different colors, perfect for any kind of wedding.
A6 Envelopes
If you’re looking for an envelope for a 4×6 card, A6 invitation envelopes are the perfect choice for the job.
These envelopes are around 4 3/4 inches by 6 1/2 inches, designed to fit an insert of up to 4 1/2 inches by 6 1/4 inches. The A6 envelope size is a more traditional envelope size, perfect to fit the traditional 4 1/2 by 6 1/4 inch rectangular invitation card. Couples looking for a more classic wedding should reach for A6 envelopes every time.
Plus, if you’re using an A6 envelope as your save the date envelope, this is considered standard sizing for invitation envelopes and it’s smaller than A7, which makes it cheaper to send through the mail. The better to conserve your budget for things like catering or flowers.
Looking for A6 envelopes? We’re partial to our A-style envelopes in 39 different colors.
A2 Envelopes
Last but not least are the small but mighty 4×5 envelopes, better known as A2 invitation envelopes. The A2 envelope size is the most diminutive on this list at just 4 3/8 by 5 3/4 inches, designed for 4 1/4 by 5 1/2-inch inserts.
These are slightly larger than traditional A1 RSVP envelopes. The traditional RSVP card envelope size is closer to 3 1/2 by 5 inches, which these envelopes are slightly too big to fit comfortably. A2 envelopes not quite the smallest envelope that can be mailed through the US Postal System, but they’re pretty close.
Can’t find A2 envelopes? Don’t worry — we’ve got those two, in the same beautiful A-style as our other invitation envelopes.
Inner and Outer Envelopes
Think you’ve settled on the best invitation size? Don’t rush out to buy your envelopes just yet. You have one more factor to consider: the double envelope, often known as inner and outer envelopes, a tried and true (and very old) wedding tradition.
What’s the Difference?
As the names imply, outer and inner envelopes are two layers of envelopes. In ye olden days of the horse and carriage, when mail went through quite a beating to get to its final destination, outer and inner envelopes had a practical purpose–protecting the invitation inside.
The happy couple wanted the invitation to arrive in good condition. The trouble was…well, the mail. So, couples came up with a solution. The invitation first went inside a fancier inner envelope, with the pomp and circumstance fitting the wedding. Then the invitation and inner envelope went into the outer envelope, which would protect its cargo en route to the final destination.
Why Get a Double Envelope?
Nowadays, there are a few reasons to get a double envelope, even though mail doesn’t get beat up riding in a horse-drawn carriage anymore.
These days, the outer envelope is used to formally address the recipient, while the inner envelope is more informal. The inner envelope is also used to list out the names of the specific people in the household invited to the wedding, while the outer envelope is used by the postal service for mailing purposes.
This is ideal for couples who need to specify who is and is not coming to the wedding. Adult-only weddings, for example, can use the inner envelope to list the adults and older teenagers while leaving off the kids–this is a known and accepted tradition allowing you to clearly but politely communicate the “adults only” message.
The Perfect Invitation for a Perfect Day
There are a lot of elements that go into creating the wedding of your dreams. The invitation and envelope are just one small part of the perfect day.
We’re here to help ensure that your wedding is everything you dreamed, right down to the smallest details. If you’re looking for invitation envelopes, click here to check out our selection of beautiful, classic envelopes.