How to Think Green with Your Wedding Invitations

Thinking green means much more than just the color of your wedding invitations in today’s world.  In fact, 'going green' is a popular topic these days when it comes to wedding planning.  Being more earth friendly with your invitations can actually be simple and even less expensive in some cases.

Of course, the most obvious idea is to have your invitations printed on recycled paper and there are now many beautiful designs available. 

There are also other ways to 'think green' with your wedding invitations.  One way is simply to reduce the amount of paper used as part of your invitation ensemble.  Here are some suggested ways to save on paper. 

• Choose a smaller sized single-panel invitation card instead of a larger folded or layered style.
• Include your reception information right on your invitation to eliminate a separate reception card (having less weight in the envelope might even save you from having to affix extra postage).   If space allows, your dinner and reception details can be added on as extra lines aligned with the rest of your verse printing.  Alternatively, some invitation styles allow the option of a corner copy for listing these details –  3 or 4 lines that appear in the bottom left or right corner usually in a smaller sized font usually for a small extra charge.  Corner copy is not recommended for narrow or tea length styles. 
• Select an invitation style that includes just a single mailing envelope instead of the usual double (inner and outer) envelopes.  An example is a self-mailer invitation where the envelopment wraps around all of your pieces and seals up to become the actual mailing envelope.  Having one envelope will save you time when it comes to addressing. Depending on the size of the invitation, this style may require extra postage.  
• Use a response postcard to eliminate the need for a return mailing envelope and to save on postage. 
• Eliminate a mailing envelope altogether by selecting a seal and send wedding invitation.  This all-in-one design folds up and seals into a self-mailing piece.  This style also has a response postcard attached for easy removal and mailing back by your guests. 
• Set up a personal wedding website to provide your guests with online maps, directions, hotels, bridal registry information, etc.  This will eliminate the need for extra invitation insert pieces.

It is now easier than ever to make earth-friendly choices when selecting your wedding invitation style without sacrificing quality and beauty.   Every little bit helps when it comes to saving our planet and some of your choices might even save you money in the process.