Invitation Envelopes

While your invitation envelope doesn’t have to match the invitation paper itself perfectly, it should coordinate. Though you can have the invitation envelope be an exact match to the invitation, say by having both be blue, you may want to opt to coordinate them within a particular color theme. If the invitation is white but has blue lettering or designs, a blue card envelope could be a good choice. Many people choose to coordinate the color theme of their invitations and corresponding envelopes with that of the event, especially if it’s a wedding. Whatever you decide, it is nice to make sure the shade of the color is kept consistent across all materials.

Below are a few other considerations to keep in mind.

The Size of the Invitation Envelopes

Staples carries envelopes in all sizes for all cards and occasions. Invitation envelopes, card envelopes, party envelopes — Staples has them all, and in a variety of sizes. The most common include:

The Desired Shape of the Closure Flap

Invite envelopes typically have either a square-shaped closure flap or a triangular-shaped closure flap, which are also called Euro flaps or deep flaps. The shape of the flap really depends on your personal preference. There’s no right or wrong when it comes to flap shape.

The Type of Closure

Most invitation or card envelopes have one of the following types of closure methods: gummed, glue or self-seal.

Gummed envelopes are the most traditional type. These are sealed with a water-soluble gummed strip that you can use your tongue to moisten. Glue-based envelope flaps are sealed by using a special sponge to activate the adhesive for an extra strong seal. Self-seal envelopes are known by a variety of names, including peel-and-seal and zip seal. They’re popular because there’s no moisture needed. All you have to do is tear away the paper strip and the adhesive is ready to go.

The Color of the Invitation Envelopes

Invitation envelopes come in many different colors, including beige, black, blue, brown, white, gold, silver, green, metallic and purple. Again, it’s good to coordinate or stick with a consistent color scheme when choosing the envelopes you’ll use with your invitations.

Invitation envelopes can be decorated and customized for a personal touch. It’s common to use custom address labels or custom stamps to reflect your personality or the event. Some people also like to decorate envelopes with multicolor pens or use a sticker to add an additional seal to the flap.