When Adam and I were wedding planning, we knew our hotel block was going to be huge – and we wanted people to book rooms early, to ensure we’d be given enough as part of our reservation. This information was important enough to convey as part of the invitation, but we didn’t want it on the main card, since that’s what would end up front and center on our guests’ fridge. So, we had an added card with “more information,” including parking/shuttle, hotel, and our website. Problem solved, mischief managed. Cut to the weekend of our wedding and we had 63 rooms at our hotel (half the property), so it was basically a Leah-and-Adam’s-people reunion in the lobby the whole time.
I’m all for team “added card,” so this blog will outline four reasons why an added card is helpful, a suggestion for designing them, and one case where you don’t need one for your wedding.
1. Added Card for Reception Information
If you’re getting married in a house of worship and hosting your reception in a separate location, use an added card for the reception information. Keep your main invitation card for the religious ceremony only, and use the insert to outline the festivities information, like Cecelia and Kegan.
Things to include on your added card for the reception:
- location
- start time
- attire
- shuttle information, if applicable
2. If you have lots of out-of-towners
If you’re like us and have lots of guests traveling for your wedding (or of course if it’s a destination wedding), definitely include an added card with accommodations information. You’ll want people to book rooms early, and it’s a courtesy to give loved ones a lay of the land on your website with logistics information. This is especially important if you are getting married in a location with complicated travel: ferry ride, far distance from an airport, remote location, that kind of thing. Your guests are coming to celebrate you – so make it easy for them!
Things to include on your added card for accommodations:
- where you’ve reserved a block of rooms
- contact information for booking, along with promo code or information needed to receive the discounted rate… OR
- your website information, which will outline the booking process
- added travel information, such as ferry, car rental, etc.
3. Added card to outline other events
If you’re hosting a weekend-long affair, your main invitation card should be for the wedding only. An added card is beneficial to outline the rest of your events, such as a welcome party, rehearsal dinner, or sendoff brunch. This helps showcase the wedding and reception as the main event, but highlights that guests will be covered for the entire time they’re celebrating alongside you.
Things to consider with this added card:
- Who’s hosting? Some families prefer to send a completely separate mailing for a rehearsal dinner instead of doing an insert card, to make it even more overt that it’s being hosted by different people. If you want everything in the same mailed package, make sure there’s a line outlining the host(s) of this event – always be gracious!
- Is everyone invited? If these added events aren’t going to include everyone, that’s totally fine – just make sure you know which portion of your list is included for all events, and which portion is included for just the wedding. When you’re handling assembly, double-check that the correct people receive the added card (or don’t).
- How are you collecting responses? If you’d like people to respond to these events along with the wedding reception, make sure to add those events to the RSVP card. If you’d like people to respond via phone/email to another hostess, be sure to include that information here. Many of my custom design clients end up with two versions of their response card: one for the wedding only, and one for the full weekend of events.
4. If you want more custom artwork
Your main invitation is the classic piece but an added card can be a perfect spot to punch up the personality factor. Incorporating an insert card allows for a touch of whimsy, interesting, and unexpected. Your overall suite is still cohesive, but this element adds a little twist – use that extra “real estate” to your advantage!
Some of my favorite ways to add a bit of flair with an added card:
- Use the back! For Lindsay and Matt’s wedding at the Detroit Institute of Arts, I individually hand-painted an abstract watercolor piece on the back of their guests’ details card, as a nod to their venue. Plus, it doubled as a cool little art piece, if they wanted to keep and frame it! The options here are endless – a fun pattern, vintage photo, painting – you name it.
- Incorporate something personal. Amalia and Evan opted to keep their main invitation all script, so I used an illustration of their venue on this added card. They kept the information itself very brief, simply directing guests to their website. This is a great place to include a pet portrait or other personal illustration.
- Map, map, map! If you’re including a map for your wedding weekend, an added card is the obvious place to do so. These are always such a fun element and can be extremely helpful for your loved ones traveling for the big day. A map can go on the back of a “normal” details card, or can serve as the details card itself.
When you’re designing your added card…
Remember that some of these elements can be combined. You can include reception information and your website on the same card! Likewise with a rehearsal dinner and a note about shuttles. You don’t need 17 inserts – try and keep the information condensed so you don’t have a huge pile of stuff for your guests in their envelope.
When you don’t need one!
As I mentioned, I’m usually a proponent of the added card. However, I also believe in only getting what you need – and there are certain instances where a wedding invitation doesn’t need an added card. In that case, by all means, skip it!
You don’t need an added card if…
- your wedding ceremony and reception are taking place in the same location as each other, and…
- most of your guests live in the same place as your big day, and…
- you aren’t hosting any added weekend events (or an invitation for that is being mailed separately), and…
- there’s nothing majorly confusing about your location’s logistics
So, just to recap…
4 reasons you’d want to have an added card as part of your invitation suite:
- Reception information separate from the ceremony location
- Lots of out-of-towners
- Other events over the course of the wedding weekend
- An added spot for including custom artwork
And if none of these apply to you, you don’t need one!
In The Collection, you’re able to get just the basic invitation/RSVP card combo, and you have the option to purchase an added card. That insert can be used for whatever makes sense for your big day – and you’ll have an expert to guide you through the setup of it.
Get everything you need for your dream wedding invitations – and nothing you don’t – with The Collection.
Photos on this page: Casey Brodley