How to assemble invitations for mailing
The following was contributed by Ericka Kammerer
- Start by placing your invitation face-up in front of you. If you
want to use the tissues, place the tissue over the writing. The
tissues are absolutely not necessary--they were originally packing
material used when engraving inks were oily and wouldn't have dried
by the time they were shipped, so the tissues kept the inks from
smudging until they dried. They were *supposed* to be removed before
assembling the invitation for mailing. However, over time, using
the tissues has become "proper," so you're welcome to use them if
you would like. If you have printed your own invitations on your
own printer, you might find that the tissues do indeed serve a
purpose--printer inks often *do* smudge during mailing.
- Layer the enclosures on top of the invitation in order of size,
with the largest enclosure nearest the invitations.
Enclosures are placed on the pile writing-side up.
Enclosures with accompanying envelopes (like rsvp cards) should
be tucked under the flap on the envelope (so the triangle covers
part of the writing on the card) and then placed on the pile with
the partially-covered writing on the carde face up (and consequently,
the writing on the front of the envelope face down).
If your invitations are the sort that need to be folded in half
to fit into the envelope, you fold the invitation from top to
bottom, with the writing on the inside. Enclosures go inside
this second fold (the first fold is the one that turns the
invitation into a little "booklet" shape).
- Pick up the pile in your right hand. Pick up the inner envelope
in your left hand. Stuff the pile into the envelope with the
first fold of the invitation at the *bottom* of the inner envelope,
and with the writing on the invitation facing the *back* of the
inner envelope.
- Put the inner envelope in your right hand and turn it over so
the writing on the inner envelope is facing you. Stuff the
inner envelope into the outer envelope with the bottom of the
inner envelope to the bottom of the outer envelope and the front
of the inner envelope facing the *back* of the outer envelope.
The purpose of this whole elaborate scheme is to ensure that when your
invitees receive the invitation, they open the outer envelope and
immediately encounter the inner envelope with the writing facing
them as they withdraw the inner envelope. Then, when they flip the
inner envelope over and pull out the invitation itself, the enclosures
are on top (so they won't get lost hidden in a fold somewhere) and
the writing on the invitation will be in the appropriate orientation
for them to read without twisting it about.