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It's just etiquette. You don't have to have an inside envelope just make sure that you outline who is and is not invited (in case you aren't inviting children or something).
I've read that back when the tradition originated it was customary to send any communication with 2 envelopes. When the servant of the house received the post, they would remove the outer envelope (that was potentially dirtied, torn, etc from travel) so that the recipients would receive just the clean inner envelope.
Like so many bits of tradition/etiquette, this now has only held over for formal occasions such as weddings and graduations.
Yeah, I had no idea what this was either! Oops... missed that memo lol
Oh...and I totally don't think it's necessary...we didn't have an inner envelope. It just seemed too wasteful to me, tradition or not!
The logic behind it is that if you're inviting your friend Bob who lives alone, you can address the outer envelope to Bob's house. But Bob's been dating Sally for 5 years. So on the inner envelope you can put Bob & Sally. It's actaully been really convienent for me---but it's totally not necessary. :)
Yep, to build on @VirginiaMarie's statment, this will environmentally save more than an outer vs. only inner envelope if couples/families DON'T live together anymore. I know that 'children' over the age of 18 are traditionally supposed to receive their own invite, but if you've got college age family (and you're inviting both the parents & the 'children') I don't see the need to send multiple invites to the same family unit just because they live in separate homes (or worse, sending multiple invites to the same home). Same goes for couples not living together...I don't feel the need to send an invite to Bob & another to Sally when I could send one to Bob, & on the inner envelope & RSVP card include Sally's name, so both Bob & Sally know that Sally is invited specifically.
I think this is something that used to be done but in the past several years it's been opted out. Remember how a lot of people always had a piece of tissue paper in the invite too? Don't really see that anymore. I think this is more of an etiquette thing but I think even hardcore ettiquette followers don't really do two envelopes anymore either. Like some have said, just make sure the envelope is addressed to who is coming: John Doe, John Doe & Melissa Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Jon Doe & Family, etc.
@Curlysue, haha the tissue paper thing! Yeah it seems that people are figuring out that the tissue paper was never meant to be included in the invite - it was between the invitations when they were delivered to the bride so the fresh ink didn't smudge from the front of one to the back of another.
I'm doing the two envelopes, partly because I like the tradition and partly for the reasons ms.pascua described. I'm using recycled paper which makes me feel better about it.
Just go with 1 envelope. You'll save yourself some money, time (addressing 2 envelopes per), and part of a tree.
We did just 1 envelope and it was fine.
From what I've heard it had to do with ink drying, not really necessary anymore. One of the 'etiquette' things that I don't think really has anything to do with etiquette anymore. As both environmentally conscious and cheap myself, we def did not do 2 envelopes.
Thanks, guys! I was planning on going with one envelope anyway, but I never knew why two were considered the norm.
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...why wedding invitations are traditionally supposed to have two envelopes?
As somebody who is both (1) environmentally conscious and (2) cheap, I don't see the point in ordering two envelopes per invite. Is there an outer and inner envelope for some kind of logical reason that I don't know? Or is it just etiquette?
I'm clueless!