A wedding invitation is a letter asking the recipient to attend a wedding. It is typically mailed six to eight weeks before the wedding date. Wedding invitations may be printed using one of the following methods: engraving, lithography, thermography, letterpress printing, sometimes blind embossing, offset printing, and more recently, on laser and inkjet printers as many do-it-yourself brides are printing on their home computers. Invitations can be ordered from an artist, or vendor specializing in invitations. For the artistically inclined, they can be handmade.

Traditionally, wedding invitations are mailed in double envelopes. The inner envelope may be lined, is not gummed, and fits into the outer envelope. The outer envelope is gummed for sealing and addressing. Tissues are often provided by manufacturers to place over the engraved text, originally this tissue protected the engraving against smudging or blotting, but improved printing techniques mean they are now simply decorative. More recently, the inner envelope is often left out in the interest of saving money and postage. In some cases, a pocketfold takes the place of an inner envelope. Traditionally, the mother of the bride addresses the wedding invitations. However, if she chooses not to, the mother of the bride may outsource this responsibility to a professional calligrapher or a friend with good penmanship. With computer technology, some are able to print directly on envelopes from a guest list using a mail merge with word processing and spreadsheet software.

In countries that issue them, the envelope may be franked with love stamps. The United States postal service issues a love stamp each year specifically denominated to cover the double weight of the invitation and reply (a rate slightly less than the cost of two regular stamps).

Other items

Other pieces often included in the ensemble are the R.S.V.P. response card, reception card or folder, map or direction card, and accommodation information.

The R.S.V.P. card is stamped prior to sending the invitation as a courtesy for the guest to send their response easily. R.S.V.P. cards are typically an A5 paper size and either include an envelope, or more recently, are in the form of a postcard to save postage fees and the expense of the envelope. The reception card simply lists the addresses and times of any post-wedding events, such as a cocktail hour, dinner or dance. Map or direction cards provide details about the location of the wedding and reception. The accommodation information gives helpful tips about airfare, transportation or hotel arrangements for out-of-town guests. Local attractions may be featured as well. Often the accommodation information is sent in advance with the save the dates.

Many other matching pieces are commercially available such as programs, menus, table cards, place cards as well as wedding favors and party favors such as napkins, coasters, cocktail stirrers and matchboxes.

Invitation Design

Modern invitation design is continually changing and evolving to match current trends. Today's invitations generally match the style of the couple as well as the level of formality of the event. For example, a casual beach wedding may have light, fresh colors and beach-related graphics. A formal church wedding may have more scripty typefaces and lots of ornamentation that matches the formal nature of the event. The design of the invitation is becoming less and less traditional and more reflective of the couple's personality.

Many websites now offer pocket designs once unavailable on-line.

Many websites now provide custom invitation templates.

A few websites now offer client's the ability to fully customize invitations with their choice of papers, envelopes, ink colors and fonts and to view a live preview before ordering their invitations.