A Guide to Enclosure Cards

When the engagement pic is posted, you and your soon-to-be spouse may get bombarded with excited texts, calls, and messages across every platform.

And mixed in with the loving messages of congratulations? The questions.

• What’s the dress code?
• Where’s the venue?
• What hotel should we stay at?
• Uncle Samir wants to bring his parrot as his plus one...thoughts?

You love your guests’ enthusiasm for your big day. But are you a two-person FAQ page for your wedding? Of course not!

That’s why enclosure cards are one of the more ingenious inventions of wedding stationary. They help provide vital information to guests about the in’s and out’s of your special day.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about them:

• Enclosure Cards 101
• Enclosure Cards Aesthetics: Choosing the Right Design for You and Your Partner
• Types of Enclosure Cards and What Information to Include

Enclosure Cards 101

You’ve already picked out your wedding invitations, clueing in guests on the basics: the date, time, and the location. Equally essential messages pertaining to dress code, accommodations, and transportation must be relayed to your guests without overcrowding your invitations.

The answer? Enclosure cards.

Not to be confused with escort cards, these paper inserts are vital to protecting your time and can help your guests prepare for your wedding day. Enclosure cards can help answer some of your guests’ most important questions about your wedding with information about:

• The wedding destination
• Dress code and attire detail
• Accommodation offerings
• Transportation
• Specifics about the reception
• The wedding itinerary
• Back-up plans if the weather impacts your venue
• Wedding website information
• Response and RSVP
• And any other details guests might ask about

Enclosure cards are efficient, tasteful ways to ensure your guests are well-informed about the big day.

Bonus? You and your partner get to spend more time enjoying the more fun aspects of your wedding to-do lists (like cake tasting) and less time answering questions about the day from your excited guests.

Enclosure Cards Aesthetics: Choosing the Right Design For You and Your Partner

Your wedding is unique to you and your partner. Every decision you make creates a time and a place that celebrates your love. Even the enclosure cards can help contribute to your wedding’s theme or express you and your partner’s personalities.

Here’s what to consider as you’re choosing an enclosure card design for your wedding:

#1 Style

Every design starts with a vision, an overall aesthetic of your event. If your wedding has a clear-cut theme then the style of your enclosure cards is practically already decided.

Whether you have a decisive theme or more of a loose idea about the “vibe” of your wedding, you’ll be able to find paper products that match that to a tee.

At Zola, we can help simplify your search for the perfect enclosure card style. We’ve organized our premium paper suite collections into a few eye-catching categories to help you narrow down your selections.

Our style categories include:

• Elegant & Classic: Winter weddings, black-tie formal, and opulent grand ballrooms all call for elegant enclosure cards, which will likely match your elegant invites. Classic cards have simpler designs and often monochromatic palettes, making them the perfect complementary piece for brighter, more elaborate invitations.
• Floral & Botanical: Perfect for garden, golf course, and gazebo weddings, floral and botanical enclosure cards capture the spirit of outdoor weddings, as well as the spring and summer seasons. If you’ve decided on simple, minimalist, or even rustic invitations, you’ll love the juxtaposition of more colorful and intricate enclosure cards.
• Rustic & Vintage: Conversely, the natural quality and simplicity of rustic enclosure cards fit perfectly with floral, botanical, whimsical, and minimalist invitations. Pairing the earthy browns of rustic charm with the subdued jewel tones of botanical greenery is a match made in heaven—just like you and your spouse-to-be.
• Beach & Destination: An obvious choice for a destination wedding, these light, tropical enclosure cards are also a lovely addition to floral invitations or summer weddings with a beachy vibe (even if they don’t have a beachy setting).
• Bohemian: How do you communicate the laid-back, intimate feeling of your wedding? With boho-inspired enclosure cards that add levity and a little whimsy to your invitation designs.
• Modern or Minimalist: If you’ve already picked out stunning invitations that you adore, the best course of action is to pair those with enclosure cards that are more reserved and streamlined, while still being visually appealing. Too many varying colors and patterns could overwhelm your guests and overshadow the essential details. With two-tone cards, clean lines, and very few embellishments, minimalist enclosure cards might be your safest choice.

#2 Color

If your invitation designs are a done deal and you’re looking for a seamless companion card, then searching by color might be the easiest way to find what you want.

Try choosing one of the accent colors on your wedding invites and looking for enclosure cards that use this same shade as the base. This is an effortless way to coordinate your cards while adding some visual variety.

#3 Additional Embellishments

Of all the aspects of wedding planning, the enclosure cards aren’t usually seen as the ideal opportunity to go all out. They’re simple, direct, and informative—but, they can be over-the-top, too!

Consider adding touches of glitz and glamour, or style and sophistication with two of our favorite embellishment options:

• Foil: For enclosure cards that are as flashy as the disco ball in your dream venue, consider adding gold, silver, or rose gold foil to your enclosure cards. This added element can be a fun, yet classy way to jazz up your elegant, classic, simple, and even bohemian cards. Do you have a specific vision for the foil elements in your enclosure? Zola can help create a custom foil design just for you so you and your partner’s wedding vision can literally shine from the stationary.
• Letterpress: Embossed paper is now officially synonymous with elegant sophistication. Letterpress is a simple detail that adds texture and style no matter what your wedding theme.

#4 Silhouette

When it comes to wedding cards, you can mix and match more than just colors, styles, and patterns—you can even mix and match the shapes for added visual appeal.

What may seem like a simple and even negligible add-on is actually an easy way to both differentiate the cards and add some individuality to the contents of the envelope. If you’re looking to change up the shape of your enclosure cards, Zola’s enclosure cards can be printed with either square or rounded corners.

Aesthetically, rounded corners embody a softer essence, perfect for:

• The intertwining leaves of botanical prints.
• The warmth and whimsy of boho-chic designs.
• Adding visual interest to extremely minimal cards.
• The swirling waves of watercolor and beachy styles.

#5 Paper Type

As if that wasn’t enough to contemplate, there’s one final consideration to make regarding your enclosure cards: paper type.

Paper type adds an extra layer of detail to your enclosure cards, helping to create not only a useful source of info for your guests but a beautiful keepsake of your day.

Our customization options for enclosure cards include a selection of paper types to choose from. Depending on your theme and card design, one of these is sure to fit the bill:

• Smooth or Pearlescent: Both of these thin paper options have some sheen and shimmer to them. The smooth paper has a glossy finish, while the pearlescent has more of a metallic shine to it.
• Natural or Recycled: These two sturdy postcard options are perfect for botanical designs, whimsical and rustic styles, and the eco-conscious green thumb in all of us. The recycled paper has a subtler texture, while the natural paper has a noticeably rugged look and feel to it.
• Eggshell: This thin, off-white option comes to life with soft watercolor and artistic designs, rather than the harsh lines and bold fonts of modern or classic prints. It’s slightly thicker than construction paper with added texture and a sleek, matte finish.
• Linen: As lightweight as linen and as delicate as a falling petal, this textured paper option is classy, while maintaining its uniqueness. It has an easy airiness to it, perfect for beach weddings and effortless bohemian themes.
• Double Thick or Triple Thick: Do you want thick cardstock? Or perhaps very thick cardstock? Both of these ultra-sturdy enclosure card options are more like hardcover books than paper at all. Whether you want something twice as thick as a credit card or virtually unbendable, you can find enclosure cards that really pack a punch. As an inadvertent bonus, your guests will feel guilty tossing something that sturdy, meaning that there’s no excuse for showing up at the wrong time or in the wrong attire.

Whether you’re exploring the array of possibilities for enclosure cards, wedding menu cards, or escort card paper, we have you covered.

Types of Enclosure Cards and What to Include

Once you’ve decided what you want your enclosure cards to look and feel like, it’s time to decide what to include on this vital piece of your wedding stationary.

To start, take a glance at the list of possibilities below, and make a mental note of which ones sound most relevant to your event. Here we’ll dive into the details on what to write on a wedding enclosure card.

• Direction cards
• Attire cards
• Accommodations cards
• Transportation cards
• Reception cards
• Itinerary cards
• Inclement weather cards
• Details cards
• Wedding website cards
• RSVP cards

Destination Cards

Make finding your wedding as easy as a slice of red velvet cake for your guests by putting direction and destination information in a place where everyone can see it: the directions card.

What to include:

• Venue name
• Venue address
• Driving directions from the north and south

Attire Cards

For any dress code dos or don’ts, the attire card provides the perfect place to give your guests a little help in the “What to wear” dilemma.

What to include:

• Important notes on attire as it relates to: - Religion - Cultural customs - Degree of formality - Weather

Accommodations Cards

You’ve blocked off a number of rooms at the hotel where you and your significant other are staying, but you know there won’t be enough space to accommodate all of the attendees. To avoid becoming an on-call travel agent for your family and friends, you’ll want to include this enclosure card to specify the locations of the main lodging, as well as other area accommodations.

What to include:

• Name, address, phone number, and website of the hotel at which you have a room block
• Two to three alternative accommodations

Pro tip: Consider including a mix of arrangements at different price points to suit your guests’ budgetary needs.

Transportation Cards

If your ceremony and reception venues are in a region where taxis and rideshares are scarce, you’ll have to consider booking some sort of transportation to shuttle your guests from the reception to their respective sleeping arrangements. Your transportation card can provide helpful information about what kind of transportation support your wedding will provide.

What to include:

• Transportation services available
• Pick-up and/or drop-off times and locations

Reception Cards

It’s common for couples to say their “I do’s” in one location and have their first dance at a different venue. If that’s the case for you, use this enclosure card to let people know how to get from point A to point B and where to park.

What to include:

• Reception name and address
• Directions from the venue to the reception
• Any specific parking notes at the reception location

Itinerary Cards

For some couples, their wedding is just one day. For others, it’s a week-long affair of shared meals, ceremonies, and time spent with loved ones. An itinerary card can help inform your guests the schedule of events so they can prepare accordingly.

What to include:

• Dates, times, and locations of all scheduled events
• Recommended dress
• Whether or not an RSVP is necessary

Inclement Weather Cards

If you’ve booked an outdoor venue for your wedding day, your guests will thank you for giving them a head’s up about what to expect in terms of climate and proper attire.

What to include:

• Suggested attire for change in weather
• Attire that will be provided in case of inclement weather
• Details regarding possible venue changes

Details Cards

This might be the enclosure card option for you if you’d rather provide your guests with the CliffsNotes of wedding specifics. For a quick rundown on directions, accommodations, or attire, slip a details card in with the invitation in anticipation of common guest inquiries.

What to include:

• Recommended dress code
• Reception location
• Primary accommodation location
• A link to your wedding website

Wedding Website Cards

You don’t want to overstuff your invitation envelopes, so you keep things simple with a wedding website enclosure card. This insert should provide a link to—you guessed it!—your wedding website, as well as the information your guests can expect to find there.

What to include:

• Wedding website URL
• List of FAQs to be answered on the website

RSVP Cards

Do yourselves a giant favor, and include a RSVP card. Last minute RSVP’s happen, but RSVP cards can help cut down on late responses and help you keep track of the guest count.

What to include:

• Options to accept or decline
• A space to specify the number of guests in their party
• A date by which to RSVP
• Entree choices and specific food requests/allergies

Sign, Seal, and Deliver Gorgeous Enclosure Cards with Zola

Now that you have above-average knowledge of all things enclosure cards, you can go confidently in the direction of your wedding dreams.

Save this article and come back to it whenever you decide which ones will be must-haves for your event.

Ready to start your enclosure cards? Zola makes enclosure cards as simple as saying “I do.”

By offering exceptional paper suite collections, the wedding experts at Zola take the design guesswork out of the equation. We help you pair fonts, colors, and graphics and put them together into one bundle that’s jam-packed with information and is easy on the eyes.

To those of you who prefer a more hands-on approach: No need to worry. From silhouettes to color shades, the world of customization is at your fingertips. Whether you start with a base design and add your own personal touches, or opt for an entirely DIY situation, you’ll end up with an enclosure card that is totally you (without having to spend your weekends learning Photoshop through YouTube tutorials—who has time for that level of DIY?).

Check out our Wedding Invitation Wording and Etiquette Guide, first, or shop Zola’s collection of enclosure cards.