Assembling Your Printed Invitations

At Action Invitations, we get many questions about the proper way to assemble your invitation order once it arrives.

Invitations, announcements, response cards and reception cards are typically shipped flat, and may require folding before you can begin to put together the various parts of an invitation set (or ensemble ) We provide guidance on how to fold your invitations before assembly.

We also offer tips to help avoid problems when assembling your invitations for mailing.

For the assembly process itself, we offer a simple list of steps to get you on your way quickly and easily.

For those who prefer seeing the process, we illustrate each step below, with instructions on the left and a photograph on the right, to walk you through the assembly process step by step.

Although invitation ensembles can come in many variations, we believe the information here will fit most situations comfortably. Along the way, we provide hints and tips. You can also get answers to specific question on our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page.

• Folding your printed invitations
• Tips before you start assembling
• Quick assembly list
• Illustrated assembly steps
• Back to top

Invitations, announcements, respond cards and reception cards are typically shipped flat, and require folding before you can begin to put together the various parts of an invitation set, or ensemble.

• Single fold cards (typically called "folders") should be folded along the score with the print facing the outside.
• Invitation folders, response folders and reception folders with a cover design must be folded so that the cover appears on the outside and the content appears on the inside.
• If your invitations contain a single fold and the wording is on the outside only, insertions are placed on top, in the order described and pictured below.
• If your invitations are multi-fold, or if your invitations have a design on the cover and the wording is on the inside of the fold, then enclosures are ordered as indicated below, and placed inside the top or left-hand fold, placed in the inner envelope, flipped over, and placed in the outer envelope.

• If possible, it is recommended to assemble all of your invitations in a single sitting, and to check off each guest as a full invitation ensemble is completed.

• It is strongly recommended that you put stamps on respond envelopes before beginning assembly.

• Response cards are often ambiguous regarding which information a guest should include. Some guests who respond may neglect to write in their names; or it is possible their handwriting is smudged or illegible. If you number the back of each response card inconspicuously, and associate each number with a number from your final guest list, you won't have any trouble interpreting the cards you receive back in the mail.

• Before assembly, ensure you have the same quantity for each part of the ensemble. Count out each piece, breaking each set into equal numbers. For example, if you have 100 invitations, slip a sheet of paper between each group of 25 (for each printed item). With your numbered invitation list handy, lay out each separated, counted pile on an empty table in the following order: invitations, tissue (optional), reception card, response envelope, response card, optional maps/direction cards, optional hotel information, inner envelope, outer envelope. As you continue to assemble sets, when you reach the paper separator for invitations, you should also reach the separator for reception cards, response cards, etc. Following this method, you will never assemble too many before discovering if you skipped a piece or included two of a single item in an ensemble. And don't forget to check off each name on the list as you complete the invitation!

After folding all items as appropriate, assemble as follows:

1. Lay the invitation face-up.
2. Optionally, lay a sheet of tissue paper over the invitation. (If placing enclosures inside, place the tissue over the printed area, and the enclosures on top.
3. Immediately on top of the invitation, place the reception card or folder. (This card does not include an envelope.)
4. Immediately on top of the reception card, place the envelope for the response card, with the flap facing up.
5. Place the response card on top of the reception card, print side up.Tuck the response card under the flap of its envelope.
6. If including additional enclosures, such as direction cards or hotel information, place them on top of the response card.
7. Take the assembled group of cards and slide them into the addressed but unstamped inner envelope, with the printing facing the flap of the inner envelope.
8. Flip the inner envelope over so that the flap is facing downwards, and the names of the invited guests faces up.
9. Insert the addressed inner envelope into the outer envelope with the names on the inner envelope facing the back of the outer envelope. When guests open the invitation (with the flap of the outer envelope facing them), their names on the inner envelope is the first thing they see.