How to Choose Wedding Invitations: A UK Guide to Style, Size, Paper and Finishing Touches

Your invitation is the first thing guests hold, months before they see a single flower. It tells them how formal the day will be, what to wear and what kind of celebration to expect. Choosing one is easier than it looks once you make the decisions in the right order, and that’s exactly what this guide walks you through.

Choose in this order

Most couples start by scrolling designs. It’s more fun, but it’s quicker to decide the practical things first and let them narrow the choice for you:

1. Count your households, not your guests. This sets your quantity and most of your budget (our stationery checklist shows how).
2. Let your venue and season lead. A barn in October and a beach in Greece call for very different invitations.
3. Pick two or three colours, taken from your flowers or bridesmaid dresses.
4. Choose a style that fits all of the above.
5. Decide the size and the extras: details card, RSVP, ribbon, vellum, wax seal.
6. Order a sample to check the card, colours and print in person.
7. Check your proof line by line before anything is printed.

Match the style to your venue and season

The quickest way to a design you’ll still love in ten years is to let it echo where you’re getting married. Here’s how popular wedding invitation styles pair with UK venues:

Choosing your colour scheme

Two or three colours is plenty: one main colour, one soft neutral and perhaps an accent. Take them from things you’ve already chosen, like your flowers, bridesmaid dresses or the venue itself, so the whole day ties together without trying too hard.

Don’t forget the envelope. It’s the very first thing guests see, and a coloured envelope is the simplest way to add your accent colour. We offer twelve envelope colours, from white and ivory to blush, terracotta, fern and midnight.

What size should wedding invitations be?

The standard wedding invitation size in the UK is 5×7 inches (127 × 178 mm). It feels generous in the hand, fits a standard 5×7 envelope with the RSVP and details cards tucked in, and sits comfortably within Royal Mail’s Letter size. Here’s how the common sizes compare:

Is A5 too big for a wedding invitation? Not too big, but it’s a commitment. A5 needs a C5 envelope, which only just fits Royal Mail’s Letter size, and the bigger card leaves room for chunkier extras. Add inserts, ribbon or a wax seal and it’s likely to become a Large Letter, which costs more per guest. If you love the look, check the postage before you order.

In our suites, the invitation is 5×7, the details card is 120 mm square and the RSVP card is A7 (105 × 74 mm), so every piece is a different shape and the set looks layered when it’s opened.

Paper and card: what to look for

You can’t judge card on a screen, so it’s worth knowing what to ask. Weight is measured in gsm (grams per square metre): the higher the number, the thicker the card. Most wedding invitation card sits somewhere around 300–400 gsm, which feels substantial and won’t bend in the post. Anything much lighter can feel like a flyer.

Texture matters as much as weight. Textured or linen-effect card gives a soft, tactile finish that suits floral and classic designs, while smooth card shows off crisp lines and photographs. Most of our invitations are printed on textured card, and the best way to see the difference is a sample pack.

Finishing touches: ribbon, wax seals, vellum and foil

Finishing touches are what make an invitation feel handmade rather than printed. You don’t need all of them; one or two is usually perfect:

• Satin or silk ribbon ties the suite together and adds colour. Ribbon and a wax seal together is one of the most popular pairings, and for good reason.
• Wax seals add a little weight and ceremony when the envelope is opened. Choose a colour to match your envelope or ribbon.
• Vellum is a translucent paper wrapped around the invitation like a jacket, giving a soft, layered first look.
• Gold foil catches the light. It works best used sparingly, on a single motif or your names.

Ready-made design or bespoke?

A ready-made design, personalised with your names and details, is how most couples order. It’s quicker, costs less than fully bespoke stationery, and you can see exactly how it looks before you buy. It usually comes with matching save the dates and on-the-day pieces too, so everything coordinates.

Ready-made doesn’t mean you’re stuck with it as it is. With most of our designs we can change the fonts and background colour, tweak the flower colours on many of them, and lay out whatever wording you like. If you want something entirely new, get in touch and we’ll talk it through.

Printed or digital invitations?

Digital invitations are free to send, but they’re easy to miss in a busy inbox and nobody keeps them. Printed invitations get pinned to fridges, kept in memory boxes and photographed on the morning of the wedding. Many couples now do both: a printed invitation, with a wedding website or QR code for RSVPs and the finer details. You get the keepsake and the convenience.

How to check your proof

Before anything is printed, you’ll receive a digital proof (ours usually arrives within 7 days). This is your last chance to catch mistakes, so check each of these:

• Names: spelling, accents and the order you want them in.
• The date and the day: does 14th August 2027 really fall on a Saturday? (It does.)
• Times: ceremony start or guest arrival time, and that they match across every card.
• Venue: the full address and postcode, spelled the way the venue spells it.
• RSVP date: before your venue’s final-numbers deadline.
• Website, email or phone number: type them out and test them.
• Colours: envelope, ribbon and wax seal choices.
• Quantities: invitations per household, plus spares.

Still deciding what to say? Our wedding invitation wording examples cover everything from formal to relaxed, and our timeline guide shows when to order and send them. We can also print your guests’ names on the envelopes.

Mistakes to avoid

• Choosing a design before you know your household count and budget.
• Ordering A5 without checking the postage.
• Fitting everything onto the invitation. Use a details card or your website instead.
• Mixing styles across your save the dates, invitations and on-the-day stationery.
• Skipping the sample, then being surprised by the card or colours.
• Approving the proof in a hurry.

See it in person first

A sample pack is the most useful thing you can order while you’re choosing. You’ll feel the textured card, see the real colours and open the invitation just as your guests will. Standard sample packs are sent within 4 days.