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Updated Oct 14, 2024How to Word Your Wedding Details Card for Every Occasion (Plus Examples!)
Let your guests know what to wear and where they'll dance the night away.
Picture this: You open up a beautifully designed wedding invitation with a calligraphed envelope and sparkling liner, and a slew of additional cards fall out. In addition to the expected wedding reply card, there is an additional piece of paper, or enclosure card, telling you what to wear, where to stay, if there are additional wedding events throughout the weekend and directing you to the couple's wedding website. If you had any questions about the wedding at all, they've now been answered either directly on the card or in the wedding website FAQ section.
When it comes time to turn to your own wedding planning, the pressure to nail the wedding details card wording is on. How many separate cards do you need? Which additional information is most important for guests? What is the proper invitation etiquette for a traditional wedding stationery suite? Can you just include it all on a wedding website?
We're spilling the tea on everything experts recommend and sharing ideas based on our favorite enclosure card samples available from The Knot Invitations. And, yes, this is separate from an RSVP card, which is used to get an accurate headcount on wedding RSVPs.
In this article:
What Do You Put on a Wedding Details Card?
A wedding invitation usually tells you the who, when and where of the wedding ceremony, but your wedding weekend may involve so much more! From destination weddings that require guests to travel to weekend-long affairs with rehearsal dinners, parties and brunches, you have details on details to convey to your guests.
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Your wedding website will round up most, if not all, of this information in one place, but an enclosure card is a wonderful place to add another designed or branded element (and when you create your wedding website on The Knot, you can choose matching invitation designs on The Knot Invitations). Providing a hard copy information card makes life easier for guests who aren't as internet-savvy.
"Wedding detail cards can cover a range of information," explains Lindsey Nickel, wedding planner at Lovely Day Events. "Pick carefully so that guests will actually read the cards and be able to follow everything. Be sure to include a link to your wedding website where you can elaborate on the wedding details."
While you may choose to include multiple insert cards within your wedding invitation suite (like an accommodations card or reception card) below are the commonly seen details on an enclosure card.
Design: Falak Khoja
Accommodations
For events where many of the wedding guests will travel from out of town, it's helpful to include information such as the wedding block and hotel room booking details, recommended hotels, transportation or anything significant about the area of town where they'll be staying. If you're hosting a destination wedding, this travel information may have already been provided on the save-the-date, but it doesn't hurt to share it again.
Chrissy Wolfman of Plan to Be Wowed adds, "For the hotel block, include the deadline of when to make reservations but give it a buffer. Guests always request rooms well after the block deadline."
Directions
This could look like simple directions from the airport to the hotel block or any pertinent information needed for parking at the wedding venue on your special day. However, if you're feeling extra, we love to see an additional insert with important locales called out on a charming watercolor map.
Reception Information
Traditionally, only the ceremony time and location are listed on your wedding invites. So, if your ceremony and wedding reception are hosted at different locations, then you may want to include additional information regarding reception details, including venue, transportation and parking. This is even more critical when a ceremony is at 1 p.m. in one location, and the reception begins at 5 p.m. in another (give your guests a suggestion of an in-between activity if you want bonus host points!).
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Attire
Whether your big day is black tie, cocktail, formal or garden party chic, it'll take the stress off guests to clearly spell out the dress code on the info card. If there are multiple events, it's helpful to include the suggested attire for each celebration.
Other Weekend Activities
From welcome drinks to farewell brunch, guests love any opportunity to raise a glass to the to-be-wed couple. Assuming all guests are invited to these wedding extracurriculars, include them on the wedding detail card. If there are multiple activities, it could be a good idea to list them on a separate itinerary card. Additionally, if headcount is important, then you could include a response card for these events. (Psst, check out RSVP card wording ideas here.)
Wedding Website
As noted previously, this information should also be easily available on your wedding website. Make it streamlined for guests by including the enclosure card, and then directing them to your wedding website. That way, they don't need to keep track of another piece of paper, and you can easily direct people to one place.
Registry Information
This one can be divisive, though some wedding experts will advise you to include a link to your registry. People will ask for it, so you might as well give the people what they want!
Wedding Details Card Wording Examples
With all this information on the line, how do you actually write all of it in a way that gets the important details across to your guests—but also keeps it concise? "Keep it short and sweet and straight to the point," suggests Rachel Behar, owner and leader planner at Rachel Behar Events. "Anything too wordy will most likely lose your guests' interest."
We have several templates you can follow to make the process of planning your wedding detail card wording as simple as possible.
The Knot Lush Greenery Enclosure Cards
A wedding block makes it easy for guests to find a convenient place to stay. If the hotel offers a discounted rate, that's an added bonus! Including a deadline, if necessary, is a good motivator for guests to book sooner rather than later.
The Knot Eucalyptus Frame Wedding Enclosure Cards
If you need to inform guests of a different reception locale, keep it simple! Invite loved ones to go straight from the ceremony to the reception on your wedding day, including the address and any helpful details.
The Knot Floral Arch Wedding Enclosure Cards
If you have an entire weekend of fun planned, but don't want to do a separate itinerary card, direct people to your website. Once there, they can pick and choose what to attend. Add RSVP functionality for a streamlined experience.
The Knot Classic Cascade Wedding Enclosure Cards
As mentioned, including a gift registry isn't something all couples feel comfortable with. However, if you decide to include it, keep it short. Name the shops you've registered with and end if there.
The Knot Minimal Accent Wedding Enclosure Cards
Sometimes, even more important than dress code, is letting guests know if there's a specific climate or landscape situation they should prepare for. A strapless dress and stilettos is great until the reception is (surprise!) outside on grass in January.
The Knot Etched Mountains Wedding Enclosure Cards
When you've got lots to say and minimal room to say it, direct guests to your wedding website. There, you can get creative and in-depth with details, activities and more. Plus, we love how this invite includes a lift ticket discount so guests can get the full location experience!
