Elegant and Eco-Friendly: How to Send Luxury Invites Without the Waste
Let’s be honest — we all want beautiful, high-end wedding invitations. They set the tone for your wedding, after all! The moment I receive an invitation in the mail, I immediately form an impression of how amazing the wedding will be based on the beauty and quality of the invitations.
However, do we have to be wasteful and harmful to the environment in order to get luxury wedding invitations? Absolutely not. It is entirely possible to create elegant wedding invitations while also being environmentally friendly. Below, I've outlined the four main things to consider when searching for sustainable wedding invitations.
The Audrey suite, printed on plantable seeded paper.
#1: Select Items That Serve a Purpose
Beautiful, yet functional.
As you browse through my website, you'll notice that most of my designs are very minimal. I do this because I adore the minimal aesthetic, but also because it's sustainable. For me, minimal means purposeful.
I don't include embellishments or unnecessary add-ons just for the sake of it; I only offer options that have functionality. Below, you'll find examples of items that you can order to enhance your invitation suite, while still serving a purpose and being meaningful.
VINTAGE STAMPS. You have to put postage stamps on your envelopes regardless, so why not use vintage stamps that not only look amazing but also tell a personal story? They serve a purpose and elevate the experience.
BELLY BANDS. When I was going through design school, I initially thought I’d go into packaging design. I can’t stress how important I think it is to bundle your items together nicely. Belly bands serve this purpose perfectly. And as a bonus, they help balance out colors, and can even include your monogram or names and wedding date.
Side note: Wax seals are unfortunately not recyclable, but if you are just dying to use wax seals, using them as belly bands is such a great choice because at least they’re serving a purpose by holding the items in your suite together
GUEST ADDRESS PRINTING. You will have to address your envelopes anyway, so why not have your stationer do it? This way, the fonts all tie together and look amazing. The more cohesive your invitation suite can be, the more elevated it will feel.
Our paper-wrapped belly bands are fantastic for sustainability and elevated invitations.
#2: Use 100% Recyclable Materials
It’s important to be conscious about what materials you use for your invitations.
Paper, of course, is the obvious choice here. However, it's worth noting that most of the recycling in the US still ends up in landfills. This is a seriously depressing and unfortunate reality, but because of this, I always try to upcycle as much as possible. Below are a few ways that you can take sustainability a step further with your materials.
SEEDED PAPER. Rather than tossing your invitations in the recycling bin, why not have your guests plant them?! How cool is it to not only create less waste but also grow something beautiful and new at the same time? With my seeded handmade paper, you can watch wildflowers such as poppies, sweet alyssum, spurred snapdragon, and black-eyed susans grow from your wedding invitations. I could go on and on about how special I think this is!
RECYCLED ENVELOPES. You can also ask your stationer if they can use 100% recycled paper envelopes. This will limit your color options, but it is doable! I am currently working on adding a few options for envelopes made from 100% recycled paper by 2025. Stay tuned for updates, or feel free to reach out to me if you are interested in this option.
AVOID RIBBONS. I often get asked if I can do ribbon/silk wax seals, but it's not something I offer. The reason is simple—most ribbon is essentially plastic and will end up in a landfill. Textiles are a significant contributor to landfills (don’t get me started on the issue of fast fashion). So instead of ribbon, consider a responsible option such as paper raffia or a paper belly band. It's a small change that can make a big difference.
~ A quick note on printing methods: Getting foil or letterpress printing does not affect the recyclability or composting process!
The Eden Suite, featuring an RSVP Online card and vintage stamps.
#3: Keep It Simple
Send guests to your website for more information.
So often, I see people try to cram every single detail into the invitation suite. Consider removing some unnecessary information/items and directing people to your website instead. The invitations should deliver the hard facts and set the tone for your wedding—let the website do the rest! Below are some examples of this.
RSVP ONLINE CARDS. I added these to my website a few years ago and have been so happy to see how popular they are. You can get high end, letterpress printed RSVP online cards and remove the RSVP envelopes (and postage). This saves on materials and is more economical too! Plus, you can get way more details about food allergies and meal options on your website.
DETAILS CARDS. You can also forgo the RSVP cards/envelopes entirely and just get details cards. Deliver information about the reception and attire, and then send guests to your website for more information.
AVOID COMPLEX PRINT METHODS. Getting die-cut shapes is pretty wasteful because they create a lot of scrap paper. And while letterpress and foil don’t affect the recycling process, they do still use materials (dies and inks) that add up. There is a massive trend with wedding invitations right now where people get letterpress, foil, die-cutting, 3D embossing, all on ONE invitation. Consider if these are all really necessary or if you can minimize your printing processes.
MAPS: If you want a custom map illustration done, consider putting it on your website rather than its own card in the invitation suite. If you really want to put it in your invitations, you could print it on envelope liners so it’s multi-functional!
The Willow Suite, printed on seeded handmade paper.
#4: Go Semi-Custom
Create less waste with semi-custom invitations
Finally, another way to enhance sustainability is by opting for semi-custom invitations. How does this contribute to sustainability? Well, specific items like my pre-designed emboss options or wax seals are already made, and I can reuse them multiple times without needing to order new dies or materials.
A blind deboss, shown here, is a semi-custom option that uses no extra materials, inks, or dies.
Final Thoughts
If you can’t tell by now, I’m super passionate about this subject. And I’m so grateful for you, for considering sustainability for your wedding invitations.
If you are interested in ordering invitations, check out my “how to order” page for the next steps. And because I love you for following along and caring about the planet, use the code “55AV38C” for $50 off your invitations order!