Black Envelopes

When you see black envelopes in the stationery store, what springs to mind? Usually, one thinks of a mafia death threat or a funeral announcement. A black envelope certainly looks dramatic, and it has a different look and air from an envelope in another color. For example, a red envelope would probably be more suitable for a Valentine’s card as it suggests heart, emotion, and passion. A plain white envelope is fine for business letters, while a cream envelope usually suggests a wedding invitation. These are all very common purposes, and envelopes in red, white, and cream are all easily available.

Mafia death threats, on the other hand, are not your usual fare. And funerals are hardly an occasion for printed invitations in envelopes. So why are black envelopes so freely available in the stores and on line? Who is using them and why?

Sometimes, when we want to make a splash with something very dramatic and special, we have to think out of the box. That means using different colors and styles than expected. For this reason, more and more people are using black envelopes for – wedding invitations! At first glance, this seems very strange, and it may raise the question of what this couple’s attitude to marriage is. Do they equate marriage with being “the end,” something rather black and funereal? We would hope not!

In actual fact, black envelopes have started to become quite a trend when it comes to wedding invitations because they are dark and dramatic. A black envelope addressed in striking silver pen jumps out of the mailbox at you. The message that it is John and Mary’s wedding makes a deeper impression on you because the contrast between the envelope and the pen is so strong.

Of course, you may not only want to use black envelopes for wedding invitations. You could use them to send any kind of strong message that you want. If you want to complain to your bank manager, make your point stronger by writing the letter on bright white paper and putting it inside a black envelope. You are not sending it as a threat. The contrasting colors are sending the message, “Notice me. I have something to say, and my voice needs to be heard.”

Do you want to send a love letter to someone you care about? Don’t use a red envelope, as that could come across as too passionate at this point in your relationship. Instead, find a piece of scented paper in a pastel shade and write the message that you want to give. Put it inside a black envelope and address it in either gold or silver pen. Again, you are saying, “I’m here. I care about you. You are special to me.”

Of course, the envelope is merely the outer exterior of your message and is secondary to the message. Therefore black envelopes are really only incidental to the plot. They might make the initial dramatic statement, but what is within is what really counts.