These are the paper types that comprise my wedding invitations. From top:
(1) 100% recycled handmade paper by Green Field Paper Company, based in San Diego. I went to the warehouse (near Clairemont Mesa and the 805) to buy a stack of this paper, and I got to see their huge vats of pulp and old school paper press. They also make cards and stationery. A little pricey but it's unique and good for us.
This particular paper is embedded with wild flower seeds, so when you're done with the invitation, you can mash the paper into pulp with some water and plant it. It's a heavy, card-like paper with lovely texture.
(2) blue paper, possibly handmade, but printed with a Chinese-motif-like cloud design. From Blick Art supplies in Little Italy.
(3) Strathmore tracing paper, from a pad of 50 sheets. These will have text printed on them.
(4) 100% recycled paper envelope also from Green Field, no embedded seeds.
They're bound together by a raffia-like paper ribbon that will go through some holes at the top of the invite.
I considered buying invitations, and shopped around for recycled paper cards, but I wasn't very excited by the designs, and even for the cheapest of invitations, one winds up spending a small fortune (and those cheap invitations do look cheap). I figured, I'm a professional artist, I should design and make my own! And, I do like paper shopping.