Boarding Pass Wedding Invitation Template: Free Download Files

So You Want Boarding Pass Wedding Invitations

Okay so boarding pass invitations are having a MAJOR moment right now and honestly they’re perfect if you’re doing a destination wedding or just love to travel. I had this couple back in spring 2023 who were getting married in Portugal and they wanted their invites to look exactly like actual boarding passes and let me tell you, the amount of times I had to explain that no, TSA will not accept these as real boarding passes was… a lot.

The thing about boarding pass templates is they’re surprisingly easy to customize once you have the right files. You can find free downloads all over the place but you gotta know what to look for and how to actually USE them without losing your mind.

Where to Actually Find Free Templates

Alright so here’s where I usually send people. Canva has a bunch of free boarding pass templates that are already set up with the right dimensions. You just need a free account and you can edit everything right in your browser. No special software needed which is honestly such a relief because not everyone has Adobe Creative Suite sitting around.

Etsy also has tons of free templates but here’s what annoys me SO much about Etsy listings – they’ll say “free” but then you download it and it’s like a low-res preview file and the actual editable version costs $15. So frustrating. Read the descriptions carefully before you get excited.

Template.net and Greetings Island both have legitimate free options too. Microsoft Word templates exist but they’re kinda basic and harder to make look authentic.

What File Format You Actually Need

This is where people get confused. You want editable files, not just JPGs. Look for:

• PDF files that are editable (not all PDFs can be edited, some are just flat images)
• DOCX or DOC files if you’re comfortable with Word
• PNG files with transparent backgrounds if you’re gonna layer them
• PSD files if you have Photoshop skills
• Canva links that let you duplicate and edit the template

The best free templates I’ve found are usually Canva-based because you can edit text, colors, fonts, everything without downloading software. Plus they have this thing where you can resize the whole design if you realize you need a different dimension.

Setting Up Your Information

Okay so a boarding pass invitation needs specific info to look legit. Here’s what you should include and I’m gonna be real with you, the layout matters more than you think:

Passenger Names: This is obviously the guest names. Some couples do “Mr. John Smith” in the passenger field, others do the couple’s names like “The Smiths” or whatever. I personally think putting the guest name makes it feel more personalized but you do you.

Flight Number: Get creative here. I had a couple use their wedding date as the flight number like “Flight 061524” for June 15, 2024. Another couple used their initials and years they met, like “Flight AJ2019.” It’s a cute detail that people actually notice.

Departure and Arrival Cities: This should represent the journey. If it’s a destination wedding, maybe “Departing: Your City” and “Arriving: Cabo San Lucas” or wherever. For local weddings, you can get metaphorical with it – “Departing: Single Life” and “Arriving: Married Bliss” but honestly that might be too cheesy depending on your vibe.

Date and Time: Obviously your wedding date and time. Use the 24-hour format if you want it to look more authentic, like “1600” instead of “4:00 PM”

Gate and Seat: You can use the gate number for the venue name or leave it as the actual ceremony location. Seat numbers can be literal if you have assigned seating, or just decorative.

Boarding Time: I usually tell couples to put a time that’s 30 minutes before the ceremony starts, just like real flights where you board before departure.

The Barcode Situation

So here’s something nobody tells you – you can generate fake barcodes online for free. There are barcode generator websites where you can input text (like the couple’s names or wedding date) and it creates an actual scannable barcode. It won’t do anything when scanned except show that text, but it looks SO real and adds authenticity.

Some templates come with barcode graphics already but they’re usually just images. If you want to go the extra mile, generate your own. It takes like two minutes.

Customizing the Design

Most free templates are gonna be pretty basic looking. Here’s how to make them look less generic without spending money:

Change the color scheme to match your wedding colors. Real boarding passes are usually blue, red, or that weird airline-specific color, but yours can be blush pink and gold if that’s your thing. Just keep it readable – don’t put light text on light backgrounds or I will personally haunt you.

Add your own graphics or photos. A lot of templates have space for a small engagement photo or a little icon. Canva has thousands of free graphics you can search. I’m obsessed with their tropical leaf graphics for beach weddings.

Switch out the fonts but here’s my professional advice – don’t use more than two fonts total. One for headers and one for body text. Using six different fonts makes it look like a ransom note, not a wedding invitation.

Background patterns or textures can add dimension. A subtle paper texture or a faint destination map in the background looks really sophisticated.

Printing Considerations

Okay this is where I see people mess up constantly. You’ve designed this gorgeous boarding pass on your computer and then you print it at home on regular printer paper and it looks… sad.

Cardstock is your friend. Go to any office supply store and get cardstock in whatever color you want. 80lb or 100lb weight feels substantial without being too thick to mail. I usually recommend white or cream but I’ve seen people do kraft paper cardstock for a rustic vibe.

Print settings matter SO much. Make sure you’re printing at the highest quality setting your printer has. And for the love of everything, do a test print first on regular paper to check alignment and colors. Colors look different on screen versus printed and it’s gonna be slightly different every time depending on your printer.

If you don’t have a good printer at home – and honestly most home printers are kinda terrible for this – you can upload your file to FedEx Office, Staples, or even Costco if you’re a member. They’ll print on cardstock for like 50 cents per sheet usually. Way better quality than home printing.

Perforation Lines

Real boarding passes have that perforated tear-off section, right? You can fake this effect by adding a dashed line in your design where the perforation would be. Some people actually use a perforation tool (they exist! who knew!) to create real tear-off sections but that’s extra and probably unnecessary unless you’re really committed to the bit.

I had a bride in summer 2021 who wanted actual perforated invites and she ordered a special rotary cutter thing online. It worked but took forever and she ended up with blisters on her hands. Maybe not worth it.

Adding the Actual Wedding Details

So the boarding pass is cute and thematic but you also need to include, like, actual information about your wedding. Some people put everything on the boarding pass itself but it gets crowded. Here’s what I usually recommend:

The boarding pass is the main invitation with the essential info – date, time, location, couple’s names. Then you attach or include a separate details card with:

• Full venue address and directions
• Hotel room blocks if you have them
• Wedding website URL
• Dress code
• RSVP information
• Registry details if you’re including that

You can design the details card to look like a luggage tag or a passport stamp or just a regular card. Whatever flows with your theme.

The Envelope Situation

Standard boarding pass size is usually around 3.5″ x 8.5″ which is a weird size for envelopes. You can find #10 business envelopes which are 4.125″ x 9.5″ and they work perfectly. Or you can go with an A7 envelope (5.25″ x 7.25″) if you’re folding the boarding pass in half.

Some people get creative and mail them in those clear plastic sleeves that look like the ones flight attendants hand out, but honestly that’s extra and might cost more in postage. Speaking of postage…

Mailing These Things

Anything over 1oz is gonna cost extra postage. If you’re including the boarding pass plus a details card plus an RSVP card and envelope, you might be over the standard letter rate. Take a fully assembled invitation to the post office and have them weigh it before you buy stamps. Nothing worse than getting a bunch of invites returned for insufficient postage.

Also those fancy colored envelopes or weird sizes sometimes require hand-canceling which means extra fees. Ask about it when you’re at the post office so you’re not surprised.

Digital Versions

Honestly in 2024 or whenever you’re reading this, you might wanna consider digital boarding pass invitations too. You can design them the same way but save as a PDF or high-res image and email them or text them. Some couples do both – digital save-the-dates and printed formal invitations.

For digital versions, you can even make them interactive. Like the RSVP section could be a clickable link to your wedding website. There are platforms like Greenvelope or Paperless Post that let you upload custom designs and track opens and RSVPs.

My cat just knocked over my coffee while I’m writing this and I’m choosing to ignore it and keep going…

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don’t make the text too small. I know you wanna fit everything on there but if people need a magnifying glass to read your venue address, that’s a problem. 10pt font minimum for important information.

Proofread everything like your life depends on it. Then have someone else proofread it. Then proofread it again. I cannot tell you how many times couples have printed 150 invitations before realizing they misspelled their venue name or put the wrong time. It happens more than you’d think.

Don’t forget the year. Sounds obvious but when you’re typing the date you might write “June 15th” and forget “2025” or whatever year it is. Future guests might be confused.

Make sure all your information matches across all the pieces – the boarding pass, the details card, your wedding website, everything. Inconsistent information is how you end up with guests showing up at the wrong time or place.

Free Resources You Should Know About

Canva’s free account gives you access to tons of fonts, graphics, and templates. The pro version has more options but you absolutely don’t need it for this project.

Google Fonts has thousands of free fonts you can download if you’re working in Word or Photoshop. Just make sure you’re allowed to use them for print projects – most are but check the license.

Unsplash and Pexels have free photos if you want to add a background image of your destination or whatever.

DaFont has free fonts too but some of them are only free for personal use, not commercial, so read the licensing. Wedding invitations for your own wedding count as personal use though so you’re good.

Timeline for DIY Invitations

Give yourself more time than you think you need. Designing might take a few hours if you’re picky like me (and you should be, these are your wedding invitations). Printing could take a few days depending on where you’re getting it done. Assembly and addressing envelopes is time-consuming – budget like 2-3 hours for 100 invitations maybe?

Send invitations 6-8 weeks before the wedding, or 3 months ahead if it’s a destination wedding where people need to book travel.

Order or print a few extra invitations. You’ll want some for keepsakes, some inevitably get lost in the mail, and you might forget someone (it happens).

The RSVP System

You can include a separate RSVP card that also looks like a boarding pass or luggage tag, or you can just direct people to your wedding website. Honestly online RSVPs are so much easier to track and you don’t have to deal with people who forget to include a stamp or write illegibly.

If you do physical RSVP cards, include a pre-stamped, pre-addressed envelope. Don’t make your guests hunt for stamps. That’s just… no.

Set your RSVP deadline for at least 3-4 weeks before the wedding so you have time to chase down the people who inevitably don’t respond. There are always stragglers and it’s annoying but it’s gonna happen.

Making It Feel Premium

Even with free templates, you can make these look expensive. Here’s how:

Use quality paper. Seriously, the paper stock makes such a difference.

Add a belly band or ribbon. You can get ribbon at any craft store for cheap and wrapping it around the invitation suite looks fancy.

Wax seals on the envelope are having a moment and you can get sealing wax and a stamp on Amazon for like $20. It’s a whole thing but it looks gorgeous.

Liner envelopes with a fun pattern. You can buy pre-made liners or make your own with decorative paper and a template.

Hand-lettering the envelopes instead of printing labels. Or if your handwriting is terrible like mine, hire a calligrapher just for the envelopes. It’s usually cheaper than you’d think.

The details matter more than the price tag, honestly. I’ve seen $10-per-invitation suites that looked cheap and DIY invitations that looked like they cost a fortune. It’s all in the execution and the paper quality and whether you took your time or rushed through it.

One more thing – keep a master file of your design backed up in multiple places. Cloud storage, email it to yourself, save it on a USB drive, whatever. Losing your file after you’ve spent hours on it is a nightmare you don’t wanna experience. Trust me on this one, I’ve seen it happen and the panic is real.