Wedding Invitiations

Your wedding invitation is the first impression guests have of your wedding. As with other aspect of your wedding it should be an extension of the bride and groom’s personality. Your wedding invitation will also express the style of event you are planning.


STYLE
Traditionally, formal wedding invitations were printed on ivory or white paper depending on the color of your dress. They were engraved with black or dark-gray ink. While this is still a popular choice for invitations, wedding invitations now come in a variety of styles, colors, shapes and sizes. You will find one just right for your event and budget.




There are a variety of papers that invitations could be printed on, this includes recycled paper, paper with embedded flowers, paper that is made to look old, colored paper. For a more personal touch you can add a photograph to your invitations. Regardless of the level of formality, style or budget your options are endless.
When choosing an invitation your location becomes a big influence in your the style of invitation you will have.




There are many professional suppliers available to help you make your choice. You can obtain many free brochures from these suppliers. Many suppliers will also allow you to order samples for free or for a nominal fee. You can also decide whether you will do the invitations yourself. You will also need to do your research for this option to find the right paper, invitation software, and other supplies that you will need.

ORDERING
The number of invitations that you order does not directly correlate with the number of guests. If you will have 100 guests at your wedding, you need to consider how many of your guests are couples in the same household, in which case you will only need one invitation. Children under 16 can be included on the invitation with their parents. Anyone over the age of 16 should receive an individual invitation. For 100 guests you will probably only need 60 – 75 invitations. Once determining the exact number of invitations needed add on about ten to fifteen extras to cover any extra people you may have forgotten or mistakes made on the envelopes. You should also keep at least one invitation as a memento. Do not forget to send invitations to your parents and wedding party.

There are a number of enclosures to consider when ordering your invitations.

RESPONSE CARD:

This card allows your guests to inform you if they will be attending your event and how many people they will be bringing with them. Response cards should be sent out accompanied by an addressed, pre-stamped envelope to encourage your guests to send it back. Please do not forget the stamps, during the course of our hectic days we may not have the time to run out and get to the post office. You do not want this to be the reason that a card is not returned or returned late. These cards are also directed by the formality of your invitations, so they can be blank cards with your own handwritten message on them or they can be printed with your wording. R.S.V.P. deadlines, which should be no later than two weeks before the special day, or whenever your caterer needs a final count. Some options allow the guests to select the meal they will be having at your affair. Calls to your invitees who have not responded should be made two weeks prior to your event. This gives you time to figure out exactly how many people will be in attendance. It will also be very helpful for your seating plan.





RECEPTION CARDS:

When the ceremony and the reception will be held at different locations you will need a receptions card. This card has the name of the reception location and address. Driving directions are provided on a separated Map/Direction. If your ceremony and reception will be held at the same location, this information can be provided on the invitation. Your wording can be as such, This is one of the money saving tips you need to avoid unnecessary spending. Wording could be as follows, “Reception immediately following”, or “Dinner and Dancing immediately following” to inform your guests that the reception will be held in the same location as the ceremony. However, when the ceremony and reception are held in different locations are invited to both the ceremony and reception and it is at the same location. Reception cards should be on the same paper and type style as the invitation.


MAP/DIRECTION CARD:

To ensure that no one gets lost or arrives late to your event enclose Map/Direction Cards. Your reception site will usually have these available for you as part of your package with them. You can choose to send the Map/Direction Card provided by the hall to your printer and have the card printed on the same type of paper. Printing maps on the same paper is not necessary, it is only necessary that a map card is provided. If you choose to draw your map by hand, make sure that street names are clearly written and clear map drawings. An alternative to sending the directions cards with the invitations, is to send it upon receiving their response card indicating that they are planning on attending your event.



ACCOMODATION CARDS:

Accommodation cards can be sent to your out of town guests listing hotels or places to rent in the area you are having your wedding. Include phone numbers and any information they will need to know to schedule a place to stay. Let them know if you have blocked out rooms at this locations and what the deadline will be for booking at the reserved rate.


LETTERING
There are a couple of lettering options. For more formal invitations you may want to have the Engraving option. This is the most expensive option, this would be an ideal option for weddings with large budgets. The engraving option produces textured raised letters in black or gray ink. Thermography is a less expensive and a popular alternative to engraving that provides almost the same look. Calligraphy is also and option that can be used for a smaller wedding. Keep in mind that if you will be hiring someone for this service they are charging per invitation. Calligraphy can be computerized or done by hand. If you want to use colored ink and/or highly textured paper then you will need to use offset printing.
Traditionally, wedding etiquette dictates that you must write out the addresses for all your invitations by hand so be sure to order extra envelopes for the inevitable mistakes. If you wish you can hire a calligrapher to do this. I have also seen a less time consuming option done on clear labels, printed with a fancy font.
The professional stationery supplier that you choose should provide you with a wide selection of styles, colors, and lettering options to fit in with your budget.

WORDING

Wording can become complicated; however a good supplier will have advice on wording and offer various wording options on their site to direct you. Personalization continues to be a growing theme in weddings today, brides and grooms can choose more creative and personal wording that the traditional formal wordings.
Most wedding invitations include the names of the hosts, which may be your parents, yourselves or both, your own names, and the date, time and location, and reception. You should also add RSVP cards and details.
Bride's Parents Inviting Verse 1

With joyful hearts
we ask you to be present
at the ceremony uniting
BRIDE
and
GROOM
on DAY
YEAR
at TIME
LOCATION
ADDRESS
CITY, STATE

BRIDE'S PARENTS


THANK YOU CARDS
As soon as you start receiving gifts you need to start writing your thank you notes. You may want to order thank you cards along with your wedding stationery so that they match your wedding invitation. Thank you notes should specifically mention the gift, and how the bride and groom intend to use it. Thank you notes can be brief, but should be very personal. You should try to finish them no later than three weeks after the wedding. Everyone who gives you a gift should receive a thank you note. If you are working with a photographer who will provide your thank you cards, try to arrange receiving the thank you cards before anything else so that you can get them out in the mail.




THE MAILING
Before mailing invitations you must proofread very carefully. Check and double-check the wording of all your wedding stationery. Have a friend check them over for you also. To ensure your guests receive their invitations, take your invitation to the post office to be weighed so that you can ensure you have the proper postage.
Invitations should be mailed four to six weeks before the event. Invitations being mailed overseas should be mailed eight weeks in advance.
Remember your invitations do not have to cost a fortune to look gorgeous and delight your guests.

SAVE THE DATE CARDS
All you need is a professional supplier and printer who has the knowledge and experience to help you choose stationery that fits in with the level of formality, style and theme of the wedding of your dreams. If you are having a destination wedding, have several out of town guests or planning your wedding during a holiday weekend, you should consider a Save the Date card. It will give your guests advance notice of your upcoming nuptials and allow for time to request vacation from their jobs and plan financially to travel. A Save the Date card should not to be confused with the actual wedding invitation, they are not to be sent in lieu of an invitation.

There are a host of different options for you save the dates.



 Save The Date Cards
 Save The Dates at The Invitation Depot
 Wedding-Needs.com
 WeddingInvitationsSite.com

Save the date cards are usually mailed out three to five months before the actual wedding date. But, some couples have been known to send them out as soon as they have confirmed their wedding date.


Wedding save the date cards can be anything from formal to casual and could even be whimsical.



Whatever direction you choose , be inspired.

Kathy
aleximani events