It’s a sign that we are getting older when we start receiving #wedding invitations. We have had the formal ones, the casual ones, the dramatic ones, the perfectly styled hipster ones, and sometimes even funny ones. The wedding invitation is the official announcement of your big day and it’s the first time you get to unveil your wedding day style and maybe even colours. It’s the visual representation of the type of event your guests will be attending. This makes them one of the most important parts of wedding planning, but also one of the most stressful. With so many details to include and decisions to be made, you might find yourself procrastinating the whole process. However, with simple steps and careful organization, you can make the process more enjoyable! To make things easier for you I have compiled some of the most important Do’s and Don’ts of Wedding Invitations.
DO Â –Â Allow Plenty of Time for Invitations
Give yourself a lot of time to organize, assemble and gather correct guest addresses. The best time to send out your wedding invitations is generally around 2-3 months before the day, and the best time to actually announce your wedding with Save the Date cards is 4-6 months in advance. If you’re planning a destination wedding you might want to give more notice as your guests may have to save, plan their holiday time from work etc. The more notice, the more likely your guests will be able to attend.
DO –Â Decide on a Budget for Invitations
Talk with your fiancé and decide how much you want to spend on wedding stationery. There is a wide range of options available, whether is hiring yourself a professional stationer to create a custom design, ordering from a reputable shop, hiring a graphic designer or even creating your own DIY wedding stationery.
DO – Proofread your invitations
Proofread like a professional and be consistent with the style. If your wedding is more formal, write out all of the numbers, (ex. Friday, the sixteenth of August, two thousand and fifteen at two o’clock in the afternoon). This style will add a sense of elegance and will set the mood for a formal affair. If you want to set a more casual tone, you can be a little more carefree with the writing style so it matches your personality as a couple.
DO –Â Consider the Mood
Consider the colour palette, theme and mood of your wedding and try to reflect that in your invitations. This will also give your guests an idea of the formality or casual nature of your wedding and help them choose appropriate attire. For example, if it’s Gatsby-themed, they’ll probably assume that it will be more formal. And if it’s rustic and country-inspired, they’ll know that they can dress down a bit more.
DON’T – Ask for Gifts on invitations
Never include registry information or ask for cash-only gifts on your invitation. If you really want to let your guests know, include a discrete note (in the style of your invitations stet) about your registry, or you can use a service like Tendr for cash gifts. Â If your guests really want to get you something special, they will reach out to your parents or wedding party.
DON’T – Send More Invites Than Necessary
For larger families or groups of people with children under eighteen, don’t send invitations to each individual family member. And if the invitation is going to a couple, one piece will do.
DON’T – Clutter it with Information
Try to keep the amount of text on your wedding invitations to a minimum and avoid printing information on the back. Text should only be on the front of the card so most professionals suggest that couple include enclosure cards with additional vital information like directions and accommodations to keep the invitations neat and tidy.
DON’T – Buy Postage Until Weighed
To avoid losing money, wait to purchase postage until you weigh the final packages of the invitations. The way Australia post is, you may just find yourself wasting money on postage you can’t use, or you end up with a mess of stamps on the front of your envelope. Its best to wait and then take the lot to the post office and talk to the staff.
DO – Say Thank You
Send personalized thank-you cards about three months after the wedding. If guests bought you a gift, you should specify what it was in the note and sincerely thank them for the gesture. And to make them extra special, match the design with your wedding invitations.
DON’T – Forget to Follow Your Heart
Last but not least, don’t feel pressured to invite everyone you know to your wedding. If you haven’t had a significant conversation with a certain person within the year, professionals agree that it’s OK to give that invitation to someone else. While there are some exceptions to this rule, the overall goal is to use your heart when deciding who should share your special day with you instead of people who you feel obligated to invite.
