Create Unique Wedding Programs
Your wedding programs help everyone see the schedule for either the ceremony or reception. Since most weddings are big events, having a program makes sure everyone knows where they need to be, and it keeps everything organized and professional as well. Design a wedding program thats flat or folded to include photos and all the details you like. Years down the line, your personalized wedding program will be a beautiful keepsake to remind you of all of the days events.
Image by Elle Kendall Photography.
After picking your dream venue, finalizing a wedding date, and deciding on a budget, its time for wedding invitations. And with only one chance to make a good first impression, youll want to make it count. Wedding invites are the first thing your guests see, and its their job to relay important info and get them excited for your big day.
With that in mind, choosing where to purchase your stationery suite can quickly become overwhelming. But with this round-up, you can say goodbye to that stressful shopping experience. Here are the top places to purchase wedding invitations online from the comfort of your couch.
Dont Include The Registry Information
While proper wedding invitation etiquette suggests that attire information is included for your guests, you will want to be sure not to include any information regarding your wedding registry.
When it comes to wedding registry information, you will want to include this information somewhere separate from the invite itself such as on a separate invitation. It is considered impolite to include the registry on your invitation as it may come off that you and your significant other are more focused on the gifts as opposed to your guestsâ presence.
That said, a link to a wedding website is a great option to include your wedding registry. On a wedding website, access to the registry list itself is much more convenient and easy-to-use. Further, your guests can find any and all of the information they need regarding your wedding all in one place.
When Do You Send Out Wedding Save The Dates
Save the dates are sent out earlier than wedding invitations to give guests advance notice about your wedding. We found that couples send out their save the dates an average of 10 months ahead of time. This is in keeping with the traditional advice from wedding professionals to send out save the dates 9-12 months in advance.
Heres a breakdown of when to send your save the date:
| Month of Wedding |
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When To Send Invitations For Pre
Weddings often feature a number of pre-wedding events, from bachelor and bachelorette parties to a rehearsal dinner and maybe a family brunch. Invitations for each event should be sent out at least one month prior, giving your guests enough time to prepare. If people are travelling for the wedding it can be a good idea to send out these invitations around the time of your main invites, or at least let guests know about them know by word of mouth, so they know how long they should plan to be in town for.
Is It Okay To Invite People To The Ceremony Or Reception Only
Holding a small, intimate ceremony followed by a larger reception is becoming increasingly popular among to-be-weds. Nowadays, it’s totally acceptable to keep your ceremony guest list small and invite additional guests to the reception only. Just make sure that your invitation wording is clear so that your loved ones know what to expect.
Inviting guests to the ceremony only is a much trickier situation. Standard etiquette dictates that everyone who attends the ceremony should be invited to the wedding reception. By inviting guests to the ceremony and not the reception, it could send the message that you don’t want to pay for their plate at your party or you don’t care enough to have them there to actually celebrate your newlywed status.
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Print Your Invitations On Your Home Printer
If you’d like to save money and make your wedding invitations yourself, you can print them on your own home printer. But before you do that, you need to know what to prepare for. Whether you will choose a color or black-and-white printer, you should know what to expect from each. To begin with, decide if you want to purchase a machine or use a home printer.
Paper should be thicker than standard copy or photo paper, as most wedding invitations are printed on this type of paper. Most printers can handle paper weights between 85lb and 130lb. If you want a different paper type, consider purchasing it from a print shop or specialty stationery store. Also, some printers have options for matte or glossy coatings, shimmery papers, or textured papers.
The next step is to check the color and quality of the paper before printing. Colors on screen will appear darker when printed, so make sure to choose the right card stock and paper. If you choose to print the invitations on your home printer, buy a sample sheet of paper or card stock to ensure that it will fit through the printer. Card stock over 80lb will not fit through your printer, so make sure to select the paper that is compatible with your machine. Ensure that the ink will take to the paper without bleeding.
Do You Have To Invite Someone Who Invited You To Their Wedding
There are lots of unwritten rules when it comes to the correct wedding etiquette for your invitations. When deciding on the guest list, it’s normal to be on the fence about some peopleparticularly if you were invited to their wedding but you no longer feel as close. Ultimately, you’re not compelled to reciprocate the invitation, but if they’re still a close friend you see or speak with regularly, or their wedding took place recently, it’s a nice gesture to make room for them on your guest list. If their wedding was a long time ago and the nature of your relationship has since changed, it’s perfectly okay not to invite them. Just be mindful of how they hear the newsif you’re still friends, it’s a good idea to politely let them know they aren’t invited to the wedding yourself.
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Guidelines For Destination Wedding Invitation Wording
Youve chosen the perfect wedding invitation design to capture the essence of your big day, but now youre faced with a new dilemma: What should it say?!
Your destination wedding invitation wording can be as different and unique as you want. Dont be afraid to send something that will really get your guests excited! Your wedding isnt traditional, so why should your invitations be?
Weve put together a few guidelines and examples of destination wedding invitation wording to get you started, along with some ideas for insert cards and RSVPs too! Feel free to use these verbatim, or jazz them up with your own personality to create something truly special.
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Make Sure They Are Addressed On The Envelopes
When sending wedding invitations, always make sure they are addressed correctly. If you are inviting the whole family, make sure you write their first and last names on the envelopes. Otherwise, you may end up with awkward situations. When sending wedding invitations, always make sure they are addressed to the family name. Otherwise, you may end up with a list of names but no names! If this happens, you can try to research the names of your guests so you can avoid any awkward situations.
For married couples, address the envelopes with their full names and the names of the children. Use the proper titles as well. Don’t forget to spell out the street name if it is a street. If you are sending wedding invitations to people who are not married, use the word “and.”
In a word, addressing wedding invitations can be time-consuming. You may want to enlist the help of family members with excellent handwriting to help you with this task. The return address is usually printed on the envelopes but should be handwritten as well. If the invitations are meant for family members, you can also print out the names of the bride’s parents and the hosts. The formal address is used for mailing wedding invitations to people who are unable to attend the wedding, but would like to send a gift.
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The Best Hacks To Cut The Hassle
Luckily, in an uncertain era, digital invites are more acceptable than ever. Guests are also dealing with this weird new world, so they understand that there may not be formal save-the-dates, and there may be last-minute invites. That said, if youve got a family that has thoughts on etiquette, then you may have heard a lot of unsolicited advice on the where, when, and how of sending invites.
If thats the case, consider hybrid-style invites.There is something beautiful about opening a wedding invitation in the mail, and many of my clients still go that route, however sometimes printed invitations can be costly and time-consuming. Even collecting mailing addresses can feel like a full-time job! notes Heather Odendaal, owner and principal of Weddings by Bluebird in Whistler, British Columbia. Her solution: Ive seen couples choose a hybrid model of mailing invites to key guests and sending out digital invites to the large majority of the guests.
And even if you do go 100% snail mail on invites, you can embrace tech. Consider sending your guests a meeting invite with guests hidden, of course to ensure that they are aware of the deadline to RSVP to your wedding, says Odendaal.
According to Brownstein, one of the easiest ways to manage a guest list is to use a digital tool. Joy, The Knot, Zola, and others allow couples to collect addresses, track when save-the-dates and invitations were sent, manage RSVPs, and gather meal choices.
Additional reporting by Anna Davies.
Before You Go To The Post Office:
Once you have your wedding invitation suite assembled, youll want to take a sample one to the post office to have it weighed and make sure you buy enough postage. This is also the time to inquire about hand-canceling, which means your envelope is stamped vs. sent through a machine. This small detail can definitely help keep your invites looking pristine! Learn more about hand-canceling here.
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While we only link to products and services we think you will love, some of the links on our site are monetized. If you click on the link and make a purchase we may receive a commission, which helps us keep bringing great content to you! All opinions are our own.
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Include All Of The Necessary Information
You will also want to state the necessary information clearly and succinctly for your guests in the invitation. You might have a beautiful invitation design but ultimately that would be overlooked if your invitation is riddled with misinformation. With that said, simplicity is key. Be sure to include the following:
â Bride and grooms names
â Wedding date and time
â Ceremony and reception location
â Attire requested
If you have additional information to share, such as directions and parking or accommodations, you should include as much as you can at the invitation stage to avoid back and forth questions with your guests as your big day approaches. There are several ways you can do this. If you choose a digital invitation with Paperless Post, you can use the blocks feature to add details, a registry, or travel and hotel accommodations. If youâre using print invitations, like the ones we offer through our exclusive print partner Paper Source, you can include this information on an additional card insert, or you can opt for a wedding website. the invitation is clear and concise, the details of your wedding are less likely to be overlooked. Further, the simplicity keeps your wedding invitation from looking cramped and cluttered with excessive information.
When To Send Wedding Invitations For Destination Weddings
Destination weddings are seriously so much fun. Who doesnt have the fantasy of celebrating their wedding on a clifftop, on the beach, in a big city, or in the rolling green hills of their favorite place in the entire world?
For destination weddings, when to send wedding invitations gets a little interesting. The advice above stands for destination weddings with a slight lemon-twist. If youre planning a destination wedding that will require most, or all, of your guests to travel out of state or country, youll need to send those invites 3-4 months prior, at least. That way, your guests can secure accommodation, plan their wardrobe, and prep for time off from work to travel to your wedding destination.
And if you were questioning sending out those save-the-dates, the answer for a destination wedding is always YES! These little pieces of snail mail may be more important to send out than the actual wedding invitation for destination weddings. A year in advance is never too soon if you want your guests to travel far for your special day!
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Wedding Reception Invitations Wording
The key to nailing the wording on your reception only invitations is to make the ceremony sound like no big deal and your reception sound like the party of the year. In a less formal invitation you can really emphasise how much you want them there.
Do we mention the ceremony or not?
While some feel the need to mention that the ceremony was indeed small and intimate , others think it is more tactful to leave it out entirely. Its your call. If you would prefer the second option but think some guests may not be able to read between the lines, you can casually mention the small ceremony in conversation, or via text or email, focussing on how excited you are to celebrate with them at the reception. Another way to be clear but tactful would be to mention the ceremony in small print at the bottom of your invitation , or listing the ceremony as a separate occasion and not providing any details so that guests understand they are only invited to the reception.
Example of invitation mentioning the ceremony :
Said I do in a private ceremony
On Saturday 3 February 2018
They would love you to join them
For dinner, some bubbles and little dancing
At a reception celebrating their love
Saturday 24 February 2018
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What Should I Include In My Wedding Invitations
A wedding invitation seldom is just a single printed item, usually there are several inserts along with the main invitation. The main invitation typically includes the couples names as well as the names of those hosting the wedding , the weddings date, time, and location. If your reception is in a different location from your ceremony, you may need to include a card with the reception details printed on it. Youll also want to include a response card and pre-addressed and stamped envelope, so that your guests can send them back to you. Directions cards, accommodations cards, wedding website cards, and other inserts may be needed as well, depending on your event.
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When Should I Send Out My Wedding Invitations
The timing of sending out wedding invitations can be dependent on the types of guests youre inviting. If you are planning on having a guest list with primarily out of town guests or international wedding guests, a good rule of thumb is to send out your invitations sooner than you would for a primarily in-state guest list. I suggest to most of my clients to send out their wedding invitations two to three months before the wedding date. This allows for one to two months to collect the RSVPs.
Primarily In-state Guest Lists
If you are planning a wedding with primarily in-state guests, time is on your side. I say this because often, in-state guests will often not have to book expensive or last minute flights and accommodations. As we all know, it can be a risky game to play to wait longer to book a flight in the hopes that the price will go down. This is not an issue that many couples will have to consider if their guests are from the same state and even less so if they are from the surrounding towns. For my couples that primarily have in-state guests, I suggest sending out invitations about two months before the wedding date. If your invitation suite has fallen towards the bottom of your wedding to-do list, sending out invitations a month and a half month may still be appropriate. The benefits to sending invitations out two months prior are that you can set a longer RSVP reply date, hopefully avoiding any frustrations of any last-minute add ons or cancelations.
Helen Halik Into The Mountains Wedding Invitations
Invite your loved ones to join you in the great outdoors with this mountain wedding invitation set. Available in a slew of nature-inspired shades , it boasts a beautiful line illustration and elegant calligraphy, making it the perfect option for couples that dont want to skew too rustic.
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