Archive for June, 2010

Choosing your invitations

Your wedding invitations will set the tone for the wedding and should therefore reflect the style and level of formality of the day. Choosing what style your wedding invitations will be is simply a matter of taste. You can find designs to suit all tastes and budgets at a variety of stationery suppliers on the internet.

Personalised stationery is becoming more popular and really adds something to the image of the occasion. For completely bespoke stationery it will almost certainly take longer to deliver than pre-printed items. Taking into account that invitations should be sent out no later than six weeks before the wedding and preferably eight to nine weeks before.

Prices for bespoke invitations will naturally be higher than for mass produced stationery but by how much will depend on the amount of work involved, the quality of the paper used and the number of items ordered. It is important to fix a deadline based on the work undertaken.

How many invitations should I order?

You should allow one invitation per family including a courtesy one for the groom’s parents and the minister. Don’t forget to order a couple or so to allow for mistakes when writing them and for any extra guests you may decide to ask at a later date.

When to order

You will need to order your invitations at least three months in advance, or as long as possible in advance and as soon as you have a good idea of numbers. The printing process can take some time and you will need to scrutinize the proofs for errors very carefully.

What to include in your invitations

Whether guests are travelling from abroad or a nearby town, it’s a good idea to include some additional information to help them on the day.

Directions & Maps

Send guests travel information well in advance, especially if they have to book tickets on rail or air. Suggestions of the nearest airport or cheapest way to obtain tickets are very welcome, as are numbers of local taxi firms. Remember, out of town guests may not have a car available to them. It is a nice thought to arrange for a coach or minibus to collect them from the hotel and take them to the ceremony venue, and then on to the reception.

You should be able to print out a map from an online resource and include a colour copy in each invitation. Those willing to spend more can have their maps printed by there stationery provider, if they offer this service.

Accommodation Details

Many guests will wish to stay overnight after your evening reception, and possibly even the night before the wedding, so a list of local hotels and guesthouses is helpful. The names and addresses should be given.

Gift List

This should be a very discreet mention of where your gift list is held and how guests can access the details, should they wish to.

Dress Code

It is not correct to refer to morning dress on an invitation. However, you could include ‘black tie’ if you wish your guests to wear evening dress. Or, you might have an alternative themed dress code.

Reply Cards & Envelopes

It’s not essential to include a reply card or slip in your invitation. However, a good way of getting responses quickly is to include a slip that can be completed and posted back to you. You could even include a stamped, addressed envelope. It’s also a good idea to add a date by which you would like to receive the replies. A sensible date is one or two months before the event, or whatever makes sense for your arrangements. After this date, start ringing around to get their answer.

When to send out your invitations

Invitations should be posted around 8 to 12 weeks before the big day. Much earlier and you can’t expect guests to commit to a date so far in advance, and much later they may well be unavailable. If you have guests travelling from abroad you may decide to send invitations out even earlier.