invitations

First Impression Pb

Invitations seem like such a basic item but there’s a lot that goes into them and a lot that comes out of them! Invitations set the stage and build excitement, offering guests a peek at your wedding’s style. With creativity and proper etiquette, your invites will give a great first impression.

The First Impression

It’s best to find a qualified local professional to act as your go-to person for all paper goods and etiquette questions. If you choose to purchase online, give yourself some extra time in case there are any problems that require shipping back and forth.

Before you choose a style of invitation, it’s crucial to know some of the broad themes of your wedding: casual vs. formal, bold colors vs. soft hues, etc. Knowing these key details will help you find or create invitations to reflect the style of your day.

If possible, order invitations and other wedding stationery six or more months before the big day to give yourself plenty of time for proofreading, printing, addressing and envelope stuffing. Formal invitations should be sent six to eight weeks before the wedding with save-the-dates going out months in advance. Save-the-date cards, or even an in-formal conversation with your guests, are especially important for outof-town guests. Plenty of advance notice gives traveling guests enough time to book flights and lodging with some flexibility.

Creative Thinking

Formal invitations complete with calligraphy and foil-lined envelopes are never out of style. Invite design options has grown immensely with the use of watercolor and illustrated elements. Dress up your invites with a belt or sash wrapped around the middle. Hand-drawn embellishments, a chalkboard look, and vintageinspired designs are also lovely if they work with the style of your wedding.

PAPER PARTS & PIECES

Wedding invitation suites typically consist of several parts: a ceremony card with the

NARROWING YOUR GUEST LIST IN 30 SECONDS or less

Not sure who to invite? Use this quick guide to help you in that process!

Are they family?

Are they the immediate family or the spouse of your immediate family?

Do you like them?

Have you talked to them in the past 5 years?

Would you be upset if they didn’t invite you to their wedding?

Friend?

Have you talked in the past 5 years?

Have you talked in the past 6 months?

Coworker?

Do you spend time together outside of the office?

Ex?

Can you imagine your big day without them?

The First Impression

details of the ceremony (traditionally with a layer of tissue paper on top), a reception card explaining reception details, a response card with its stamped/addressed envelope (yes, it’s proper etiquette to provide return postage), a map or some other card with directions to the ceremony/reception and hotel information for out-of-town guests, and an inner and outer envelope. The rules aren’t hard and fast, however, you can combine information on a single card, omit the tissue paper, or really think outside the box with your design if that suits the style of your wedding day. For example, your response card might be a simple postcard.

Invitation Wording

Traditionally, whoever is hosting (read: paying for) the wedding will be listed first on the invitation. But it’s best to work this out on a case-by-case basis with open communication between the couple, the bride’s parents, and the groom’s parents. Some couples today who are paying for the majority of their wedding say “Mary Bride and John Groom, together with their families, request the honor of your presence at their marriage.” An experienced professional will be able to assist you more with wording.

Addressing Advice

To address the envelopes, you can run them through your printer in a beautiful font, handwrite them yourself, or hire a hand-letterer to do the job for you. Hand lettering gives a beautiful first impression and can even act as a sort of frameable gift to your guests. Avoid using labels at all costs, even clear ones as they just