“You’re Invited!” (to read this blog)

Wedding Invitations are informational guides for your wedding to your guests. You always want to be sure to include as much information as possible for your guests to minimize confusion the day of the wedding! Whether you are selecting pre-made invitations or creating your own from scratch, consider this blog the roadmap to creating a successful wedding invitation suite. Keep reading to learn how to properly say, “you’re invited!”

Theme

Prior to selecting your card, think about the theme of the wedding and how you’d like to incorporate this into your invitations. Keeping in mind not only the color scheme, but the wording and fonts used! These items will subconsciously give the guests an idea of how formal or casual your reception will be.

For instance, a barn or rustic-themed invitation might hint at more of a casual reception. While a classic, embossed invitation screams “formal”. Don’t be scared to get creative and really show your personalities through your invites!

Formal:

Semi-Formal:

Now let’s break this down starting with the contents of your wedding invitation suite…

Invitation

Like we mentioned when deciding your theme, this card is going to set the tone and style for your entire suite!

• First and last names of couple
• Ceremony and reception information
  • Date of wedding
  • Time of day
    • If the ceremony and reception are in the same location, such as Nazareth Hall, include the ceremony time and “reception to follow”.
    • If your ceremony is off-premise from the reception location, list both the ceremony and reception times separately. See “reception card” information for a secondary option.
  • Address of ceremony and/or reception
    • Ceremony location name (Example- Chapel or Grotto)
    • Reception location or Ballroom name (Ex- Nazareth Hall, Ladyglen Ballroom)
  • Special information regarding venue, if applicable
    • Outdoor ceremony- please dress accordingly
    • Dress code
      • Example- “Black tie optional’

Reception Card

Traditionally, a second invitation or “reception card” is needed if your reception is in a separate location from the ceremony.

• Address of venue and/or ballroom name
• Time of reception
• Style of reception
  • Adults-only
  • Dinner Reception
  • Breakfast Reception

Response Card

The reason for the RSVP card is not only for you to know who will be attending the wedding, but also allows you to receive additional information for each guest.

When guests return the card, be sure to include a spot for their names and areas to mark their attendance. If your guests are choosing their exact entrée, include entrée options for the guests to select a spot to fill out information for dietary restrictions. Do not forget the RSVP deadline date, it should be around 4 weeks before your wedding date!

• Space for attendee names
• RSVP Deadline – We recommend this be no later than 4 weeks prior to your wedding.
• Entrée Choices (If Applicable)
  • If you are NOT choosing the chosen entrée service style, we do not recommend that you list the chosen meal in your invitations.
• Dietary restrictions
  • This will give the guests the opportunity to let you know that they have food allergies.
  • “Please list any dietary restrictions:__________”
• Area to accept/decline
  • It is helpful to have space for the guest to indicate how many will be attending in their party.
  • Example- __ / 4 Accepts with delight, __ / 4 Declines with regret
• A secondary method for guests to respond
  • “You may also RSVP through our wedding website: ___”

Pro-tip: Consider numbering your RSVP cards! Not only will this help if a guest forgets to write down their name (it happens), it will also assist you in seeing how many RSVPs still need to be returned! If you correlate each RSVP card with a number in your excel sheet, it will be a piece of cake sending reminders to your guests for their response.

Details Card

Keep in mind, all of these details are optional for you to include!

• Registry information
  • Include the stores where you are registered as well as the exact name(s) associated with the registry.
• Dress code
  • This information could also be listed on the invite or reception card!
• Wedding website
• Detailed directions to wedding venue
• Weekend itinerary
• Accommodations
  • If you are providing a hotel block of rooms, make sure to include this information in the details card. Be sure to include the address of the hotel, the name of the reservation for the block of rooms, and the date they need to reserve the room by.
  • If you are providing shuttles for your guest, be sure to include shuttle pick-up and drop-off times.

Envelopes

• Outer Envelope
  • The outer envelope is for you to send the entirety of the invitation contents.
  • It’s helpful to purchase a stamp or sticker of the return address and place this information on the back of the envelope.
• Inner Envelope
  • On the front of the inner envelope, you will need to write out the names of the guests specifically invited to your wedding. This will clear up any confusion as to who has received an invitation.
    • Example #1 (formal):
      • Mr. & Mrs. John Smith
      • Miss Jane Smith
      • Mr. John Smith Jr.

• • • Example #2 (semi-formal):
      • John & Mary Smith
      • Jane Smith
      • John Smith Jr.

• • • The inner envelope will include the remaining contents of your suite.
    • No need to stamp or address this envelope!
• Response Envelope
  • This envelope will be for your guests to return their RSVP card.
  • You will need to put your return address on the front of this envelope. Your pre-made stamps or stickers of the return address will come in handy for this!
  • It is customary to pre-stamp the response envelopes so your guest will not have to pay for postage.
    • When budgeting your invitations, don’t forget to include the cost for double the stamps!

Extras

• Belly bands
  • This is a small strip of paper or ribbon that will hold the contents of the suite together! This is a great way to get creative and show the theme of the wedding.
• Wax seal
  • Whether the wax seals are on the front of your invitations or the back of your inner envelope, we are HUGE fans of this added touch.
• Confetti
  • This could be a cute addition inside of your inner or outer envelope! Just remember these three little words…. Less is more 😉

When to Mail

Invitations should be mailed with plenty of time for guests to receive the card and respond! Our clients have been experiencing extremely slow delivery rates due to COVID-19, so it’s best to send them out no later than 2 – 2.5 months prior to the wedding.

Additional Resources to Help You Say You’re Invited!

Follow this link for the proper way to stuff your invitations!

To learn more about invitation etiquette, click here!

 

We hope this helped you understand the art of invitations a little more clearly! Please keep in mind there are dozens of ways to create your invitation suite. We tried to pack in as much information as possible, however, most suggestions are optional, and some may not pertain to your wedding. If you ever need advice regarding your invitations, feel free to call and speak with Abby!

Learn more here about additional planning steps and what you should include in your wedding and reception!

Photo by: Adore Wedding Photography

Invites by: Honest Abe Studios