Why? Who? When? How? These are the questions that are mostly asked when sending wedding invitations to guests. Read more for more information on sending your wedding invites.
A wedding invitation is the most important thing that a couple should make before their wedding comes. It is a way to give important information to the people that you are inviting. An invitation contains specific details about the wedding and reception.
Making and sending wedding invitations should be done earlier to make sure guests have time to make their schedule available on the said date. It is the couples’ responsibility to distribute these invitations to friends and family. If you are really busy with work, then let a close friend or wedding planner help you with planning and sending wedding invitations.
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Why Should I Send Invitations?
- It is a formal way of inviting your guests
- It makes the event more exclusive especially if you are strict on the guest limit.
- A way to give the guests detailed information about everything on the event.
- A fun way to customize your event through personalized wedding invites.
- Guests feel more special and honored to be included in a special event prepared by the couple.
Who Should We Invite?
As a couple, there are a lot of people to go through when thinking about who to invite to your wedding, especially if both parties have big families. This might be very overwhelming for both the bride and groom. Below is a quick guide to making it easier to decide on who to invite.
- Set a limit to the number of guests: The couple should agree on a number limit on how many guests they are planning to cater. When they decided on a number, divide it by two so both the bride and groom have equal shares.
- Set up a guest list: On a piece of paper, the couple should list individually the people that they want to invite. The parents, sponsors, entourage, relatives, and friends from different walks of life. Make sure you prioritize the people that you want to be present. Don’t start listing the names of individuals that you have not seen for years.
- Compare, combine, filter: Compare your list with your partner. On another paper, list the names that both of you have listed the same. By doing so, it makes room for one more guest every time you have both listed the same name. Finally, go through the names that you have written that did not match. Filter them out and agree on whether they should be on the final list or not.
- Adjust and add (if needed): When you still need to invite more but reached the number limit, you may choose to adjust and add the people you want to be invited. If you just reached the limit or went under, you may either choose to add or not.
- Emergency list: Set up a list and assign it to a friend or wedding planner in case you missed someone and did not have time to give them an invite. This is for the people who were invited at the last minute. The list is important especially if you’re controlling the number of people that are attending the event.
When Should I Send The Invites?
It depends on how long the engagement will be. Either
- 4-5 months prior to the wedding: Let people know the date of your wedding day so that they can be aware and schedule around that. These wedding invitations are called save the dates.
- 2-3 months prior to the wedding: Time to send out the actual wedding invitations. Whether you ordered it from someone or made DIYs, make sure that they are prepared by the time you want them to be distributed. If you have a destination wedding that is far from where your guests are, better send them earlier so everyone has time to book flights and hotels.
- 2-3 weeks prior to the wedding: This is the deadline of your RSVP request, it should be written on the invitation. A final headcount is important for the reception to make the final seating. How many tables and chairs are needed, and the caterers to be aware of how much food to prepare. If guests have not responded after the deadline, contact them.
How Should I Send The Invitations?
There are different ways of sending wedding invitations. The most important thing though is that you should spare time doing this and not assign someone else. This is your wedding and you should be the ones doing the inviting.
- Personal: If your guests are not that far away from you, then its best to go to them personally and hand them a printed invitation. It is more sincere and formal. If you’re really committed to personally deliver the invites even though guests are hours away from where you are, then go for it.
- Mail: This is usually the most common approach, if you don’t have time to invest in personal delivery but you still want them to get an invitation, then you might as well go for mailing. If you order online there are many options that can even help you with addressing all of your invites. This is a huge time saver and usually, all you have to do is upload your guest list via .csv file or better known as a spreadsheet. If you are going this route find a provider and see how they require the names and addresses to be organized in the spreadsheet then create the list to accommodate that. If you are going this route then c
heck out our article on cheap wedding invitations here. - Email: Probably the easiest way to deliver an invite. But choosing this way may be a bit risky and not our first recommendation. Since you are sending a digital copy of your invitation, there is a possibility for some individuals to forward it to others. Make sure you have the guest list ready or tell them directly not to pass the message to uninvited guests.
- Phone (text or call): If you’re the couple that is ditching out on making invitations and just wants to inform them by word of mouth. Just prepare a list and follow up on them if they are going.
Ideas On How To Seal Your Wedding Invitations
Ribbon
A very elegant and simple way to tie your invitation together. There are also a lot of ribbons to choose from. You can pick out what color you want, what kind of ribbon, and what size it is (whether it’s a wide one or a smaller one).
Twine
This type of string gives you a more vintage and rustic feels to your invitation. It is the best option especially if that is also the theme of your wedding.
Raffia
A string made from a palm tree and is very environment friendly. You can even choose this together with twine to make your invitation more rustic.
Stickers
You can customize your own stickers for your wedding invitations. Either put your first names or just your initials. It makes it more personal. If you don’t have the time for it, you can just buy it in craft stores. This is probably the easiest way to close up an invitation.
Nature Elements
Sealing your invites with some flowers makes it more dainty and classic. If you’re going to use small fresh flowers, better send the invitations immediately but I don’t recommend using fresh. It is better to use pressed flowers since it is lighter and more elegant to look at.
Brooch/Pins
If you want to go extravagant, you can use brooches or pins to seal your invitations. It can be a bit expensive but it adds more elegance to your envelopes. You can either customize or buy pins that you can use.
Wax Seal
Wax seals have been popular nowadays as an elegant seal to your invitation. Most stamps that are customized with the couples’ initials on it, name, or a symbol that symbolizes both of them. If you don’t want to spend too much on customized stamps, you can find something that you can use as a stamp to press on the hot wax. This can be a bit pricy and tricky and needs someone that knows what they are doing. Some couples DIY their own seals which is still a good choice. It really depends on your budget.
Wedding Card Examples & Explanations
We all want to start designing our invites but find ourselves clueless on where to start. You have the choice to hire a professional to design it for you or do it yourself.
Still, you need to be aware of what you write inside the cards. It’s really up to you on what you want to include in your various wedding cards but there are certain things that should always be present in order to give the necessary details of your wedding.
Main Wedding Invitation Card
Content Of Wedding Invitation Cards
This is like the main page of your invitation, where all important information is written and also establishes guests’ first impression of the wedding. So it kind of shows a subtle hint to the theme and the motif of the wedding.
It provides the bride and groom’s names and the parents’ names of both parties It also shows detailed information regarding the date, time, and venue of ceremony and reception. $147 for 50 cards, Minted.com
Note: Ladies first. The bride’s name should be listed before the groom’s name.
Entourage Card
Content Of Entourage Cards
This has details regarding the entourage and their parts in the wedding ceremony. It has complete names of the bridesmaids, groomsmen, maid of honor, and best man. It also includes the names of the flower girls, bearers (ring, book, coins), and other members that have special roles at the ceremony.
Whether you need this card or not depends on what kind of ceremony you are having and your personal opinion. $151 for 55 cards, Minted.com
Reception Card
Content Of Reception Cards
If you have planned on having your reception at a different site, a reception card indicates its location and time. This can be really helpful if you are only inviting some of the ceremony guests to the reception.
It kind of serves as an invitation to a separate event and prevents gate crashers. $103 for 50 cards, Minted.com
Map/Directions Card
Content Of Map/Directions Cards
This is ideal if you have a venue that is far away or not that known to all. Also if you have guests who are not from town, a map or direction card will help them get to your venue easily. You can either just write directions or supply an illustrated map.
A unique way to do a map is by styling it hand-drawn. But you can always just get an image of the map directions somewhere the MapQuest.com $103 for 50 cards, Minted.com
Travel/Accommodations Card
Content Of Travel/Accommodations Cards
This is recommended for destination weddings or if there are a lot of your guests that are from out of town. It shows detailed information about hotel options that they can check into. If you’re a couple that is extra thoughtful, you can even charge the accommodation and just write in the card which hotel will they be staying at. $103 for 50 cards, Minted.com
RSVP Card
Content Of RSVP Cards
This is also known as a response card. A vital part of the invitation, since responding to it makes it easier for the couple or the planner to know how many guests are definitely attending the wedding. This contains the name and number of the person to contact and the deadline for confirming attendance.
It is better if the RSVP deadline is at least a month before your wedding date. That way you have enough time to determine seating arrangements and get place cards printed. $120 for 50 cards, Minted.com
Menu Card
Content Of Menu Cards
This shows the guests the menu being served at the reception. Prior to giving you a menu, the couple can let you choose what main dish you want. $124 for 55 cards, Minted.com
Explanations Of Wedding Card Envelopes
RSVP Envelope
It is where the response cards are placed when the guests will confirm their attendance. This will be used if you are planning on sending the RSVP via mail.
You should include a stamp on the envelope for the return of the card so your guests do not have to pay for it. Although this is less common, if you are on a budget you can consider using email or any social media platform for this.
Inner Envelope
Contains all the enclosures, including the main invite
Outer Envelope
This is usually large and complements the design of everything enclosed in it. You do not need to do both inner and outer envelopes but there are some who are dedicated to making their invitations perfect.
Envelope Liner
This is just an additional option to make the envelope more cohesive with the entire invitation. It depends on you if you want to add a liner. This is placed inside the envelope covering the inside of the flap up to the bottom of the inside of the envelope.
Conclusion
The world is changing quickly and so are customs. Some are opting for a more digital approach to invitations. But the majority of couples go with a formal printed and sending wedding invitations by mail.
There are pros and cons between printed and digital invites. It really depends on the couples’ budget and time before the big day. It doesn’t matter how costly or affordable your invitations are.
As long as they provide correct information about your wedding day and they are received by your guests in time for them to save your date.
His Expertise Includes:
- 8 years working in the wedding industry
- Owner of USA DJ a wedding service provider URL: https://usadj.org
- Former groom with first-hand experience planning his own wedding
For the better part of the last decade, Jason has personally helped countless couples create successful wedding.
Since 2018 he has devoted much of his time to creating Smartest Brides with his wife Rachel. His mission is to help remove the stress and anxiety that normally comes with wedding planning by making the process simple.
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