When to Order and Send Your Wedding Invitations
Cakes, caterers, gowns, and gifts-there’s so much to plan for your big day! Fortunately, sending out your wedding invitations can be simple and stress-free. How? By following these steps for setting up your invitations timeline. Sit down with a calendar reserved for wedding planning, mark the date of your ceremony, and work backwards from there.
Six to 12 months in advance…
Send save the date cards six months in advance for a stateside ceremony, and up to 12 months in advance for a destination wedding. Don’t fret if you don’t have a year before your wedding day. Just start as soon as you can.
Begin invitation planning immediately. Before you order, you’ll need to know:
* The number of invitations you need. Couples and families receive only one, but if an adult child (think 18 and older) still lives at home, you may wish to send him or her an individual invite.
* The date, time, and location of the ceremony and reception.
* Who is hosting, and how they would like their names to appear.
* Where the RSVPs should be sent-that’s you if you’re organizing and managing the guest list.
* Your wedding theme or color palette. If you’d like the save the dates to match, this needs to be selected even earlier.
* Whether you’ll be providing a map or directions card. If so, have the information handy.
* Your budget.
Tip: Give yourself breathing room by ordering extra invitations. These can serve as keepsakes and as reference for your florist, officiant, wedding planner, and anyone else involved. Plus, they’re a safety net in case of damaged mail or addressing errors-most calligraphers even require extra envelopes. Having at least 10 additional invitations is wise; some experts recommend a backup of 25 percent of the total.
Four to six months in advance.
Order your wedding invitations. The process usually takes four to six weeks for letterpress wedding invitations. Custom design will add on another three to four weeks. Book your calligrapher when you place the invitation order, because calligraphers usually need two to three weeks to address mail.
While the order is in motion, begin organizing the guest list for the calligrapher. Check the type of format he or she prefers. Typically, the list needs to be alphabetical or numbered in a Microsoft Word document or in a spreadsheet. Triple-check the list! Returned mail and reprints due to misspelled names can cost you time and money.
Tip: Ask your stationer if envelopes can be ordered ahead of invitations. That way, you’ll have plenty of time to deliver them to the calligrapher. Many stationery companies are more than happy to provide this service for a nominal fee.
Two to four months in advance…
Send invitations eight weeks before the wedding. If it’s a destination wedding, mail them 10 to 12 weeks in advance. Keep in mind, the sooner you order your invitations, the more time you’ll have for any changes.
Once you have a finished invitation, head to the post office and have it weighed. Never assume it’ll qualify for standard postage-inserts, decorations, and heavier paper stocks all add to the weight. And, nothing would be worse than having them returned because of the wrong stamps.
And right now…
Take a deep breath. Remember, while thoughtful planning eases stress and saves time, you’ll have a little leeway. For example, while you’re waiting to approve the design of your invitation, you can solidify your guest list and confirm details like directions. Don’t rush through any steps when ordering stationery, because misspelling your future mother-in-law’s name or stating the wrong address for the ceremony will cost you valuable time. By setting a timeline, you’re already on top of the situation and ensuring a carefully laid plan that won’t go to waste.
How to Word Your Wedding Invitation
With today’s complex family structures and new models of marriage, deciding how to word a wedding invitation (or reply card or save the date card) can be daunting. Gone are the days when the bride’s parents hosted the wedding and therefore issued the invitation. Today, invitations are issued by a variety of parties: from the couple themselves to one or more of the parents (who may be divorced, remarried, widowed, etc.).
Gone, too, are the days when there was only one accepted way to word a wedding invitation. Many invitations today are more informal or emotive, and that is perfectly fine.
Regardless of what wording you choose, just remember to make sure that guests have all the pertinent information, including:
* Who: Couple’s names
* What: The wedding
* When: Date and time
* Where: Ceremony location and reception location, if different from the wedding ceremony
A map or directions card is also recommended, as well as a list of any weekend events, if applicable.
Want to see some examples? Look no further!
Save the date wording samples
Wedding invitation wording samples
4.8/5.0
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
This Item is Inappropriate