Sending Wedding Invitations

Ordering Wedding Invitations
When you’re planning a wedding, there are a lot of decisions to be made. Among those decisions will be the location, the date, and the type of service, who will be in the bridal party and who is to be invited to the wedding. Most couples struggle when it comes to deciding how many people to invite, but it is extremely typical to send an invitation to a guest you know will not be able to come to the wedding. If you order your wedding invitations to be printed, your printer will often require a minimum number of invitations to place the order to begin with. So you should always order more wedding invitations and envelopes than number of guests you are planning to invite. There are multiple reasons for doing this, but the best reason is that it’s always better to have a few extra invitations on hand than to come up short.

The Etiquette of Wedding Invitations
Invited wedding guests should always follow wedding invitation etiquette and send in their response cards by the requested date.

Wedding Invitations Reflect the Couple, Not the Wedding
The definition of unique is that it is not common nor like another. In and of themselves, wedding invitations are unique because they are individual to the couple issuing the invitations. But in general, when we’re thinking unique wedding invitations, we’re thinking about wedding invitations that are different and that stand out from what is the norm. So, what would make your wedding invitations unique with regard to your wedding?

• Unique wedding invitations may or may not include your wedding theme whether it’s an under the sea wedding, a Disney wedding or other venue wedding
• Unique wedding invitations may have altered wording, sending the invitation directly from the bride and groom rather than their parents.
• Unique wedding invitations may be used for second marriages or senior weddings or even the blending of two families.
• For a couple electing to marry in the later years of their life after their children have grown and perhaps their previous spouses have died, their wedding invitations may be the most unique of all. Are they inviting the guests, are their children inviting the guests or are they simply sending an invitation to guests to share with them the sunset cruise they are embarking on together. The definition of unique is that it is personalized to the couple that is choosing to issue the invitation. Don’t be bound by tradition if you don’t want to be.

Sending the Wedding Invitations
Timing is everything and nowhere is that truer than when you are planning a wedding. Wedding invitations are critical to wedding planning not just for the bride and groom but also for the wedding guests. The wedding invitation itself serves a dual purpose. It’s first purpose is to announce the wedding plans of the couple sending it out. The second purpose is to provide the guests with a wedding planning tool of their own.

Wedding invitations provide the date, time and location of the wedding. It will also alert the guest to the type of apparel that may expected from the formal to the informal. A wedding invitation to a beach wedding will indicate a different type of clothing than one might wear to a formal Catholic wedding ceremony in a grand old cathedral. Because the wedding invitation provides so much information and the couple needs the RSVPs returned from the guests to confirm how many are coming – you might say the wedding invitation is the lynch pin that makes the wedding possible.

With that in mind, you should send out the wedding invitations no later than 12 weeks prior to the wedding. If your wedding invitations are ready, you should send them out 16 weeks prior to the wedding. 8 weeks prior to the wedding contact the guests you have not received RSVPs from. Most vendors will require a final count 4 to 6 weeks prior to the wedding, so this gives you and your guests the perfect window to coordinate their schedules with your plans.

Mailing Wedding Invitations
It’s always best to mail all of your wedding invitations at the same time. Because people talk, the last thing you want is for one guest to receive an invitation two weeks before another. The person who receives her invitation last might wonder if she was invited as an after thought or because someone else couldn’t make it.

Your post office is less likely to lose an invitation if they’re receive together in a group rather than bits and pieces.

Printable Wedding Invitations - Modern Fashion
Printable wedding invitations created in your own home on your own computer can be just as charming and beautiful as those ordered through a professional printer. Creating your own printable wedding invitations can also allow you to personalize them and create them with a wider variety of sayings. Another plus to printable invitations? They make a money-saving option for couples on a budget.

The Etiquette of Wedding Invitations
Wedding invitation etiquette requires that the invitation be worded as an invitation from the bride’s parents to the wedding of their daughter, her full name to the name of the groom, the son of the groom’s parents name to be held at a certain time on a certain day.
"Your RSVP is graciously requested and the envelope has been enclosed."
Wedding invitation etiquette suggests that you include a pre-paid postage stamped envelope with the RSVP card in order to facilitate the return of the invitations in a timely manner.

Rehearsal Dinner Invitees
When hosting a rehearsal dinner for the bride and the groom, the immediate wedding party should be invited. This includes the bridesmaids, the groomsmen, the ushers, the parents, and the grandparents of the bride. Don't forget to include the ring bearer and the flower girl and parents of both.

The minister and his or her spouse should be invited for the rehearsal dinner also. If you have a personal attendant, who is often a close friend or family member but is not a bridesmaid, she should also be invited to attend.

Other participants of the wedding may also be included. These are entirely up to the couple. Examples of who are optional are as follows: vocalist, scripture readers, guest book attendants and gift attendant.

The Addressing of the Wedding Invitations
If you are inviting 200 guests to your wedding, do you have to handwrite out the addressing on every single wedding invitation that you are planning to send out? If you are, don’t do them all in one go, because the ones at the end of the stack will definitely have worse handwriting than those at the beginning. Traditionalists will insist on addressing wedding invitations by hand because it personalizes the invitation even if they are custom printed.

What does it say about you if you choose to forgo handwriting the addresses on each and every envelope? Nothing. Don’t worry about it at all. Most people don’t even look at the envelope. They are far more interested in the invitation inside the envelope.

If you really want to do the addressing by hand, then be sure to set aside enough time to address only a few wedding invitations at a time to ensure the quality of the writing. If you or someone in your family is good with calligraphy, this might be a time to enlist their assistance in addressing wedding invitations.

The Wording of the Invitation Does Matter
Weddings are about creating the perfect opening to the next chapter in the lives of the two people joining together. The wedding invitation wording reflects how they want to begin that chapter. Think of it as the preface to the story you are creating together. Tradition is a great thing; in fact it’s more than a great thing. Tradition is a tradition for a reason – it’s like beginning a fairytale with once upon a time, you know that it will have a happy ending. But every tradition has a beginning and you and your soon to be spouse are perfectly welcome to create your own tradition because this is about the two of you and your big day. So do what makes you both happy.

Traditional invitational wording : Mr. and Mrs. Parents of the Bride request the pleasure of your presence at the marriage of their daughter, bride’s first name only, to Mr. Groom’s Full Name at the place and location on the day, date and month and year at the time of day. Reception to follow at the location chosen.

Modern invitational wording: Once upon a time, a rogue stole the heart of a princess and together they are planning a journey to the most Magical Place on Earth to share their vows and commitment to each other … they would like you to join them on this escapade to find their happily ever after.

Printable Wedding Invitations - Modern Fashion
In the modern world of technology where photo quality printers decorate the home offices of many individuals, the idea of sending printable wedding invitations is not as déclassé as it might have once upon a time been. If you decide to go the route of using your own printable wedding invitations or use a program that helps you to design printable wedding invitations, be sure to invest in suitable paper, envelopes and other materials.

Printable wedding invitations created in your own home on your own computer can be just as charming and beautiful as those ordered through a professional printer. Creating your own printable wedding invitations can also allow you to personalize them and create them with a wider variety of wordings, sayings and more. Another benefit of printable wedding invitations is that they can also be a more frugal option for wedding couples on a budget.

Things to remember when using printable wedding invitations:

• Invest in the software if you don’t already have it to generate the layout and fancy typefaces you may prefer. The software should also include an envelope addressing option so that your mailing envelopes, RSVP cards and return envelopes all have the same style and effect.
• Be sure that the printer you use to make the printable wedding invitations can handle the type of paper you want to print it on – for example, some light tissue papers can jam easily in desktop printers.
• Make sure you have a fresh ink cartridge and extras on hand for when you begin your print run.
• You need only print enough invitations as you have guests to invite, however be sure to keep extra supplies on hand in case you need to print up extra invitations.
  It’s always nice, even with printable wedding invitations to keep one set aside for framing or scrapbooking purposes later.

Pre-Marriage Announcements
Many couples like to announce their wedding date a bit early, before sending out invitations. This is a great idea for anyone who has guests coming from long distances.

A great way to let guests know of the impending nuptials and date is to send a postcard, perhaps with a picture of the couple on it. On the postcard, try keeping it simple. A good suggestion is to simply have, "Save the Date" typed across the top of your postcard, above a picture of the couple.

The postcard can then be phrased as such: "Joe and Sue are going to be married on such and such a date." Followed by, "Please save the date."

A very simple postcard with the above information is a great way to send out a pre-marriage announcement to guests who may live some distance a way.

Announcing a Wedding That Has Already Happened
Announcing a wedding that has already occurred is a great way to let friends and family know that you got hitched! It isn't an invitation for a gift, rather just an informative note that lets your loved ones know that you tied the knot and wanted to share!

One great way to announce this type of situation is to send out announcements rather than invitations. This allows you to announce that the wedding occurred rather than invite someone to an impending wedding ceremony.

There are several ways to word your announcements, it all depends on how casual or formal you want to be. If you are more formal, then an announcement could read something like this: Mr. and Mrs. Doe have the honor of announcing the marriage of their daughter, Jane Doe to John Smith, on October 4th, 2005.

If you wish to keep it more casual and announce the wedding yourself, the announcement could be worded such as:
Jane Doe wed John Smith on October 4th, 2005.

Announcements can be sent to anyone who wasn't invited to the wedding ceremony or who couldn't be there. This could range from close friends and family to work colleagues.

Outdoor Weddings
If you plan to have an outdoor wedding, you hope to have a nice day but what is your backup plan if the weather doesn´t cooperate?

Be sure to include "rain cards" with your invitations to notify your guests of an alternate location in case it does rain.

Be prepared... Don´t let those rain drops bring you tear drops.

Proper Invitation Wording
Finding the proper wording for wedding invitations can be complicated, and there are many different wordings that you can choose from. It's great that you want to include your parents' names on the wedding invitation even though they are not hosting the party. When the bride and groom are hosting the wedding, but wish to include the names of their parents, the proper wording is as follows:
Mary Bride,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Bride
and
Doug Groom,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Groom
Request the honor of your presence…etc.
Since your fiancé's mother has passed away, proper etiquette would have you leave her name off of the wedding invitation.

Engagement Announcement
If you plan to put an engagement announcement either in your paper, or send out formal announcements on stationery cards, this is the usual format:

Mr. and Ms. David Smith of Cleveland announce the engagement of their daughter, Carrie Renee, to Chad Jones, son of Joe and Emma Jones of Cincinnati. Ms. Smith, a graduate of Bowling Green State University, is a teacher at Central Elementary in Dayton. Mr. Jones graduated summa cum laude from Ohio University and is a reporter for the Dayton Daily News. They are planning an October wedding. (or if you don´t have a date set, substitute "No wedding date has yet been set.")

Wedding Announcements And Invitations
When you receive your RSVP cards back, you may not be able to read the name on the card. To remedy this, simply number your guest list and the back of your wedding announcements and invitations RSVP card. When you get it back, you can match up the number with your guest list!
Wording Wedding Announcements
Looking for a creative quote to add to your wedding invitation? Try one of these:
"If there is such a thing as a good marriage, it is because it resembles friendship rather than love." -Michel de Montaigne
"Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but looking outward in the same direction." -Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved." -George Sands
"There is no remedy for love than to love more." Henry David Thoreau

Save the Date!
If you have a wedding on a holiday weekend or at a busy time of the year (like June or Christmas), consider sending a "save the date" postcard as soon as you set your list. This way, people can plan their vacations or holiday traveling around the wedding if they choose to attend, and it may help them with less expensive airfare. You could even format a newsletter with pertinent information.

Inviting Families with Kids
Even if you´re inviting children to your wedding, only their parent´s names go on the outside envelope. You can include the children´s names on the inside envelope.

Budget Paper Goods
You can save hundreds of dollars by designing your own invitations on your computer. There are many easty-to-use software packages that will take you through the process and give you many design, color and font options. It´s a great idea if you´re creative and have a good-quality printer. You can make your own wedding invitations, shower invitations, ceremony programs, newsletters, menus, placards and return envelopes.

Invitations 101: Hosted by the Couple
If the couple is hosting their own wedding, the invitation wording is as follows:

The honor of your presence
is requested at the marriage of
Ms. Amy Lynn Jones
to
Mr. Gary Raphael Gray
Monday, the fifteenth of June
at three o´clock
Galbreath Chapel
Athens, Ohio

Invitations 101: Hosted by Parents
If your wedding is being hosted by (read: mostly paid for by) the parents of the bride or groom, the invitation format reads as follows:

Mr. and Mrs. Bob Jones
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Amy Lynn
to
Gary Raphael Gray
Monday, the fifteenth of June
at eleven o´clock
Galbreath Chapel
Athens, Ohio

If you want to include the names of both sets of parents, the wording would be

Mr. and Mrs. Bob Jones
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter
Amy Lynn
to
Gary Raphael Gray
son of
Mr. and Mrs. Spencer Gray
Monday, the fifteenth of June
at eleven o´clock
Galbreath Chapel
Athens, Ohio

If both sets of parents are hosting, the wording is as follows:

Mr. and Mrs. Bob Jones
and
Mr. and Mrs. Spencer Gray
request the honor of your presence
the marriage of their children
Amy Lynn
and
Gary Raphael
Monday, the fifteenth of June
at eleven o´clock
Galbreath Chapel
Athens, Ohio

Do-It-Yourself
If you are short on cash when you are planning your dream wedding, why not think about printing your own invitations? There are lots of great card creation programs, and plenty of super graphics. With your own computer and a little effort you can have 200 invitations for the price of 25 professionaly printed invites.

Wedding Invitations: Same Address, Different Names
If you´re inviting two people who live at the same address but have different last names, list their names on separate lines on the wedding invitation, in alphabetical order. For example, the outside envelope would read

Mr. Gary Gray
Ms. Jennie Watson

and the inside would read

Mr. Gray
Ms. Watson

Wedding Invitation Styles
An invitation can be very simple or ornate. The wedding invitation styles depending factors include your budget and your personal taste and style. Also keep in mind, your invitation will give guests an idea of what kind of wedding to expect. For couples looking for a way to economize, there are do-it-yourself kits, or discount stationary companies who will print elaborate invitations for low prices. If you´d like an ornate invitation, add all of the trimmings - enclosures, maps, foil-lined envelopes, ribbons, matching bookmarks and stationary.

Wording For Wedding Invitations
The rule for wording for wedding invitations is that parents who have passed away are not included by name on invitations. It may seem a little harsh, but there is a good explanation---the invitation is issued by the hosts of the party. So if your father is hosting the wedding, his name should be on the invitation; if you and your fiance are hosting the wedding, your names should be on the invitation. The purpose of the invitation is not to let everyone know the names of your parents, but to let people know who is hosting the event.

No-Kids Invite
If you want your wedding to be kids-free, make sure your invitations reflect that (i.e. address it to Mr. & Mrs., not ´Family´). If someone RSVPs with kids anyway, you´ll need to call and explain that it´s an adults-only function.

Sample Wedding Announcements
If you want to announce your wedding in the local newspaper, there are a few things to keep in mind when wording wedding announcements: *Ask if there is a form for you to fill out. *Type or print your information neatly (you don´t want your names misspelled!). *Be sure to give information such as your wedding date, wedding location, the bride´s maiden name, your parents´ names and where they live, and where you will live when you are married. *If the announcement can be lengthy (some larger newspapers don´t have the room), you might include the names of your bridesmaids and where they´re from *Include your honeymoon destination *Add information such as where you each grew up, where you went to school (college or high school) and where you´re employed. *Be sure to include your contact information *Ask the paper what kind of photograph they prefer, and be sure to write your name and address on the back. It´s best to send a copy.

Wedding Invitation Postage
If you´re on a strict budget, be sure to consider postage costs when choosing your wedding invitations. Some larger styles of invitations and announcements or more unusual shape styles have to be mailed using higher postage, and while it might not seem like that much difference, it can add up when sending out dozens of wedding invitations.

Wedding Invitation Tips
When you address your wedding invitations, try to avoid using "and guest" when you can. If you don´t know the name of the person coming with your invited guest, then call the person who will be receiving the invitation and ask what name should be used on the invitation. If you can´t find out, go ahead and use ´guest.´ The personalization and thoughtfulness of finding the name will make your invitation extra special

Wording for Wedding Invitations
For planning a wedding and handling the mention of a deceased parent, use the following wording for wedding invitations: "The son of Mrs. Jane Doe and the late Mr. John Doe" or "The son of Mrs. Jane and the late Mr. John Doe." Often when the deceased parent is listed first it could sound as if both parents are deceased (i.e. "The son of the late Mr. and Mrs. John Doe") Many people often find great comfort in honoring their parent´s memory by including a toast of rememberance during the reception. Also if a family member is hosting the wedding, it would also be appropriate to thank the guests for coming on behalf of both the living and the deceased parent (i.e. "On behalf of the memory of my late husband and myself, thank you all for coming") Or if a toast welcoming the bride to your family is going to be said, you can mention how proud the deceased parent would be of both of you today, etc.

Homemade Wedding Announcements
If you´re sending announcements and you´re doing the announcing yourself, homemade wedding invitations the wording is as follows: Amy Lynn Jones and Gary Raphael Gray announce their marriage Monday, the fifteenth of June Two thousand Helen Mauck Galbreath Memorial Chapel Athens, Ohio

Announcements Aren´t Rude
Contrary to what many people think, announcements aren´t a way of subtly asking for wedding gifts. Announcements are a perfectly acceptable way to let friends and family who weren´t at the wedding know that you and your beloved have tied the knot. If they are overjoyed and want to send a gift, that´s fine, but the announcement is just that, an announcement, and not a way of getting more presents.

Sample Wedding Announcements
If you´re sending announcements and the announcing is being done by your parents the wording is as follows: Mr. and Mrs. Bob Jones announce the marriage of their daughter Amy Lynn to Gary Raphael Gray Monday, the fifteenth of June Two thousand Helen Mauck Galbreath Memorial Chapel Athens, Ohio.

No-Kids Invite
If you want your wedding to be kids-free, make sure your invitations reflect that (i.e. address it to Mr. & Mrs., not ´Family´). If someone RSVPs with kids anyway, you´ll need to call and explain that it´s an adults-only function.

Sending Wedding Announcements
If you´re sending wedding announcements, mail them either the day of or the day after the wedding. Wedding announcement wording usually refers to the wedding taking place in the past, so you don´t want them to reach their destinations until after you´ve tied the knot.

And Guest
Some brides address their invitations using ´and guest,´ but it´s sort of impersonal. If you can, try to find out the names of the guests of your single friends and relatives, and send a separate invitation to that person. If you can´t, sending one invitation with ´and guest´ will suffice.