January 30, 2020
Today’s blog is a little something extra for you! Think of it as a little wedding planning gift! I teamed up with Britt Larson from Crisp Designs on Paper to bring you everything (seriously, everything!) you need to know when it comes to planning and designing your wedding invitations and the perfect wedding invitation checklist. This is perfect for those who are designing their own and for those couples working with a stationary designer. The following will help you to begin the process and get a very good idea of where you’re headed with your invites. We have seen couples struggle (needlessly) to design their invitations and get them into the mail. And, it can be super-nerve wracking because it’s not something you can do twice. So, today, we also decided to offer you a wedding invitation checklist.
We are going to assume that at this point, you have already written out your guest list, and you have all your addresses ready to go. If you have not, you will want to go to the BWE blog on Picking the Perfect Venue and scroll down to the guest list portion, for some great tips.
Here are the next steps you have to take to ensure that your save the dates and invitations are addressed correctly (yup, it’s time to talk invite etiquette).
If you’re still struggling with questions, let me know. Or, in a pinch the following websites can be really helpful (and they happen to be the two sites I go to when I don’t know off the top of my head, or if I feel the need to double-check).
Another Insider Secret: Typically about 15% of your total invited guests will say no. But this percentage can fluctuate dramatically depending on how far in advance you give people the wedding date and when you send your save the dates out.
If you are trying to figure out how to include, or not include, children in the wedding day invitation there are a couple of options. For more children and weddings details, check out this BWE blog. You can address the envelope to “The Smith Family” or, you can address it to “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” and add a second line with the children’s names below. Or, go really traditional, and include an outer envelope (with mailing information) and an inner envelope containing the invitation and on that, you would put the names of all guests invited.
One of the best blogs out there on invitation wording and etiquette is from Brides Magazine. I’m linking it here. The article is great, and includes a bunch of real-world examples of invites if you scroll down to the bottom of the article. But, here’s the part that pertains to most couples
“Traditionally, the bride’s parents are the hosts of the wedding, and are named at the top of the invitation, even for very formal affairs. However, including the names of both sets of parents as hosts is a gracious option no matter who foots the bill. Also, more and more couples these days are hosting their own weddings, or do so together with their parents.
If it’s a collaborative affair hosted and paid for by the bride, groom and both sets of parents, you can also use “Together with their parents, Emma and Jax request the pleasure of your company …”
As you play around with invitation wording, please keep in mind that it’s a good idea to have a few people read it for proofreading! Be sure to bounce it off all of those directly involved in the wedding. If a couple finds themselves in a position where they are unsure who to list at the top of their invite, it’s often best to list both sets of parents so as not to offend or embarrass the set that may not be investing as much money into the event.
Invite Suite should include:
Typically invitation suites include the following items: (*optional)
The Invite which must include (in addition to the names of parents/bride/groom):
If you plan to not include a details card: Be sure to print the wedding website address on the back of the invitation, or print it on a tag that is tied to the invitation suite bundle. If you do choose to include a details card (mostly required when the ceremony and reception are at different locations) include the following on it:
Most couples have an RSVP card. But those who are planning a multi-faceted event, may want to have multiple versions of an RSVP card printed. This way, you can include one version to the majority of your guests, but have other versions for those guests being invited to a rehearsal, welcome party, after party, and/or brunch. All RSVP cards should have a number written on the back in pen (pencil can smear) that corresponds with your guest-list, do this because some of your guests will forget to write names on the RSVP. In general, RSVP cards should include the following information:
If you are still struggling to figure out exactly what goes into a wedding invitation, and you have downloaded the wedding invitation checklist, you should totally give Britt a call. She’s a wedding invite genius and one of the sweetest people I know. 🙂
Thank you to the photographers who allow us to use their images on our site:
Ashley Mac Photographs, Heather Palecek Photography, Idalia Photography, Jessica Erb Photography, Susan Elizabeth Photography, Delaney Dobson Photography, Ann Coen Photography, Lovesick Inc., K Hulett Photography & Melanie Cassie Photography
BWE | 825 Devon Street | Forked River, New Jersey 08731
(973) 477-1392 | jeanne@bogathevents.com
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