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| Blooming Blossoms Pocket Invitation |
Seven essential things you should consider
before shopping for wedding stationery.
1. Determine how you want your invitations to fit into your wedding vision.
Your wedding invitations should complement the wedding day, offering guests a glimpse of the fun to come. Invitations come in all shapes and sizes and are an excellent opportunity to show your personality. Remember the invitation sets the tone of your wedding, telling guests the formality and style of the event.
Your invitation is a great place to introduce a significant symbol (tree, birds, hearts, lace, etc…), two-letter monogram {first letters of your names, save the three letter monogram until after you say “I do”}, quote or verse and repeat it again on your programs, menu cards, and other stationery.
Bring your inspiration, for both the wedding in general and for stationery, to your appointment. Pictures are a wonderful way to get to know you and provide an excellent visual of your style. You can always send me a link to your Wedding Board on Pintrest prior to your meeting!
2. Create your budget for all your stationery needs.
Wedding stationery can range from a few dollars per invitation to more than $20 per invitation. Before your bridal appointment review your wedding budget and determine a comfortable dollar amount you able to spend.
So much of the cost depends on the paper selections and printing methods. During your appointment consultation I will tell you about the different paper options and printing methods and guide you to options in your price point. I can show you creative ways to get the most out of your budget.
3. Build a well-organized guest list.
Understanding your guest list and how many invitations {households, not people} you need is a must before your appointment! You want to make sure you order extra invitations for those last minute guests and for your scrapbook. I recommend using a spreadsheet, to organize your guests.
4. Decide what information you need to pass onto your guests.
The actual invitation is only one part of your wedding stationery. Often you need to include a response card and/or insert card that includes lodging and direction information. A response card is a great way to get an accurate guest count, before the wedding, note this should be pre-stamped and addressed with the address of the host. Insert cards are particularly helpful if you have a guest list with several out of town guests who need lodging information or if the ceremony/reception location is difficult to find.
Before your appointment, make a list of things you might need to tell your guests. At your consultation I will review the list with you and take the information into consideration when showing you stationery styles and etiquette.
Guest registry information, however, should not be included in your wedding invitation-ever. Likewise, you should also leave off the phrase “no gifts please” or anything suggesting guests make a donation in place of a gift. Your wedding invitation should focus on the event and not imply a guest should buy you a gift. However, should you need to spread the word about where your registered or your desires for no gifts it is best to do so by word of mouth or put a tasteful statement on your wedding website
5. Discuss, with your family, how your wedding invitation should be worded.
Most traditionally the Bride’s mother and father issue the wedding invitation or host {i.e. pay for} the wedding. But today you will see everything from both the Bride and Groom’s parents to a generic “together with their families,” to the bride and groom themselves issuing the invitation. You need to consider your family dynamics before finalizing who will issue the invitation.
“Request the honour of your presence” though the most traditional and best suited for a formal church wedding, this phrase is open to a personal touch that is reflective of the couple.
6. Consider the different options for addressing your invitations.
The outside of the envelope is the very first thing your guest is going to see when it arrives in their mailbox, so make the most of the first impression! First, whenever possible avoid using labels, even clear labels. I know it is a “time-saver” but it sends the message of “lazy” to your guests. Presumably the people on your guest list are special to you and taking the time to handwrite their name and address sends a very lovely, thoughtful first impression.
However, with that said there are a couple of alternatives that are acceptable. Calligraphy is a beautiful finishing touch to the envelope of your wedding stationery; however it can become costly if you hire a professional. Another alternative is printing the guest addresses directly onto the envelope. When done well it can offer a lot of personality to the envelope with all the style and thoughtfulness of a hand penned envelope.
7. Make sure you have the right postage
Before purchasing postage take one complete invitation to your local post office and have it weighed. This will tell you exactly how much each invitation will cost to mail. If you use several enclosures or have a unique size (square) it will probably require additional postage.
You should plan to send save the dates 6-12 months in advance and wedding
invitations 6-8 weeks before your wedding date.
