Wedding Invitation Etiquette
Wedding invitation etiquette dictates that invitations should be sent out at least six weeks prior to the wedding date. The invitations can be personally delivered, or sent by mail. The usual invitees would be the family and friends of the bride and groom. The guest list should include the persons that are really very important in your life, and care about you. Those are the persons you want to be there to share in this special occasion.It is never a good idea to invite casual acquaintances or business associates to your wedding, unless of course the business associates are also friends.
When sending out invitations, keep in mind the reception area, and the need to ensure that the seating spaceis adequate.Pay keen attention when you are making a guest list, because you want to make sure that it will be a comfortable fit for all your guests.
A couple things to remember when doing invitations:
Start Early:It’s a good idea to start addressing envelopes way ahead of the wedding. Time goes by very quickly, so it is important to get started on these simple tasks early, so you can take the time to do them properly.You are less likely to feel overwhelmed as the wedding date nears. By starting early, you will be more relaxed,and less inclined to make any mistakes.
Don’t include too many inserts. You don’t want your guests to get confused with too many wedding cards. If you have inserts with directions and the reception information, then consider including the RSVP request on the invitation, and not on a separate card.
Keep it simple: A good way to do this by limiting the number of envelopes with the invitation to only two. The outer one will have the address of the recipient, and hold the invitation, so it should be formally addressed. That means the full name and title of the invitee(s), should be clearly written on the outer envelope. The inner one will have all the inserts. Opting to use a pocket fold invitation is also a good solution.
Pay attention to the wording: There are several factors that will impact the wording on the invitation. For example if the bride and groom are paying for the wedding and hosting, then it is okay to say ‘we invite you to share with us’ rather than the more formal, ‘we request the honor of your presence.’ If you are not sure of the correct wording to use, there are a lot of online resources available to help you out.
Your wedding invitation will set the tone for your wedding, and you want to make a good first impression. Therefore,take the time to do some research about wedding invitation etiquette during the planning process.This is important, so that you stick to the simple rules that relate to sending out wedding invitations. Also, be sure to make sure the information on the invitation is error free, by taking the time to review it carefully.