A credit card bill, a reminder from your dentist, some pizza coupons,...and what's this? A wedding invitation? You know that little spark of excitement - keep it in mind as you plan your wedding invitation. Give this precious piece of paper your all. Wedding invitations (besides providing the who, where and when) offer guests a sneek peek at what's to come. Make that vision something truly special to behold.
Order: Three to four months before the wedding date. The sooner you order, the more time you will have to proof them, address them and mail them out. Remember, its one invitation per household not per guest so if you have 150 guests, you will want to order somewhere in the number 0f 75-100 invites. Its always best to have a few extra as re-ordering a small amount can be very pricey!
Design: Since your invitation is the first look at your wedding, chosing a colour scheme or theme to co-ordinate with your wedding is ideal. Paper options, ink colours, and fold types can make a great impression. Many invitation books offer sample verses and proper etiquette rules for listing the hosting/sponsors of the wedding (ie: parents, bride and groom etc). Make sure you spell all addresses and dates in proper words (ie: 2010 would be two thousand and ten).
Send: Six weeks before the date is common; eight weeks is ideal (10 weeks if guests are coming from abroad).
Addresses: Spell out all words in an address on your envelopes. Rather than "St.," "P.O. Box" and "Apt." use "Street", "Post Office Box" and "Apartment". This applies to the city, province/state names as well.
Return Address: The preferred place for the return address is on the envelope's back flap. This ensures that undeliverable invitations will be returned to you should there be any problems with the mailing address or postage. You'll want the replies to be returned to whom ever will be keeping track of the guest list.
Outer and Inner Envelopes: Sending out an invitation in two envelopes ensures that your guest will receive a envelope, even if the outer one has been torn or soiled in the mail. Still, the two are not necessary; you may omit the inner envelope if you wish. The outer envelope includes all the information the postal service needs for delivery. The inner envelope should have the names of the invited guests in the household (including children, whose names do not appear on the outer envelope). It is etiquettely correct to send a separate invitation to children over 18 in the same household.
Remeber to add "guest" beside a single guest's name if you are allowing them to bring one to your wedding. If you know the name of the guest, it is more personal if you include their name on the inner envelope. If you do not include "guest" it is implied that they are asked to come alone.
Assembling Invitations: All enclosures should be placed on top of the invitation, in order of size with the smallest on top. The reply card should be placed under its envelope flap and this envelope should be printed with your return address and should be stamped as well. Insert everything into the inner envelope with the font size facing the flap so when your guests open the envelope they will see the lettering. Slip the UNSEALED inner envelope into the outer envelope with the guests names facing the back flap.
Proper Postage: Ensure you have your invitation checked by a mail clerk to ensure you are sending it with enough postage. Any delay could cause your guest to not receive their invitation in time. Out of country invitations will take longer to arrive.
