A wedding invitation is the invited guest’s first glimpse into your big day and the special memories that are in store. All of the seemingly minor details – from the texture of the card to the color palette and the envelope – set the tone for your wedding day. For this reason, it is vital that you put enough time and effort into designing your wedding invitations AND include the must-know details so that guests don’t pull any faux pas, like texting the bride the morning of the wedding for directions.
When putting together your invitations, make sure that the information is concise, grammatically correct and clear of any typos (can you imagine!) Even more importantly, you should make sure that your cards provide the guest with all of the requisite information at a single glance. Here’s the skinny on what you NEED to include:
1.) All the times, dates and locations for each wedding event
Before you yell “duh” and keep scrolling, let’s go over this very important piece. Obviously you’re going to have your wedding date on the invite, but times are equally important! If your ceremony is at a different location than the reception, ensure you have precise starts times and addresses clearly listed for both, along with any relevant transportation information (shuttles, etc.) Make this info BOLD and easy to read. Include driving directions on a separate insert in case of any connectivity issues with Google Maps. You’ll also want to include any rehearsal dinner or morning after brunch information, and be sure to note whether this is open to all or just “bridal party/invited guests.”
If I see one more person ask if they can wear white as a guest to a wedding….the answer is NO my friend. Always no. Just pick a different color, k? And if you want to be extra type A, see if you can find out the bridesmaid dress color so you don’t look like a stray part of the bridal party. Okay back to the invitations. Dress code is important! Your guests want to make sure they look and feel comfortable all night. Beach wedding where guests can/should wear sandals? Black tie? Outdoor barn wedding that might be chilly? Let your guests know!
Probably the most important detail. There’s a few ways this can go. Many of us are working under constrained budgets and have limits on capacity. Some people prefer an adults only wedding. The most polite way to go about communicating this to your guest, is to address the invitation directly to those invited (AKA “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”) and then put something along the lines of “We have reserved 2 seats in your honor.” Then, ask your guests to RSVP either via a mailable insert or your wedding website with the number who will be attending, along with their meal selection. And if budget is not an issue, or the more the merrier, then leave it open! BE SURE to include an “RSVP” by date. You’ll still be chasing people down, but it will help. Etiquette note: if you are having guests RSVP via mail, be sure to include a pre paid stamp and return envelope.
It’s 2019 y’all, you need a wedding website. The Knot and Minted have some great free options to check out, if you’re a baller on a budget (same). The website should include everything on your invitation (dates, times, locations) for the folks who will inevitably lose the invite. It’s also a great place to write your engagement story, post those engagement pics and introduce the bridal party. You’ll also want to link to your registry here, for easy access. The registry info should also definitely be listed on the invite as such: “Mary and Mike are registered at Crate and Barrel, Bloomingdales and Anthropologie.”
This is also the place to let your guest know about your wedding hashtag OR if it will be a tech free wedding. That way they can either A- start posting about it now or B- start complaining about it now. 😉
To set your wedding apart from the rest, try to include a signature touch to your cards. You could have a phrase, a line from your favorite poem, or even a photo fo the two of you. A personalized touch will stay in the memory of the recipient for years to come.
