While many will just rush through the planning without much thought, there is a certain art to designing wedding invitations. You want to hit the ground running when it comes to planning your marriage ceremony. You’ve probably dreamed of the big day for so long and the thought of it not panning out the way you envisioned can be heartbreaking. Your wedding invitations are really important because they essentially sum up all the key information for your guests. While you don’t want to bombard your guests with loads of information, the best wedding invitations are the ones that go beyond just outlining the date and location. So, let’s get started.
Know your style and preferences
Before you pick a style of card or envelope, you need to have a vision of your marriage ceremony. Are you imagining yourself getting married on a beach? Will it be a secular ceremony or something more traditional, like a service in a church? Regardless of the choice you make, it is best that your wedding invitations reflect the style, mood or atmosphere of your event. For a modern event, keep the colour scheme neutral and simple. For something a little more traditional, cursive writing and floral patterns work nicely.
A really formal event will require a reasonably standard letter: white background with dark engraved writing. On the other hand, something a little less formal will give you a bit more flexibility to experiment. Coloured paper or different coloured inks could be something you want for your marriage cards, particularly if you want to spark some creativity and do something a little more unique.
Traditional wedding invitations use cotton fibre paper, which has a rich and delicate touch. You can vary the colour or thickness to your choosing. One of the advantages of cotton paper is that it ages really well, so if you’re looking to having one of your marriage cards framed as a memento, cotton paper is your best bet. Wood fibre paper is very versatile and comes in a wide array of colours and weights. However, if you’re a bit more environmentally-conscious, you can always opt for recycled paper if you’re opting for a more eco-friendly party.
Format
Using a single panel format is when you use a single sheet with the print on the front of the card. Side fold is where the sheet is folded on the left, much like a greeting card. The format of your wedding invitations is very much up to you and your partner, however, if you want to use raised lettering to leave a nice impression, cotton paper is the way to go. If you want a colourful, rich card then you’ll probably want go with wood paper because of all the available colour schemes and patterns. Generally, the most formal cards use both a side fold, along with a single panel card to show sophistication.
Keep the content simple
You don’t want to overdo your wedding invitations. A nice little anecdote or a cute picture of the couple will generally suffice, especially if you want to make your cards stand out. A long story about how the couple met and fell in love will be appreciated by some, but not everyone. Instead, you’re better off keeping the text clear and concise, narrowing it down to only the important information. You might need to include brief directions on how to get to the reception as it may be somewhat complicated. Parking arrangements should also be included if necessary. At the end of the day, you need to be focusing on catering requirements and transport arrangements if needed. Proof read your wedding invitations to save yourself the embarrassment of any spelling or grammar errors. Ask a friend to check as well just to be sure.
Children
A lot of people become confused as to whether the invitation extends to their children. If you want your reception to be an adults-only event, address the envelope to only the adults in the household. Conversely, if kids are welcome, just include a simple “and family” after the adults’ names. This should clear up any confusion. The behaviour of your guests can be really important, especially if the venue is particularly formal.
RSVP
You should always include an RSVP return letter with your wedding invitations. You should ensure that your guests are aware of the RSVP deadline, which should be roughly two to three weeks before the reception. You’ll want as much time as possible in order to finalise numbers for catering and table arrangements. Minimize your stress and make it obvious when the RSVP date is.
Dress
The formality of the dress code must be included in your wedding invitations. It doesn’t require much detail or specificity, just a simple “black tie” or “cocktail attire” to let your guests know what is expected. A more specific theme will obviously require more specific dress code information.
