Make sure that your invitations reflect your wedding style. The invitation is the first idea your guests will have of the overall style of your wedding, so if you’re planning a traditional ‘do’, your invitations should also be traditional. There are so many different styles of invitations available these days, so make sure that once you’ve chosen your favourites you have samples sent to you. This way you can check the quality and make sure that if it’s handmade, bits don’t drop off in the post!
Don’t lose sight of the fact that your invite has a job to do. Your guests need to know exactly when and where to go, so make sure the text is clear and legible and has all the important stuff on it – your names, the hosts, the venue, time, date and any RSVP details required. You’d be amazed how many people forget to include the time!
What’s your budget? You can buy your wedding stationery from many different sources at very different prices, so make sure you are getting great value for money. Whether you choose to buy from a department store or an internet based company, you should always be given a sample to take home, so that you can check and compare to get the best product and value. Although I believe these should be free (and so Mandalay still sends out samples to you totally free of charge), most stationery companies do charge between £5 and £10, so these costs can quickly add up and before you know it you’ve spent £50 and still not had any of your actual stationery printed yet!
If you are competent on a computer, some stationers supply professional designs which you then assemble at home, which can save you an awful lot of money. Don’t under estimate how long creating even a simple invitation design can take if you start from scratch…..many a helpful bridesmaid has regretted offering to make their friends stationery, discovering that by the time they’ve bought the card, envelopes, feathers and ribbon and sat gluing, folding and tying for evening after evening, a DIY kit seems really rather less appealing!
You should try and choose your stationery about six months before the big day giving you plenty of time to organise quantities, sort out your guest lists, have your stationery delivered and then write out the envelopes. Peoples’ diaries fill up quickly, so make sure you send your invites out about 12 weeks before your wedding.
If you are planning your wedding in the summer holidays, Christmas or abroad, maybe think about sending out ‘save the date’ cards which simply list the date of the wedding with all the details to follow later in the invite. This way you can send them up to a year in advance and make sure all your favourite people can attend!