Suggestions for Writing and Sending out Your Wedding Invitations

It is important you know what to do when it comes to sending out the invitations to the most important day of your life. Although you have hundreds of tasks to perform before your wedding day, taking the time to correctly word the invitations will help make the day more enjoyable. Here are some helpful suggestions for inviting guests to your wedding.

How to Address Invitations

Sending out wedding invitations can be a time-consuming task if you have hundreds of guests on your list. However, that doesn’t give you an excuse to skimp on addressing them correctly. When you send out invitations, most of them will have two envelopes, one in which the invitation itself fits into to keep the ink from smudging or otherwise ruining the print. Then there is the outer envelope that everything goes into so it can be sent through the mail.

The outside envelope should be addressed formally and the inside one can be a bit more casual, especially if the invitation is going to a good friend or a family where children are also invited. For instance, the outside envelope should be addressed to Mr. John Smith and/or Mrs. John Smith, depending on whether it is going to a single person or a couple. If your invitees have a title, such as Doctor or Captain, or if they are a judge, for example, you should always use their title on the outside envelope.

On the inner envelope, you can be less formal and address it to John, or John and Sue if sending it to a couple. You can even include the children’s names on the inner envelope if they are invited as well. Ideally, anyone 18 and over should receive their own invitation. In addition, the addresses should always be handwritten.

The return address of whoever is in charge of the guest list should be included on the back flap of the outside envelope in case one of your guests has moved and it is marked return to sender. Once the returned invitation is received, it can either be resent after finding the guest’s correct address or the guest can be marked off the list. It also lets your guests know where to send their RSVP if they are sending it via the post office.

When to Send out Invitations

Timing the invitations is very important as you want to allow enough time for your guests to RSVP their invitation so you have an accurate head count for the venue and for those responsible for making the food. For the most part, the invitations should be sent out six to eight weeks prior to the date of the wedding. This allows your guests to RSVP and makes travel arrangements if they live out of the local area.

Many couples also send out “save the date” cards about six months prior to the wedding. This gives their guests plenty of time to get the day off from work, make babysitting arrangements and get their dresses made or get fitted for tuxedos.

Set a Deadline for Sending an RSVP

When you send out your invitations, include a deadline date for guests to RSVP. Set the date so it is approximately two to three weeks before your wedding day and you know who to expect at your wedding. It helps you give a head count to the caterer, which should be done about a week prior to the wedding, and it helps you set up the seating plan. Include all of the available methods for guests to RSVP, such as your email address, your wedding website if you have one, and a telephone number to the person in charge of organising the guest list.

Dress Code Information

Knowing how to dress for the wedding is something that your guests should know, especially if you are having a formal wedding or a themed one. The dress code information is usually placed in the right-hand corner of the invitation or the reception card, if you are sending those out. Just use short wording like “black-tie,” “casual attire,” or “1930’s attire” so they know how they should dress.

The style of invitation that you select will also give your guests a clue as to the formality of the event. If you use an invitation with a nice script, address it formally using calligraphy and use letterpress, then you guests will know you are having a more formal wedding. If the invitation uses bright colours or bold print, then they will generally guess correctly that your wedding is a more laid back affair. If you have a wedding website, you can give more details about the style of dress that you expect and show examples.

Add Necessary Inserts

When sending out the invitations, you can add inserts to help your guests find your wedding venue or to help out-of-town guests find lodging near the venue. You may wish to include map inserts to the wedding or reception venue if they are not being held in the same place, a map showing where the venue is from the airport for guests flying in for the event, and a map showing hotels near the wedding venue for guests who will need a place to stay overnight.

Adults Only

If you don’t want children at the wedding or the reception, then you need to name those invited on the invitation. Don’t include the names of any guests you don’t want at the wedding, whether it is children or adults. If you receive an RSVP that includes the children’s names or for more people than you invited, be sure to contact the guest and let them know you only expect them and the guests listed on the invitation.

These suggestions for your invitations will help take some stress off your shoulders and, hopefully, help your wedding day go smoothly. To elaborate more on your wedding, you should consider creating a website so you can give more details about the venue, the dress code and how to RSVP the invitation for the biggest event of your life.