Your Wedding Invitations

Your wedding invitation will help set the mood and style for your wedding. You will find everything from traditional designs with formal wording to contemporary designs and you can incorporate your own specially created message. You may want to coordinate the color and style of your invitations to complement the color, designs, and style of attire in the wedding party.

Formal wedding invitations are usually engraved and ordered well ahead allowing for them to be addressed and mailed eight weeks before the wedding. The most popular size is 4 ½" x 5 1/4", which fits into an envelope without folding. A larger 5 ½" x 7 ½" invitation is used for very formal weddings. When conferring with your consultant, ask to see various styles and wording.

Remember, invitations are always written in the third person. Spell everything out - the wedding date, time, all numerals and names. Abbreviations, initials, and nicknames are never used except for Mr. or Mrs. or Jr.

Be sure to order enough invitations-you’ll need one for every married couple, each single adult guest, each attendant and their dates (if single), everyone in the groom's family, and of course your clergyman and guest. Order extras for emergencies and keepsakes. Extra envelopes are a must, this will allow for any mistakes made when addressing.

Be sure to order response (RSVP) cards if space is limited at the ceremony and if you are planning on serving a meal. There are several types of “enclosure” cards you may wish to send. They may be used to alert guests to special arrangements.

• Ceremony cards: to invite a limited number of guests to just the ceremony.
• Reception Cards: to limit the number of guests invited to just the reception.
• Pew Cards: special seating for friends and relative.
• At Home Cards: A convenient way to give others your new name and address. Remember, use full names...no initials.

Your invitation is inserted into the inner envelope with enclosure cards and printed side facing the back flap. Insert this inner envelope into your addressed envelope.
Finally, be sure to order “Thank You” cards/notes...and most importantly, be sure to send them as soon as possible. And address all envelopes in blue or black ink.
Dear Abby is deluged with complaints about brides who never quite get around to sending these most important expressions of gratitude. What Dear Abby has to do with your wedding is still unknown.