The Do’s and Don’ts of Wedding Invitations

I think the most stressful part of wedding planning for me was the invitations. I struggled through how I wanted them to look and what they should say and then waited until the last minute to get them out. Hopefully these do’s and don’ts of wedding invitations will save you some stress.

Dos:

• Stick to One Website: I was looking at every wedding invitation site available and became so overwhelmed that I got confused. Once I stuck to one place (Wedding Paper Divas) it was much easier for me to narrow down my favorites, ultimately decide what I wanted.
• Double and Triple Check Spelling: Have some of your bridesmaids, your fiance and your mom check the spelling! Once you place the order and approve the proof there is no going back. The last thing you want on your wedding invitations is the wrong date or a typo.
• Use a Calligrapher: Like I mentioned the whole invitation process was very stressful for me, to ease a little of my pain I hired a calligrapher to address the envelopes. There a couple benefits of using a calligrapher:
  • Looks more professional and formal
  • Showcases your personality and theme of the wedding
  • They know what they are doing
  • Saves time
• Make a Spreadsheet: Whether you are using a calligrapher or not, I recommend creating a spreadsheet with a list of all your guests, their addresses and their formal greetings. Once they’ve sent back their RSVP you can change their color to green or red depending on their response. This will make table arrangements easier as well as thank you cards.
• Save Money for Stamps: When looking at your budget for invitations, you’ll need to add in money for stamps. Since most invitations are heavier than than a traditional letter stamp, you’ll most likely have to upgrade to the $0.70 stamp which can add up.

Don’ts:

• Wait Until the Last Minute: Invitations should go out six to eight weeks before the ceremony. So you should probably order your invitations 10-12 weeks before that, if not earlier, in order to enough time for the calligrapher and stuffing the envelopes.
• Pay Full Price: If you are ordering your invitation from a popular site like Wedding Paper Divas or Shutterfly, definitely check for coupon codes to help save a few dollars. Once I ordered my Save the Dates, I then got codes for future purchases which is ultimately why I went with Wedding Paper Divas.
• Forget About the Return Address: One mistake I made was I had the calligrapher address all the envelopes but when I want to stuff them all, I realized there was no return label. I could have her do it but there would have been an extra fee. I ended up getting stickers made for the back of the envelopes, but had to rush order them in order to get my invitations out on time, so don’t forget about the return address.
• Use a Casual Name: When addressing your guests you’ll want to use their formal names, Mr and Mrs Jared Darnell instead of Jared and Angela Darnell.
  • Have several people double check this list as well to make sure you have everything correct and spelled properly. Trust me there is nothing more embarrassing then mixing up your guests names or spouses. (This happened to me and i couldn’t stop kicking myself)
• Feel Like You Need To Include Everything: Part of the reason I kept getting hung up on the invitations was I didn’t have my room block confirmed and I had other small details to finalize. I decided to leave out the details/accommodations card and direct everyone to our wedding website, so I could move forward with ordering the invitation process and update the website at a later date.

What was/is the most stressful part of planning for you? Let me know in the comments below!

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