Wedding invitations are the most important correspondence between you and your guests. They can make or break you’re the opportunity to create a buzz and excitement surrounding your wedding day – so make sure they aren’t an afterthought. These wedding invitation tips will GUARANTEE your guests will have the best first impression!
1. COLOR SUITE
Make sure that the colors match the color suite of your wedding. Don’t send an invite with silver accents when the wedding will have gold vases. It’s easy to get lost within all the beautiful invitation options but always stick to your wedding color scheme. Many custom wedding invitations can be specially created around your color scheme.
2. STYLE & THEME
The invitation should reflect the wedding’s style and theme and many times it’s the venue that dictates the style. Is the wedding venue a classic ballroom? A traditional formal invitation will reflect this style beautifully. Not much for flowers? Send an invitation with greenery elements rather than flowers. Are you getting married in a barn? Choose a rustic invitation with elements that fit your venue space. You get the idea.
3. SEASON
Having a winter wedding? Your invitation should reflect the season of your wedding date and the colors should also reflect the season as well. If you just love pastel colors, then we don’t recommend a winter wedding.
4. ACCESSORIZE
We all know the importance of a good accessory! Your invitation suite is no exception. Think through the details of your wedding. Are the ceremony and reception at two different locations? Consider sending a separate reception card. Are you having a destination wedding? A direction card or map might be worthwhile for your guests. And of course, we always recommend an RSVP card. All of your accessories must coordinate.
5. PAPER QUALITY
Choose your paper wisely – a good, heavy cardstock rules. Cheap flimsy invitations say…well we will just leave it at that. There are also all different sheens and textures to consider as well.
6. ENVELOPES
Envelopes can be a fun way to showcase your personality. Choose a fun envelope liner or color while staying within the aesthetic of your invitation suite. Colored envelopes can also add some interest to your invitation suite.
7. FONTS AND LETTERING
Envelope lettering. Hand calligraphy is most impressive, but a nice printed envelope still rocks. The sky’s the limit when it comes to fonts and address styles. Be sure to stay consistent with the font styles of your invitation, accessories and envelopes.
8. ETIQUETTE
Etiquette!! We can’t stress this enough. The Internet is flooded with ideas and opinions on how best to address your invitations. We subscribe to the tried-and-true Emily Post for all questions related to invitation addressing and etiquette. But most importantly, we love to see an invitation with all words spelled out (Street vs. St.; Texas vs. TX), and for heaven’s sake learn the difference between Mrs., Miss and Ms. and when to use each(can you tell this is a pet peeve of ours).
9. STAMPS
Don’t disregard the stamp as unimportant. While we love an American flag stamp, we don’t condone using it on your wedding invitation. The stamp should color coordinate with your envelope and my goodness please put it on straight. Multiple vintage stamps are another fun way to bring life and character to your invitation and we say Yes to that! There are numerous companies that sell vintage stamps but you will pay a premium. Don’t forget to stamp that RSVP card envelope as well.
10. ORDERING
We are often asked how many invitations should I order. We recommend always ordering a minimum of 10 extra invitations because you will inevitably forget some of your very important people, not to mention that inevitably some will be returned for various reasons.
11. MAILING
Unfortunately, the USPS is not always your friend when it comes to mailing your wedding invitations. Before mailing your invitations, always take one to your local post office to have it weighed to make sure you have correct postage. Their rules change frequently and it would be a shame if your invite came back as undeliverable. Not to mention that ugly black stamp that has now just ruined your beautiful envelope. Do your homework! We also recommend sending an invitation to yourself. Why? So you can gauge when your guests will receive their invitations and also because it’s fun to receive a beautiful piece of mail.
12. MORE USPS TIPS
Yes, more – because it’s just that important that your invitations get to your guest list. We recommend mailing no more than 50-75 invitations from one post office at a time. As wedding planners, we drive to at least 4 post offices in our city to mail a client’s wedding invitation or we mail them on different days depending on how many invites we have. For whatever reason, the USPS always loses invitations when large bundles are mailed at the same time.
For more invitation ideas and advice without the time and hassle, call SoSig Events today for the most current trends in invitation design as well as full-service wedding planning + design services that fit within your style and budget. It’s always worth the call!
