Do's and Don'ts for Wedding Invitations

Wedding invitations are one of the most important details that one should go over when preparing for a wedding. Just as with any other area, there are certain proprieties that need to be observed when extending your invites. Here are a couple of guidelines on composing and sending wedding invitations that you may want to take note of.

Contents

Just like any other type of invitation, a wedding invite is supposed to contain all pertinent information that your guests will need to know about the event. You need to indicate the time, date and complete address of the venue. Take note, however, that when composing your invitation, everything should be spelled out – the hour and even the year for the date. Words that are normally abbreviated – such as Street, Road and Avenue – are also spelled out.

Special details

If you have special requests from your guests – i.e. you want to make your wedding an adults-only event or you wish to have everybody follow a certain theme – you can very well incorporate such information in your invites. But make sure to do this in the most discreet way possible. For instance, if you’d rather not have children invited, you will want to omit their names when you address your invitations. Another way is to refrain from using “and family” when addressing recipients.
Don’t include gift information – i.e. wedding registry details – in your wedding invitations. This kind of stuff should be meant for bridal shower invites or disseminated through friends and family. What you can do instead is include a link to your personal wedding website (if you have one) in your invite. This should go well with the RSVP part of the invitation especially for guests who will be confirming attendance via the internet.

Sending

One of the worst mistakes that you could ever commit is not getting the initials, or even the spelling of your guests’ names right. These little details may sound so simple but you would be surprised at how many people are more apt to overlook them.
As a general rule, all children aged 16 and older are supposed to have individual invitations. But if this is too troublesome, addressing the invite to the “<head of the family’s name> and family” should do just fine especially if everyone is living under the same roof.

When to send

When sending out your invites, take careful consideration of guests who need to make travel arrangements in advance. For family and friends who are living in another country or state, you will want to send their invitations 30-45 days before the wedding. Those who live within the area are still supposed to receive your invite three weeks in advance to give ample time to prepare.

Lastly, before you seal your envelopes, make sure to double-check your wedding invitations. Go over every single detail and be on the lookout for typographical errors. Everyone’s names should be correctly spelled out. If you need to include a map card for providing directions on how to get to the venue, make sure that it is clear enough for everyone to understand it. After all, your wedding invitations are still supposed to warrant a great deal of attention just as any other part of your wedding.

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