So, congratulations! You’re getting married. Now what? Never under estimate the importance of the invitation. Your invitation will set the tone for what your guests are to expect from your wedding day. People lead increasingly busy lives and the invitation will allow them to plan for your big day too. But where to start? Hopefully we can help you on your way with some handy tips and information to avoid costly mistakes and make the lead up to your big day run as smoothly as possible.

 

Save the Date!

As just mentioned, people’s lives are busy and Save the Date cards are becoming increasingly popular. Let’s face it, you want as many of your nearest and dearest to share this special day with you. Once you’ve confirmed your venue you will have a date, the most crucial ingredient for your card. But you may not necessarily know your theme or colour scheme or whether you want a formal or informal celebration. Save the Date cards provide the perfect opportunity for you to be a little creative without having to commit to these just yet. A handy guide by The Knot - Common Mistakes to Avoid may save you some time and Brides Magazine have put together 30 Creative Wedding Save the Date Ideas for inspiration. If you’re on a budget or creatively minded you can design your own with apps such as Canva or use a professional online print business like Snapfish who have a vast selection of easy to edit templates.

 

The Invitation

Where do you start? Feel the pressure? Can’t possibly compete with Harry and Meghan’s hand printed Barnard and Westwood creations?  All is not lost, there’s a lot of advice out there. So whether you choose the traditional route or opt for something a bit more ‘out there’ this is your opportunity to set the tone for your celebrations and get your guests excited.

Nowadays the traditional wedding invitation wording where both parents are married does not necessarily apply so what options are available for addressing the ceremony host or hostess? De Bretts, an authority on modern etiquette provide numerous alternative styles for wedding invitation wording and guidance on how to address your invitations. Don’t forget to include who is invited, partners? children? You don’t want any embarrassing situations on the day!
With so many different styles and invitation designs to choose from its always good to get some advice from an expert. Joanna Abbott from Love Tree Wedding Stationary in Cardiff, has a beautiful website full of ideas and although web based, Joanna is more than happy to discuss your needs with her bespoke service. Welsh Wedding Awards 2018 finalist Olive Weddings offer a sample service which includes tailored samples for a small fee and fabulous bespoke accompaniments like maps and itineraries.  If you’re looking to produce your own invites Pure Invitation offer a range of colours, designs and embellishments or The Paperbox have a comprehensive range of DIY packages.  You could also pop into Hobbycraft who have 3 stores in Wales and hold regular store events including card marking.

 

What to include?

We’ve briefly mentioned maps and itineraries but what else should we include with the invitation?  The type of celebration you’re planning will guide you, but here are some ideas and tips from Brides Magazine. Be creative in how you include your information, an Order of the Day or Wedding Timeline is becoming increasingly popular like those by Wildflower Design Co and so are websites, technically not included in the invitation but can save on printing and postal costs for those who are digitally savvy. They also provided the flexibility to update information and manage your guest list. Try wix.com which is free or a digital invitation and RSVP provider like Paperless Post.

Your invitation and all the details have been delivered and your guests want to excitedly reply, but how and when should they reply? Here are 7 tips for Getting Wedding Guests to RSVP and when best to prompt a reply.

When do I send?

 

Whether you are sending your invitations by hand, post or digitally, traditionally it’s six to eight weeks before the event, but remember to allow extra time for those situated further afield so 10 weeks would be acceptable. Check when you need to confirm numbers for catering and print deadlines for table plans and other wedding stationary and don’t forget to allow time for late responses. Take the stress out of some of the planning and manage your guest list with wedding planner apps Wedding Happy, Evernote or Joy or even employ the professional services of a Wedding Planner.