A wedding invitation is like a first meeting—it's all about that initial impression.
Your invitations give your guests a little taste of your wedding style.
Some couples demand cotton, letterpress stationery. Others want bold colors, several layers of transparent paper or pockets, ribbon & “bling”. Remember, it’s your wedding…you will be the only one to look back and enjoy what you picked or wish it was something different. Brides want invitations to reflect their personality and the formality of their wedding, not the same thing that their mother had.
Of course, etiquette has always governed the world of wedding invitations. Multiple books specify everything from the wording to the precise paper size—5.5 by 7.5 inches. But not everybody takes note of etiquette-book rules anymore. Today’s Brides have their own ideas as to what they want and when they walk into Perfectly Wrapped it our job is to make it beautiful and keep it in the budget.
Other things to remember:
An "adult" event: Some want to specify that the reception is an adults-only affair. This is particularly important to some couples in more formal evening weddings. It's impolite to state "No children" on the invitation. But on the response card, in the area where it says "Accept" or "Decline," you can put "Number of adults." This will be clear to most people.
As opposed to the traditional ivory or ecru paper, some brides use bold splashes of color on their invitations. One bride asked for lime-green paper, chocolate, and an apple motif. And it was really beautiful and reflected her style and the season she was to be married.
The 'Thank You' cards: Many couples are opting for notes with the names or monograms of the bride and groom. (remember, it’s now from both of you). When you are done with all your thank you notes, they can be used for everyday correspondence.
Some rules should always be followed. Save-the-dates are mailed 4 to 6 months ahead of time. Invitations are mailed about 6 to 8 weeks before the wedding with the “reply by” dated 2 weeks ahead…especially if you need to give the cater or dance hall a head count.
Some couples prefer engraved invitations because of its darker, crisper color. With engraving, the plate is etched in reverse and pressed into the back of the paper. The result is that words are raised slightly above the surface of the paper.
Letterpress is another popular option. It’s an old form of printing where the words are pressed into the front of the paper.
Also, the more economical and more commonly used method, thermography—a printing process that mimics the look of engraving—is attractive and considered an acceptable alternative. It gives the “look” of engraving without the price.
More and more couples are asking for colored paper that coordinates with their wedding design. Brides see it as their chance to set the tone for what guests should expect the wedding to be like. Often the bride's colors are on menus and place cards as well as the invitations. Motifs such as flowers or their monogram are featured through out the printed materials, sometimes even on the walls.
The etiquette
Here are some examples of rules and guidelines found in various etiquette books:
If the wedding is at a club or home, "the pleasure of your company" is used.
For weddings held in religious institutions, it is "the honour of your presence."
When parents are paying for the wedding, their name goes on the invitation: i.e., "Mr. and Mrs. John Jones request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter." But it may be that the parents aren't paying for everything. Often, the couple pays for some of the expenses. So couples might want to negotiate the wording this way: "Miss Mary Jones and Mr. Mark Smith, together with their families, request the pleasure of your company."
If a wedding is a formal, evening affair held after 6 p.m., the invitation should say, "black tie" in the right-hand corner. Some invitations are more relaxed: "black tie optional” or” black tie preferred."
Invitations for outdoor weddings should include mention of alternate plans for the ceremony in the event of weather.
The date of the wedding is written out: Saturday, the eighteenth of September.
If the name of the state is on the invitation, it is written out, not abbreviated.
Instead of using RSVP, more formal wording can be used: "The favour of a reply is requested."
