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The Wedding Invitations
A Wedding Invitation Checklist
Think outside the
envelope
Some couples have decided to pass on the traditional white or ecru
invitation, complete with the square of tissue paper to protect the
lettering. Instead, they’re opting for unusually shaped invitations in
varying textures with exotic colors and type. Invitations emblazoned
with vibrant graphics and pictures of the bride and groom have also
become increasingly popular. Once you’ve decided on the general
theme of your wedding, however formal or casual it may be, you can then
better pick an invitation to suitably match.
The basics of wording
Many engaged couples may not have the traditional nuclear family and
subsequently have questions about proper wording. Luckily today, the
etiquette rules when it comes to the wording on wedding invitations are
very lax. However, any easy rule of thumb to follow is; whoever is
footing the bill for the wedding should be the first mentioned on the
invitation.
If one set of parents is hosting the entire wedding, list their names
first as in:
Mr. and Mrs. John Doe
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Jane
to
James
If both sets of parents are paying, list both on separate lines but with
the bride’s parents first as in:
Mr. and Mrs. John Doe &
Mr. and Mrs. James Smith
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Jane
to
James
If you and your betrothed are hosting yourselves, the invitation should
read:
The honor of your presence
is requested at the marriage of
Miss Jane Doe
to
Mr. James Smith
Remember that nothing is no longer set in stone when it comes to wording
wedding invitations. Also, if you aren’t able to mention an important
loved one on your invitation, include a line of recognition on your
program, or have your best man honor them during the toast.
When to order
Several months before it’s time to place your order for your wedding
invitations, it’s helpful to request a few samples in varying styles and
colors. It’s sometimes hard to judge the quality of an invitation from a
picture in a brochure or on a web site, and most companies will happily
send samples to their potential customers. Your order should be placed
three to four months before you plan on sending them out. The sooner the
better to allow you plenty of time to make any necessary changes and
prepare them for mailing.
Proper postage
Chances are your wedding invitations will need more than the standard
postage rate that is required for mailing a letter. Many invitations
feature heavy card stock that is considerably thicker, and also weighs
more, than traditional paper.
The easiest and most
foolproof way to ensure that you have proper postage is to completely
assemble and seal an invitation, and then have it weighed at the post
office. Remember that your reply cards will also need postage. A good
way to cut down on some of the rising costs of postage is to use
postcards instead of regular cards with envelopes.
Be creative with your choice of postage to lend a unique touch to your
invitations. The US Postal Service features stamps in many different
designs and themes, although the availability of some designs may depend
on the time of year. If you’re getting married in July, consider using
stamps with flags or a patriotic theme. If your nuptials are taking
place in the fall, check for stamps in vibrant autumn colors, and in the
spring time, use postage with bright colored flowers.
Time for mailing
Timing is of the utmost importance when mailing wedding invitations, you
want to be sure not to send them too far in advance to be sure no one
forgets about the big day. Alternately, you shouldn’t wait too long to
mail them to ensure that people will be able to attend. Generally
speaking, your invitations should be in the mail four to six weeks
before the big day. Of course the farther away the recipient, the longer
the invitation will take to arrive. Generally, it takes about three days
for a piece of mail to make its way across the country.
If you are inviting guests from other countries, be sure to allow for
additional delivery time when mailing out their invites. It may take as
long as two weeks for mail to reach its destination when traveling
overseas. It’s best to send invitations out of the country eight weeks
before the wedding. You’ll also want to make sure you have the correct
amount of postage when mailing invitations to other countries. By the
time it would be returned to you for insufficient postage, the wedding
may only be a mere week or so away.
A post office will most likely be using a machine to process your
invitations. So if yours are oddly shaped or extra thick, they may not
fare well running through the machines. And, depending on the shape,
some might only be able to be processed by hand. If that’s case, be
prepared to pay more for postage, and also allow for a few more days for
handling.
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