Congratulations! You’re engaged! So far, you’ve reserved the venue, arranged for a florist, went for your cake tasting (yum!), and now it’s time to let your potential guests know when and where your upcoming wedding will be. It’s time to talk wedding invitations! With so many modern twists on weddings these days comes even more unique variations on wedding invitations, allowing you to express your personal style even further, meaning more fun for us here at Ivory House! It’s important to keep a clean line of communication between you and your guests about your big day, and your wedding invitation suite is key. Here’s what to include along with your invitations to ensure everyone is on the same page.
Save the Dates – Make sure your guests reserve the date of your wedding far enough in advance. These should be sent out 4-6 months before your wedding (6-8 if you’re having a destination wedding).
Insert Cards – Insert cards are great for portraying detailed information about your big day. They can list anything from reception information to your registry. These cards can be included individually or some couples choose to lump everything together into one or two cards to save on printing costs. Insert cards typically include the following information.
- Reception Details - If your reception will be held at a different location than your wedding ceremony, these are great to include. Reception details specify the location and other information about your reception, while the wedding invitations are specific to the wedding ceremony.
- Accommodation Info - This info is especially helpful for destination weddings, out-of-town weddings, or if you’re expecting many of out-of-town guests. It is important to include the hotel and travel information if you’ve reserved a number of rooms for your guests at a local hotel, any nearby airports, attractions, and rental car agencies, etc.
- Website URL - In addition to your wedding invitation stationery, it’s a great idea to set up a wedding website that includes all information in one place, plus any other important details you want your guests to know before the big day. For a convenient way to portray vital information, consider adding your website URL to your wedding invitation suite.
- Map & Directions - Not all of your guests will be familiar with the area, especially those out-of-towners. Help them avoid getting lost with a set of directions to both your ceremony and reception locations, if applicable. Make sure any major highways nearby are noted on the map, as well.
Response Cards – Yay or nay? Response cards are how your guests will let you know whether or not they’ll be attending the wedding, and how many are tagging along. You can also use these cards to limit the amount of guests each family can bring because, let’s be honest... weddings can be expensive and sometimes you have to cut out the second and third cousins! A stamped envelope with your address pre-printed should be included, along with an RSVP deadline. These days some couples are even coupling the paper reply card with an online RSVP option. Others are going paperless and skipping the RSVP card all together. When it comes to reply cards the choice is yours, but remember some of your older guests may not be so hip to the interwebs!
This all may sound overwhelming to you, but have no fear! Ivory House Creative has an entire collection of save the dates and wedding invitation stationery perfect for any wedding—modern, traditional, or even somewhere in between! We also do custom designs inspired by you and tailored specifically to your unique style, so contact us today and let’s get started!