What should you include in your wedding invites?

If you’re anything like us, you probably have a lot of wedding photos on your Instagram or Pinterest boards. We see you with gorgeous invitation suites, including handwritten calligraphy, dried flowers, and personalized wax seals. Before designing and personalizing your wedding stationery, it’s important to think about the practicalities. For example, what should you include in your invitations? When should they be sent?

While there are some basic elements that wedding invitations must communicate, there are additional elements such as gifting options and accommodation information. You can make your invitations as detailed as you like or as simple as possible. Many couples are now creating a website for their wedding to share additional information and reduce the size of printed invites.

Save the Date Cards

Your first piece of stationery that you will send to your wedding guests is the save the date card. These cards are a casual notice, usually a single-sided or double-sided postcard, asking your guests to put your wedding date on their calendars.

What should you include?

Save the Date cards should contain your name, the date and details of your wedding. You can also include a note to inform your guests that you are still waiting for a formal invitation.

When should they be sent?

We recommend sending save the dates cards six to eight months before the wedding date. Your wedding guests will have plenty of time to book accommodation, flights, and child care (if needed). Send you to save the dates at least 8 months before your destination wedding to give your guests time to plan.

It would be best if you also considered the following:

• To save time and money, save the dates can be sent electronically.
• Don’t include any information you aren’t 100% certain about
• You could add a picture of you, an illustration from your engagement session, or a map showing the location of the wedding. This will allow for rationalization.

Wedding invitations

The centerpiece of your wedding stationery will be your formal invitations. They should reflect your overall wedding theme, including rustic, traditional, modern, beach, hobo, or traditional. Your on-the-day stationery should be matched with your invitation suites, such as menus, name cards and signage.

It would help if you thought about how you want them to look and how they will align with your vision and style. A skilled wedding invitation designer can save you time and stress. They will take all of your wedding details and create stunning invitation suites.

What should you include?

The basics:

• Date and Time
• Reception and ceremony location
• Type of reception (formal or informal, cocktail, dinner, or casual)
• Dress code
• If you have a wedding website, link it!
• Details of your RSVP (include a stamp to return the response or a link to your wedding website if you can make an online response).

Optional Extras:

• A map and directions to the venue
• Information about transport and accommodation
• Itinerary (this is only applicable if the wedding lasts more than one day or involves multiple activities)
• Requests for music
• Gift information (to let your guests be aware if you are having a gift registry or wishing well)
• If children are allowed or not, how do arrange child care

When should they be sent?

We recommend that you send your wedding invitations at least three months in advance so that guests have enough time to get them.

It would help if you also considered the following:

• You can make your wedding invitations as detailed as you like or as simple as possible. As long as you include the important information (date, time and location, dress code, RSVP, etc.
• To save space on printed invites, you can add additional information like dietary requirements, song requests and accommodation options.
• You can showcase your style and wedding theme with wedding stationery. Don’t be afraid of being creative with colours and designs.
• It’s a good idea for consistency to use the same design elements on all cards or pieces of paper. This applies whether it’s your invitation suite or your day-to-day stationery.
• We recommend ordering all your wedding stationery (invitations and menus, signage, and name cards) from one place, and ideally at the same moment. This will ensure efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

RSVPs

Guests use the wedding RSVP cards to let you know if they will be attending your wedding. They come with an envelope and a self-addressed stamped envelope. It is best for guests to RSVP promptly to confirm with vendors the exact number of attendees and any dietary restrictions they may have.

What should you include?

• Names of guest(s)
• Return a response by paying an envelope
• To respond digitally, email or website
• Accept or decline
• Dietary requirements
• Deadline for responding

When should it be sent?

The wedding invitation suite includes RSVP cards. They are sent around three months before the wedding, and guests are expected to reply as soon as possible. It is important to set a cut-off date for returning the reply cards so you can provide a headcount to the venue and caterer in advance.

It would help if you also considered the following:

• You can send digital RSVP via email or on your wedding website.
• To make it easier for your guests, send them a pre-addressed stamp and envelope and their reply cards.