Poly Mendes Photography, A Milestone Paper Company
The dos & don’ts surrounding the wedding invitation process can definitely be confusing! Here are some answers to the questions we are most commonly asked, outlined step by step.
WHERE DO I START?
1: Create your guest list! This will guide the rest of the process in terms of how many Save the Dates and invitations you will need to order, and will also be important when addressing each guest’s invitation… more on this later:)
2: The next step is to decide if you are more of a DIY person, or if you’d prefer to have a professional stationery designer take care of everything! If you are feeling the DIY route may be a good fit, there are some wonderful online resources that allow you to custom design the perfect invitation suite (we especially love Minted!). If you are more comfortable having a professional designer take over, we suggest reaching out to get an initial quote based on the number of invitations you need printed. This will help you get a clearer picture of what your overall paper goods budget will look like.
TO SAVE OR NOT TO SAVE (THE DATE)
We typically say yes! Save the Dates are a fun way to formally announce your engagement, and can be very helpful to give out of town or out of state guests plenty of advance notice to get your wedding date on their calendar. We suggest sending your Save the Dates at least 8 months in advance (10 months is even better!).
HOW SHOULD I ADDRESS MY SAVE THE DATES & INVITATIONS?
This is definitely the most commonly asked question when it comes to invites! Here is a simple breakdown of how to properly address each envelope to communicate exactly who the invitation is directed to…
IF CHILDREN IN THE FAMILY ARE INVITED:
Mr. & Mrs. John Doe & family
OR, The Doe Family
IF CHILDREN ARE NOT INVITED
Mr. & Mrs. John Doe
IF SOMEONE IS INVITED TO BRING A GUEST
Ms. Jane Doe & Guest
WHAT INFORMATION SHOULD I INCLUDE ON MY INVITATIONS?
Bottom line here: the simpler, the better! We suggest keeping printed invitations to only the high level information that guests need to know right off the bat:
- Wedding Date
- Location of ceremony & reception
- Ceremony start time (and reception start time if there is a gap between the ceremony and reception)
- RSVP date
- Meal selection info (if guests need to select their entree in advance)
- Lodging information if you have a hotel block reserved
- A small map or directions for parking/transportation if needed
- Your wedding website address
Any other details such as your wedding registry, activities or attractions in the area, and a more detailed timeline for the day can be added to a wedding website. There are countless great (FREE!) websites that you can easily create on your own, and this is the best place to add more detailed information that does not need to be included in your formal invitation.
WHEN SHOULD I SEND MY INVITES, AND WHEN SHOULD I EXPECT TO RECEIVE RESPONSES FROM GUESTS?
Your invitations should be sent 8-10 weeks prior to your wedding date. Guest responses should be returned no later than 4 weeks prior to your wedding date. Most venues and caterers will need to have your numbers finalized at least 2 weeks before the wedding, so this gives a bit of cushion to follow up with guests that may be slow to respond!
RESOURCES
Here are some of our favorite resources for online paper options, local talent and our favorite wedding websites!
ONLINE PAPER GOODS
LOCAL STATIONERS
WEDDING WEBSITES
Xo,
The Peonies
