Wedding Invitations - How to Make The Right Choice

One of the first steps you will make in preparing for your wedding is choosing the invitations. Keep in mind that the invitations to your wedding will be the first announcement seen by your invited guests. Therefore, the invitations should reflect your personal style, encompass the theme or style of the wedding, and provide information to invitees. Here are a few tips on how to make the right choice.

It is important when choosing your wedding invitations that appropriate time frames be taken into account. Typically, invitations going to local guests are mailed out four weeks prior to the wedding. Out-of-town guests will need more time to make plans. Six weeks is a good time frame. Modern brides are now notifying their guests of their upcoming wedding with a "Save the Date" card. This is a small card listing the bride and groom's name and the date of the nuptials. It is usually mailed out six to eight months before the wedding. It is important to note that this does not replace the formal invitation.

Just as you would do for many aspects of the wedding, ordering invitations should also include an outlined and executed contract. The contract will contain the style of paper, font, coloring, information, and delivery date of the invitations. Make sure that prior to signing any contract you have the opportunity to see samples of your chosen invitations.

When choosing a printer, you may decide to work with an individual or a smaller printing company. Smaller vendors typically have a better selection. However, larger stationary stores or bridal shops will normally be less expensive.

In addition to choosing the style of your wedding invitations, we should also consider postage expense. For example, sending out a one-page invitation would obviously cost less than including RSVP cards or inserts. Keep in mind, the more paper, the more money it will cost to mail. Don 't forget to add the cost of stamps on your RSVP envelopes when calculating your budget.

The good news is that you have a number of options to help save you money without sacrificing quality and style. Make sure you order your invitations in plenty of time. Rush orders are much more costly. You must order between 10-15 extra invitations with envelopes just in case of addressing mistakes or last minute guest additions. Skipping this step could cost you big money.

Here is a look at some of the decisions you will have to make:

Paper Options

Card Stock – Matte type paper, available in a nice variety of weights and colors.

Cotton Fiber – Strong paper made from 100% cotton.

Deckle Edge – Handmade paper with torn-looking edges.

Glassine – Thin, shiny paper typically used for envelopes.

Handmade – Customized paper made from your choice of natural materials to include
vegetables, flowers, and herbs.

Laid – Lightweight paper with a textured finish.

Linen – Semi-rough paper resembling linen fabric.

Marbled – Paper with a marbling look.

Overlay – Translucent or delicate paper placed on top of other paper.

Parchment – Translucent and cloudy paper with a gorgeous appearance.

Vellum – Translucent, lightweight paper generally used for overlay.

Printing Options

Calligraphy – Created by hand or done with calligraphy font from a computer, rich and
elegant.

Emboss – Ink-free and stylish, letters are pushed from the backside of the paper.

Engraving – Elegant printing with raised lettering.

Letterpress – Handcrafted appearance with distinct designs.

Offset – Flat and basic but available in a variety of colors.

Thermography – Glossy and polished with raised lettering on the front and smooth on the back of the paper.

In summary, give yourself plenty of time to choose your wedding invitations. There are so many
options to choose from, you will have no problem finding the perfect style at the right price to compliment your wedding day.