Home>>Planning
Guide>>Invitations
& Accessories>>Article
Selecting
the Invitations
By
Megan Mercer
Last Update:
October 16, 2005
Where
can I find wedding invitations & when should I start
looking?
Wedding invitations can be purchased at most print shops,
some gift/stationary shops, and even on the Internet. It's never too early to
begin your hunt for the perfect wedding invitation. You
should plan on
spending an hour or two just thumbing through invitation
catalogs.
Find
a wedding invitation printer near you
in our
local services directory!
When
should I order the invitations?
Plan on ordering the invitations
at least three months before the wedding. Most mass-produced
invitation orders are printed within three to four
weeks, but ordering far in advance is always a good
idea to allow for any unexpected mishaps. The
invitations should be mailed at least two months
before the wedding, so
be sure to give
your
self
enough
time to address, stamp, and stuff the envelopes.
Obviously since the
time, date, and locations will all appear on the invitations
you should have all of
this information set in stone before you even think
about ordering the invitations.
How many invitations
should I order?
Before you order your invitations you will want to compose
a preliminary guest list to get a feel for how
many invitations you need to buy. Plan on ordering one
invitation for each couple or family with children,
two for single people who are bringing guests you know
(the guests should receive their own invitations), one
for each single guest over 18, and at least 25 extra
invitations to keep as mementos and
allow for correcting mistakes.
Knowing how many exactly
how many invites you need when selecting
your
invitations
will help you stay within
your
budget. Then you can steer clear of the invitations
that are out of your price range and focus on getting
the
most bang for your buck. Don't forget about
the added cost of postage!
Selecting the right
invitation.
The style and design
of your wedding invitation is very important. The invitation
is the first thing that your guest will see from your
wedding. Think about the style, size, and level of formality
of your
wedding
as
you select
your invitations. These characteristics should be reflected
in the style, design, wording of your invitation. For
more info on wording the invitation, click
here.
Ordering from catalogs
is the most popular means of selecting invitations these
days. Keep in mind that these catalogs contain samples
of pre-designed
invitations—meaning
that the paper color, paper stock, borders, and ornamentation
have already been set. You may then pick out the
color of the ink, the style of the script, and the words
to use. Some invitations come complete with phrasing;
all you do is supply the information for your wedding
and the manufacturer does the rest.
What
about other
stationery—Reception
Cards, Thank You Note's, Announcements, etc?
You should know what you are going to need beyond the
actual invitation before you begin your order.
You will probably want matching thank you notes, announcements,
and so on. Thus all of these pieces should be ordered
at the time to keep all of your stationery
consistent.
When should you mail
the invitations?
The invitations should be
mailed two months before the wedding. This allows your
guests plenty of time
to RSVP, make travel arrangements, purchase a gift,
etc. Plan on making a trip to the post office to have
your invitations weighed to determine the exact postage
needed. Don't forget you also need to include postage
on any RSVP cards that are to be mailed back to you!
