Five Quick Wedding Invitation Tips

Naturally we get asked about wedding invitations all the time. How to chose the right ones, what to look for, what wording to use --- all such important questions! We thought we'd pull together a quick post on how to pick wedding invitations. Here are our top five tips!  

1. Choose the design that's right for you. Don't too get caught up in worrying about tradition; instead, choose an invitation that fits your style, whether it's colorful or classic.

2. Embrace paper. While it's tempting to do a lot of things digitally these days, remember that your wedding is a great opportunity to slow down, reflect, and celebrate.

3. Begin with the event in mind.  The invitation sets the tone for the wedding, so the design should ideally reflect the style of your venue, your color palette, and the level of formality.

4. Simplify. The only things guests really need to receive in the mail these days is an invitation -- the rest of the details (e.g. travel, accommodations, registry, RSVP) are often best communicated by a wedding website or e-mail. That said, if you have the budget and desire for a pretty invitation package, by all means go for it!  Your guests will be thrilled.

5. Have fun! Wedding planning should be as fun and enjoyable as the event itself, so stop yourself if you're turning into a bridezilla. Remember it's not the end of the world if you don't get the EXACT shade of purple font you were dreaming of. At the end of the day what matters is the big event and the small things that may go wrong on the way are worth brushing off!

Be sure to check out our extensive wedding wording and planning advice. Have more questions? Ask us in the comments!

P's and Q's: Perfecting Your Guest List

The next installment of our P's and Q's wedding etiquette series is perfecting your guest list. As one of the first priorities when planning your wedding, the guest list (and keeping track of RSVPs!) is one category that requires meticulous attention. Yes you may have an enormous extended family and want everyone to be included somehow, but there are ways to minimize the crowd and still enjoy everyone's company. Here are a few helpful pointers:

1. Counting out kids

It's completely acceptable to request that parents make other arrangements for kids at your wedding. Most parents would probably appreciate the night out, too. We asked our expert Design Consultant Lia for some tips:

What are some good ways to say "No kids allowed" without offending guests?

The details card is the perfect place to include a polite explanation for excluding children, such as "Your presence at our wedding is very important to us, however we are not able to accommodate children at the ceremony or reception." 

If the wedding happens to be at a venue that serves alcohol (such as a winery) something like "due to the nature of our venue..." can be as easy explanation.

Addressing the invitation envelopes to the adult guests only is another subtle way to pass the message.  "Mr. and Mrs. Hemmingway" is more specific than "The Hemmingways" or "The Hemmingway Family." 

If budget allows, having childcare available in a separate location is a nice courtesy to extend to guests who may have a hard time traveling without the whole family.  As with any delicate situation, picking up the telephone for a personal conversation is a respectful way to curtail any potential issues before they arise.

2. A and B guest lists

When coming up with A and B guest lists, be sure to keep a few things in mind:

• Send A-list invitations a few weeks early and with an earlier RSVP date to allow sufficient time for the B-listers to get their travel plans in line.
• Stay on top of your list. The day you get a regret, send out your next invitation.
• It's best to send any invitations at least four weeks before the wedding date. Send invitations outside of your hometown or state first, and save local invites for last.

Is it OK to invite guests to only the reception?

As more couples have private ceremonies these days, it's totally acceptable to invite guests to the reception only and they'll likely be all the more excited to celebrate with you at the fantastic party!  Invitations should clearly state "the pleasure of your company is requested at the wedding reception" and guests invited to the ceremony should receive a separate ceremony card as well. 

For more helpful advice on perfecting your guest list, head over to our handy Wedding Advice page!