When to Order

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During the planning stage, allow at least two months from the time you place your order for your invitations and stationery to arrive. Turnaround times do vary from printer to printer, but leaving ample time only means you’ll have the freedom to order the right invitation suite – not just one that will get there on time. If you want your save the date cards and wedding invitations to match, then you’ll need to start looking about 8 months to a year before your wedding date. However, don’t feel pressure to have them match, it’s hard to plan your entire paper style so far in advance. Your taste may change. We recommend mixing it up! As long as you’re consistent with certain elements (color schemes, design elements, etc.) the pieces will appear cohesive.

Save the Dates

In general, save the dates should reach your guests six to eight months before your wedding and up to a year before international and destination weddings. We recommend ordering save the dates eight months before traditional celebrations and up to 14 months before destination weddings.

Wedding Invitations

Traditionally, invitations are mailed six to eight weeks before the wedding. We strongly recommend ordering your invitation suite at least four months before your wedding date. That gives you two months to receive and address your invitations. If you’re planning to create custom invitations or add extra touches like calligraphy, you may want to allow even more time.

The invitation sets the tone for your event more so than any other piece, so let this one shine. From the invitation forward, it’s usually a good idea to have your pieces match. It’s an easy way to make your event feel consistent and seamlessly stylish.

Programs, Menus, Place Cards

Additional pieces for the wedding weekend, ceremony and reception may include:

• - Menus
• - Place cards
• - Escort cards
• - Programs
• - Information cards
• - Activities cards

We recommend ordering any pieces you’ll need for your wedding celebration at least six to 10 weeks before the event.

Dos and don’ts

• - Do order extras. Trust us, you’ll be glad you did. Having extra invitations and envelopes on hand not only saves the day when you or a calligrapher make a mistake during the addressing stage, but also means you’ll have additional copies as mementos for friends, family and yourself. A standard rule of thumb is to order 10 extra copies of your invitation.
• - Do spend some time thinking about where RSVPs should be sent. While RSVPs traditionally go to the wedding host(s), many guests will automatically send gifts to the RSVP address included with the invitation. If parents hosting the wedding live in a different town from the bride and groom, you may choose to have RSVPs sent directly to the bride-to-be.

Wording

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Some words on wording

When it comes to wedding invitations and all their accompaniments, what to say and how to say it has left many a bride and groom wringing their hands in bewilderment. But the process needn’t be stressful or complicated. Remember, each piece in your wedding invitation suite has its own purpose and communicates a specific set of information to your guests. Following these simple rules of thumb will get you headed in the right direction:

The Invitation

Quick Tips to avoid common faux pas:

-In all cases the names of the hosts should be listed at the top of the invitation.

-Every invitation card should include:

- Names of the bride and groom

-Names of the hosts (traditionally, the parents of the bride)

-Ceremony date, day of the week, time and location

-Be consistent. If you spell out the wedding date on the invitation, make sure to spell it out on your reply card as well. If you list the date in a casual way on the invitation, list it in a casual way on the reply card.

-The term “request honor of your presence” is typically reserved for a church wedding. You are welcome to spell it as either “honor” or “honour.” Just make sure on your reply card you match it with either “favor” or “favour.”

-If you are getting married outside of a church (i.e. on a beach, in a garden, in a ballroom, etc.) suggested invitation wording would be “request the pleasure of your company.”

-The word “and” in between two names typically implies that those people are married. Names of unmarried hosts or guests should be stacked.

-If the wedding ceremony and reception are being hosted in the same location, there is no need for a reception card. At the bottom of the invitation, simply say “Reception to follow,” “Dinner and dancing to follow,” or something to that effect. -Spell it out. For your wedding collection, try not to abbreviate anything. It’s a good idea to spell out state names, street information and middle names.

Examples:

Traditional and/or formal weddings being held in a church and hosted by the parents of the bride:

For more formal and/or traditional weddings being held outside of a church and hosted by parents of the bride:

For more formal and/or traditional weddings being held outside of a church and hosted by both sets of parents:

For less formal or non-traditional weddings being hosted by both sets of parents and the bride and groom (there is a myriad of ways to arrange the wording, so feel free to add in your own creativity):

For less formal or non-traditional weddings being hosted by the bride and the groom:

Special cases

In today’s world, many couples find that traditional wording conventions don’t suit. Here are our recommendations for handling some common special cases.

Divorced parents

Traditional and/or formal weddings being held in a church and hosted by the divorced parents of the bride (include names on separate lines):

You can use a similar format when one parent has remarried:

Wording for additional pieces

Wording for additional pieces in the wedding invitation suite vary widely depending on the couple’s individual style, taste, ceremony and budget. Here, we offer examples of standard wording for popular additional pieces. Remember that you can change words, add or subtract information and rearrange the order of different lines to reflect your wedding’s unique character.

Save the Date

- For formal events, you may want to include couples’ full names and host names
- You may also include the wedding location and a wedding web site URL

R.S.V.P Card

Most formal (the guests are to write in their response in the blank space below. This is a fun way to get more personal and memorable responses):

Most current (you offer a series of checkboxes and lines to direct the information you want):

-You can mix and match how you ask for replies, as long as the wording seems consistent with the invitation. Feel free to mix and match any of the above.

-Note that “the favor of a reply” typically matches the invitation wording “the honor of your presence.” If you used “request the pleasure of your company” or less formal wording on the invitation, the corresponding RSVP wording would typically be “Kindly reply by” or “Kindly respond by.”

-To come up with your RSVP by date, give yourself half the time you give your guests. If you send your invitations out 8 weeks in advance of your wedding, ask for the reply by date 4 weeks from the wedding. If you send the invitations out 6 weeks in advance, the reply by date should be 3 weeks out.

At Home Card

Activities Card

Information Card

Escort Card (Names go on the envelope, table information goes on the insert)

Thank You Card

-Brides and grooms today typically create personal stationery to match their wedding suite and use these personal notes to thank their guests. They personalize it with their married names or married monogram (i.e. Susie and Tyler Minted)
-More traditional thank you cards feature the words “Thank You” on the front flap and are blank inside.

Tips

- For gifts received before the wedding, the general rule is to send thank you cards within two weeks of receipt.
- For gifts received at or after the wedding, we recommend sending thank you notes within a month of receiving the gift.
- Mention the gift by name.
- For monetary gifts, do not mention the exact amount. Instead, thank the guest for the “generous gift.”
- Give an example of how you are or will use the gift.
- If the person also attended your wedding, thank them for coming.

Rehearsal Dinner

We recommend sending invitations to the rehearsal dinner three to six weeks before the event. This invitation is much less formal, and there are a number of ways you can word this depending on the formality of the dinner. Some suggestions are below:

Place Card

Favor Tag

Dos and Don’ts

Whatever wording and format you choose for your wedding invitation, we strongly recommend keeping these dos and don’ts in mind:

- Do double, triple, quadruple check the spelling of the names and titles of invited guests.
- Do use the correct names for invited guests whenever possible. If you don’t know your second cousin Anne’s boyfriend’s last name, ask! Using the name will make both Anne and her boyfriend feel like the special, honored guests they are.
- Don’t include registry information on your invitation card or accompanying pieces. Instead, list the information on your wedding web site and communicate it via word of mouth. Not only is it tacky to present this information on your formal invitation, it is presumptuous to ask your guests for gifts.
- Don’t print “no gifts” anywhere on your invitation suite, even if you truly prefer that guests not bring gifts. Not only does a message like this presume your guests were planning to give you gifts in the first place, the decision to give or not to give gifts is your guests’ choice, not yours.
- Don’t include reception information on the invitation card unless both the ceremony and the reception are held at the same venue. When a reception is held at a different location, it is a separate event and should be treated as such. Include a reception card with the proper event details in the invitation suite.

Monograms

Many couples choose to use a monogram as a signature emblem on their invitation suite. Traditionally, monograms on wedding invitations and any accompanying pieces that arrive before the ceremony include the bride’s initials only.

That said, many couples today are comfortable bucking tradition. If the bride and groom want to incorporate initials from both their names on wedding suite pieces, we recommend using initials from first names only. For example, if Carolyn and Samuel are getting married, their monogram would incorporate the letters CS (ladies first).

Save the formal, married monogram for pieces at your reception – place cards, table cards, menus – and thank you cards. Typically, the couples’ first initials appear on either side of the initial of the groom’s last name. For example, once Carolyn Minted and Samuel Temple are married, their new monogram will use will be CTS.

Addressing

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Addressing the invitation

When you’re ready to address your outer envelopes, sticking to the following conventions announces your upcoming celebration with grace and style:

Married couples Mr. and Mrs. Robert Minted

Married couples with different last names Mr. Robert Minted and Mrs. Elaine Allen

Married couples with one doctor (the Dr. title precedes a Mr. or Mrs.) Dr. and Mrs. Robert Minted or Dr. Elaine and Mr. Robert Minted

Married couples with two doctors The Drs. Robert and Elaine Minted

Married couples with a judge The Honorable Robert and Mrs. Elaine Minted The Honorable Robert Minted and Mrs. Elaine Minted

Unmarried couples living together Mr. Robert Minted Ms. Elaine Allen

Dos and Don’ts

- Do rely on inner envelopes to tactfully invite only certain members of a family
- Don’t use abbreviations. Spell out state names and words like “street” and “avenue.”

Return address

The return address indicates where guests should send replies and gifts when a specified RSVP address does not appear inside the invitation suite.

Traditionally, guests mail responses to the parents of the bride. Today, many brides prefer to handle the responses themselves. In that case, use only the bride’s address, even if the bride and groom live together (trust us, it will make your ultra conservative, octogenarian auntie happy).

If the groom wants to have his name appear in the return address, proper etiquette is to present the couples’ names on separate lines:

Carrie Minted
Samuel Temple
123 Main Street
San Francisco, California 94133

Assembly and Mailing

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Assembling your invitation suite

When your guests open your wedding invitation, they should see the enclosed cards arranged in order of size, with the smallest piece on top and the largest – the invitation – on the bottom.

The invitation always arrives on the bottom with its printed side facing up. If your invitation is double-sided, arrange it so the ceremony details are faced down.

Additional pieces should be stacked on top of the invitation according to size. If you have more than one card of the same size, place the more important card closest to the invitation.

In general, the ordering of the pieces usually looks like this:

Bottom
1. Invitation
2. RSVP set (RSVP card should be placed under the flap of the RSVP envelope)
3. Reception Card
Top

Dos and don’ts

- Do write a number lightly in pencil on the back of every RSVP card. Assign each number to a guest on your list. When a guest inevitably forgets to write his or her name on the RSVP card, this backup system will allow you to keep track of who’s coming.

Stuffing the envelopes

We recommend making this dull task fun (and a whole lot faster) by rounding up some friends and family members for an informal envelope stuffing party. Mix up a batch of cocktails to keep ‘em happy.

Dos and don’ts

- Do assemble one complete invitation set and weigh it at the post office before stamping your envelopes. Improper postage, which will result in returned invitations, can be disastrous.
- Do set aside invitation sets bound for international addresses. This will help remind you to add extra postage.
- Do double, triple, quadruple check each invitation set before sealing the outer envelope. If you’re including inner envelopes, make sure the names on the outer and inner envelopes match.
- Don’t use a sponge to seal the envelopes. It may not taste great, but the lick-and-stick method guarantees a tight seal.

Glossary

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What’s the different between a place card and a table card? And what the heck is a bellyband anyway? Read on for brief definitions of the many possible components found in contemporary wedding invitation suites.

• Invitation

This card formally invites guests to the wedding ceremony. It includes the hosts’ names, a specific request that the invited guests attend, the ceremony date, ceremony day of week and the ceremony location.

• Save-the-Date Card

A card sent six months to a year before the event. It should include the couples’ names, event date and event year. Many couples choose to include their wedding web site URL on the save the date card.

• R.S.V.P Card

A card included in the wedding invitation suite asking guests to indicate whether they will or will not attend the wedding. Some RSVP cards also present guests with their choice of main courses and ask them to make a selection. RSVP cards are accompanied by matching envelopes pre-addressed to the wedding’s hosts or the bride-to-be.

• Reception Card

A card included in the wedding invitation set that includes event details for the reception. Reception cards are used when the wedding ceremony and reception are held at different locations.

• Bellyband

A decorative paper, ribbon or fabric band wrapped and secured around the wedding invitation or one of its accompanying pieces.

• Fly sheet or tissue

A decorative sheet of paper, vellum or other material the lies on top of the invitation card.

• Tag

Usually a small square or rectangle printed with a motif, your wedding date, the couples’ names or a monogram. The tag is usually mounted on a pocket folder or jacket to give the invitation a polished look.

• Directions Card

A card included with the wedding invitation set that provides directions to the wedding ceremony, reception or other essential event locations.

• Accommodations Card

A card that identifies recommended lodging options for out-of-town guests. Often sent with the save the date card, the accommodations card frequently includes key information about rooms reserved in blocks for wedding guests and offers instructions and deadlines for booking rooms with special rates.

• Activities Card

A popular and helpful addition to weddings with many out-of-town guests, this piece of the wedding invitation suite outlines organized activities, brunches, outings and other events taking place over the course of the days surrounding the wedding.

• Menu

A card sent with the wedding invitation suite that lists the menu items to be served at a meal following the wedding ceremony.

• Rehearsal Dinner Invitation

A card inviting guests to the rehearsal dinner. Because the rehearsal dinner is traditionally hosted by the groom’s family or another party separate from the wedding hosts, the rehearsal dinner invitation is typically sent separately from the wedding invitation suite. While the rehearsal dinner invitation and wedding invitation can match, they often do not.

• Escort Card

Escort cards are the intermediate step between the cocktail hour and the reception. Usually displayed on a decorative escort card table, these cards tell your guests what table they will sit at during the reception. Some escort cards come inside a small envelope. Guests’ names are written on the envelope, and the table number is written on the enclosed card.

• Place Card

Place cards are labeled with a guest’s name and placed in front of a designated table setting.

• Favor Tag

Much like a gift tag, favor tags are used to tag the favors the bride and groom will give to guests at the reception. They often include a short printed message, the bride’s and groom’s names and wedding date. This is also a great place to incorporate a monogram.

• Table Card

Table cards are used to number tables at the reception and usually coordinate with escort and place cards.

• Calling Card

This card often appears alongside welcome baskets or bags in your guests’ hotel rooms.

• At Home Card

This card is included in the wedding invitation suite to inform guests of a new, post-wedding address.

• Program

A bulletin handed out to guests either upon arrival at the wedding ceremony or as they are ushered to their seats. Programs can include information about the ceremony, dedications or an in memoriam for deceased loved ones, favorite poems, featured music, order of the service, an explanation of the service components, text for group prayers or readings, and names of wedding party participants, attendants, ushers, readers, musical soloists and officiates.

• Invitation Cover

Much like a cover page for a presentation, an invitation cover creates a more polished look and sets the right tone for a stately, formal event.

• Invitation Holder

A small pocket that secures your invitation and enclosure cards. Invitation holders are especially useful when sending multiple enclosure cards because they allow guests to easily keep track of the pieces. Holders also create a stylish, organized effect.

• Pocket Folders

A pocketed folder used for presenting the invitation card and additional pieces in one packet. Typically, the invitation card is immediately visible once the folder is opened. Additional pieces are tucked into the folder’s accompanying pocket.

• Information Card

An enclosure card that is sent with the wedding invitation. Typically the same size as a reception or RSVP card, the information card provides guests with any additional information you want them to have (shuttle info, a note about the place you’re getting married, etc). Wedding sets do not always feature “information cards.” In this case, we recommend personalizing a reception card or any enclosure card that you feel is the right size.