A guest post from our friend Angel at Handstolearn all about wedding invitations

You’re getting married!! This is such an exciting time as you prepare to join your life to your best friend’s. And then spend forever hanging out. (WHAT A DREAM).

The thing about weddings is… they take A LOT to plan. “Alexa, plan my wedding.” Eh, it was worth a try. You’ve got to buy the nicest dress you’ll ever have in your entire life (to wear once and then put in the back of your closet), write your vows aka the most meaningful words you’ll ever say to the person that means more to you than the whole world (no pressure), and pick your bridesmaids from all your best gal pals. You’ll think of all your favorite people and family and then mom says you have to invite Great Aunt Rose and Uncle Dwayne (who even is that??) and then you have to coordinate where they’ll all stay, and where you’ll have the ceremony, and where you’ll have the reception, and what it’ll all look like, and then feed all these people, and goodness are flowers that expensive? I’m already ready for the honeymoon.

I can’t be your fairy godmother with everything, but I can help you with the very first step: WEDDING INVITATIONS. They’re the first glimpse all your guests will get of your big day, and so you’ve got to make them count! Without breaking the bank and with as much ease as possible, please.

CHOOSE YOUR STYLE:

Bold – Bright, strong, striking colors. Lots of contrast and thick brushstrokes. This is a style that’s as loud as your personality (and probably the speakers in your car).

Elegant – A timeless style that captures the beauty of your own romance. A classic calligraphy script, gold foil, swirls, and lace. Cinderella approved.

Minimalist – Sleek and modern, just the basics. Lots of black and white, and an easy to read text. Let’s get to the point: you’re getting married, let’s party.

Artistic – This day is all about you, and your guests will see that from the first glance. Personalized to the max: a painting of you and your fiance, a watercolored timeline of how you met, or an artistic map of the wedding day. This style is as unique as your love story.

WHAT DO I REALLY NEED:

First things first, when it comes to printing, remember that couples and families only need one invitation. Don’t print 300 and realize you only needed 100. Now let’s get to details, what do you really need?:

Save the Date – Nope. I’m going to be honest. We had so many people to invite to our wedding, that it was going to save us money if people RSVP’d “no”… aaand we kinda needed that. Not because we didn’t love them, we just didn’t have the budget to feed everyone we loved! Make sure your “VIP” guests know and save your date, and skip mailing the Save the Dates. Saved yourself printing, postage, (and a few plates). 

Invitation – Yeah, this one is important. The most popular question I get is, “what should my invitation say?” Honestly, there’s no exact wording. It’s all preference! I suggest scrolling through Pinterest and reading invitations. Mix and match your favorite phrasing until you create one all your own. Here are some basics:

“Together with their families” – this phrase is especially appropriate if your families are helping you pay for the big day. However, some families cause tension around a wedding, and there’s no shame in leaving this line out as well. It’s your day!

Bride and Groom names – First and middle, first and last, just first, up to you!

The Invitation itself – Anything from short and sweet “Invite you to their wedding ceremony” (especially if not everyone is invited to the reception), to more expressive “Request the pleasure of your company at the celebration of their marriage.” Communicate what you wish!

The Date – You probably don’t need the year, but can include it if you wish.

The Time – Elegantly written out, or expressed numerically.

The Location – And don’t forget the address, not just the name of the venue. You don’t need the zip code (they’re not mailing you anything there).

“Reception to Follow” or “Dinner and Dancing to Follow” – If everyone is invited to a party afterward, let them know what to expect! Feel free to be creative and show some personality with this line.

RSVP – This one is important, but can have a modern twist, even on an elegant style invitation! Here’s the tea: stamps are expensive… especially when you consider that a percentage of your guests will forget to RSVP and you’ll have to text them for their answer, wasting that extra postage you included on their return envelope. So when it comes to RSVPs, you’ve got a few different options.

Classic – You mail them a little card with a return envelope addressed to you. You also include a stamp. This is the classic style, takes a little more cost, but has an elegant look. Older guests may appreciate the paper response, but you can save on that with the next option as well.

Postcard – You mail them the little card, but your return address is printed on the back (meaning you don’t have to write out your own address 3,000 times) and postcard stamps are around $0.20 cheaper than regular stamps. Still a paper response, with a twist, and some saved $$.

Online – This is what we chose to do. We printed a line on the back of our invitations directing our guests to our wedding website, where they were able to tell us whether they could attend or not. Some wedding websites also give you the ability to collect information like meal choices, etc. Easy, and free! We only had a few guests we knew weren’t computer savvy and we were able to just give them a call (which they appreciated too)!

Accomodation – Not the most important. You can make it its own separate card, especially if most guests are from out of town. But if it’s simple enough, it can be a short line on the back of the invitation or on the details card.

Details – Depends on your day. If your reception is at another location, if you’ll be outdoors and need to remind ladies not to wear stilettos, if you have a dress code, if you are having a cash bar and need people to bring some green, if you’d like children to stay home, you might need a details card. But, if the information you need to provide can fit on the back of your invitation, you might be able to save on printing and design! Some people choose to include registry information, others feel pushy “asking” for gifts. Up to you!

THE TIMELINE:

Save the Dates – Six to Eight months before the big day. Especially for those with long travel times.

Invitations to a Destination Wedding – Three months before the big day. This goes for international guests you’re inviting, too.

Invitations – Six to Eight weeks before the big day. Give people time to make reservations and plan.

RSVP Deadline – Three to Four weeks before the big day. You’ll need this in order to make your seating chart, and to share with the caterer.

ORGANIZING ADDRESSES:

Your wedding website should be able to help you with this! But if you choose to go the DIY route, you can create an Excel sheet. Check Pinterest and Google for some examples to copy (you don’t have to do this alone)!

KEEPING TRACK OF RSVPs:

Your wedding website should help with this as well. If you’ve used an Excel sheet, a column of “expected” number of guests can be easily totalled at the bottom, with a blank column of “attending” guests to be filled in as RSVPs come. If you have also requested meal information, be sure to have those columns as well.

Now, if only that tracking sheet could remind all of your guests to respond on time!

I know I told you I couldn’t be your fairy godmother with everything… but if you just want me to be the guru in your pocket to answer allllll invitation questions, shoot me an email and we can create from start to finish together! 

Weddings are a lot of work, and a big day, but worth it, I promise! Don’t forget to step back and enjoy the little moments too. Marriage is the greatest gift and whatever route you take, whether big celebration or an intimate elopement, make it uniquely yours. Congratulations!
Angel is a watercolor artist, hand-letterer, and graphic designer from Northeast Pennsylvania. She’s a big fan of sweet tea, home, and her husband Jonathan. Visit her website at www.handstolearn.co and send her an email at handstolearn.angel@gmail.com

You can see some of her wedding invites in weddings we have photographed here: Rachel & Oliver and Cecelia & Mat