Wedding invitations

Wedding Invitation Etiquette

When should I mail my wedding invitations?

Wedding invitations should be mailed 6 to 8 weeks in advance of the wedding date.

Who should the wedding invitations be issued by?

The general rule of thumb is that the people who contribute financially to the wedding should be mentionned on the wedding invitation. However, some couples may chose to honour their parents by including their names on the invitation, even if the parents are not making a financial contribution to the wedding.

How many wedding invitations should I order?

An easy way to calculate the number of invitations to order is to take the number of guests you are inviting, divide this number by 2 and add 20 to 25 extra invitations just in case there are additional guests you decide to invite. Please keep in mind that it is cheaper to purchase an additional 25 instead of having to re-order 25 more invitations.

What date should I put on the response card?

The reply date should be four weeks prior to your wedding date.

Should I call the guest(s) who don't respond by the reply date?

The answer to this question is actually a personal decision. If a guest has not replied by the reply date, it is perfectly acceptable to call the guest and confirm whether or not they will be coming to your wedding. A polite way to do this is to ask the guest if they have received your invitation. They probably have but just forgot to mail the response card.

If you don't feel comfortable callng your guests it is best to assume that the guest will be coming to your wedding. It is better to have an extra plate of food than a guest with no place to sit.

How do I prepare the envelopes?

The proper way to prepare the envelopes is as follows:

(1) The invitation is placed face up at the bottom of the pile.

(2) Any enclosure cards, such as a reception card or map, are placed directly on

top of the invitation.

(3) The response card is then placed on top of the enclosure cards. The response card should be tucked under the flap of the response envelope

which is self-addressed and has a stamp.

(4) This entire pile is then placed into the inner envelope (the inner envelope has no glue on the flap). All of the wording should face the opening of the envelope so that your guests see it immediately upon opening the inner envelope. Guests names are written on the front of the inner envelope (titles and name only).

(5) The last step is to place the inner envelope in the outer envelope so guests names are visible when the inner envelope is removed.

What are save the date cards?

Save the date cards are sent out to your guests to inform them of you upcoming wedding. They are usually sent 4 months prior to the actual wedding day and indicate that the invitation is to follow. In today's society, giving your guests as much notice as possible of your upcoming wedding is extremely important, especially if you have guests from out-of-town or are planning a destination wedding.