Everything But A Groom©

Weddings are jam packed with details then they throw in the literally hundreds of ways to write a wedding invitation. Are you confused as to what to write or who to list or not to list on the invitation? And when do we send them out? Is sooner better than later, or will everyone forget? Let's address these topics and I urge you to send questions if you need clarification.

What info needs to be on the invitation?

• The Bride and Groom's full names should be listed separately on a formal document such as an invitation however a new trend of First name, Middle Initial and Last name is quickly becoming popular. Another variation that is acceptable is First Initial, Full Middle Name and Last Name if you go by your middle name. I would avoid using any nick names such as”Slim" on your invitation unless no one knows your real name.

• Who is inviting the guests? If the bride and groom are paying for the wedding they should be the invitees however if the happy couples parents are footing the bill they should be the invitees. e.g. (Parents are footing the bill) Your presence is requested at the wedding of Betty Jo Smith the daughter of Mr. Sam Hill and Mrs. Kate Yosemite to Jimmy Bob Jones son of Mr. and Mrs. Dave Jones. e.g. (Bride and Groom pay the bill) your presence is requested at the wedding of Betty Jo Smith and Jimmy Bob Jones.

• Date. You may list the day, the numeral of the day, then the month and then the year, (e.g. Saturday, the 5th day of May 2009) or month, numeral of the day and year, (e.g. May 5th, 2009).

• Time. The hour and minute that the wedding will begin. e.g. 6:00 PM should be written as six o'clock in the evening

• Place: List the venue's Full Name and address. E.g. Little Chapel in the Woods 123 Church Rd City and State.

• Reception info. If the reception will be held in the same location then simply state Reception to Follow and you’re done!!! If your reception will be held elsewhere list the Reception Hall and full address again. E.g. Reception to follow immediately after the ceremony at The Hall of Ceremonies 123 Main St City and State. For out of town guests a small map containing both locations and the easiest route is recommended.

• R.S.V.P. info. If you enclosing a RSVP card please be certain to place a stamp on the return envelope and address them to whomever will be handling those for you.

• Registry info. I do not recommend you list registry info on the invitation itself. Rather place a small card with this information with the invitation in the envelope before mailing. Many registries provide these cards for your use. Ask the clerk at the time you create your registry.

When should we send our invitations? No later than 4 weeks prior to the event and not sooner than 2 months before the event.

4 to 6 weeks allows people to set aside time and make the proper arrangements to be able to attend. Any less time than that and you are limiting the amount of guests that will be able to make the event and it is viewed to be inconsiderate to your guests. So Ladies lets not be rude. Send those invites out 6 weeks to one month before hand.

If you send the invitations out sooner than two months before the event you risk people forgetting all together. To avoid being overlooked because your event is set far into the future send out a seperate save the date card or magnet . We make custom refrigerator magnets for our clients use. Then send the invitations as mentioned before.

I hope this information has helped you make some sense of the tangled mess that invitations can be. If you have any questions about invitations please email us and we will reply as quickly as possible. Check out our great invitations for more invitation options.

Have A Happy Wedding!

Carolyn