Wedding Series: Wedding Invitation Tips

Once upon a time, traditional wedding invitations were produced individually (sometimes engraved and pressed on a fancy paper) but these invites have evolved throughout the years. They no longer require so much detail (texture and type of paper/ink used – though it is still nice to get an engraved fancy invite in the mail but that could cost a fortune). Nonetheless, the simple yet elegant designs and e-vite options that are available online are infinite.

As soon as we booked the venue and had a date, sending out our ‘save the date’ and ‘wedding invites’ were a priority. Traditionally, invites go out six to eight weeks before the wedding date and that gives guests plenty of time to schedule it off and/or make any travel arrangements, but we wanted to give our guests 4-5 months in our busy modern age. If it’s a destination wedding then you might want to consider even more time as guests need to take time off from work, book travel and make any necessary arrangements.

We really wanted to incorporate our wedding theme and personalize our invitations. How did we come up with the theme? We’d planned a trip to the South of France in 2016 (same time we got engaged), we fell in love with Aix-en-Provence and everything lavender. So we wanted to hold onto the memento of that trip for as long as we could and lavender was the obvious choice for our overall wedding theme.

After looking at many many e-vite designs and samples, we sent our save the date electronically and decided to print the wedding invitations. After all, it’s a beautiful memory to keep and it was easier to mail for those who don’t use technology. For the invites we went with a referral print shop who helped us materialize our idea, get the place cards for the guests and other printed material. It was a semi-DIY project, we did a mini photo-shoot at our home in Ottawa and sent a few templates and pictures to the designer to start the process.

Here are top tips for wedding invitations:

  • Start Early – send a save the date, find a nearby print shop and ask how long they need to get your invites printed.
  • Have a Stationary Budget – the cost per invite can vary and this might be the first major cost as you start to plan your wedding. So prioritize your expenses/costs accordingly.   
  • Confirm Venue, Time and Other Details – there is no refund if you make a mistake and have hundreds of invites printed so confirm your ceremony and wedding reception details. And triple proof-read.
  • Print Extras – to avoid multiple trips to the print shop, the extra cost and forgetting to invite old aunt Theresa.
  • Incorporate the Wedding Theme & Know What You Want – the invitations can say a lot about your wedding style, give your guests a glimpse to what they should expect. Also, don’t be afraid to work with your invite designer and don’t be shy to suggest changes – you are footing the bill after all.
  • One Invite per Household –  families should get one invitation (i.e. addressed to “The Joseph Family”).  The expectation is if couples and single friends live on their own then they should receive their own invitation.
  • Don’t Over Do it – keep it minimal (i.e. design/wording) and classy.
  • Beyond Paper – some say the days of mailed invites, paper rsvp’s, return envelopes and maps are over altogether. Consider your specific crowd and whether a website, email or even Facebook might be a better (and cheaper) way to organize the guest list. Also, for those relatives and friends abroad, they can attend your wedding ceremony/reception virtually and thereafter, access your online platform for pictures and videos. My brother surprised us with a website which also served as a live streaming video for our family/friends abroad.

Once you send the ‘Save the Date’ there is no turning back and all your efforts will be worth it! 🙂

XO Dalia

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1 Responses
  • Aya
    May 4, 2018

    Yup, we did a Facebook group “Save the Date” and text messages/emails for those that weren’t on Facebook. We realized how little actual mailing addresses we had for people. But you are right, that moment when you send out the save the dates is a definitive moment, as there is no turning back. I was NERVOUS .. I couldn’t press the ‘send’ bottom and my hubby held my hand through it :).

    I will take your advise for one invite per householder :).

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