Everybody wants to have the perfect wedding stationery - after all, it sets the tone of your wedding day! Here's our advice to getting it just right...
How to set the tone
Whatever
information you want to get across with your invitations, make sure you
think about how to phrase things with diplomacy and tact - especially
if it concerns possibly contentious areas such as who exactly you're
inviting or your gift list requirements. Read through your first draft
a few times and ask others for comments; even if it doesn't sound
controversial to you, when things are written down in black and white
they can come across as harsher than intended. There's also a potential
issue with style and consistency; there's no point sending out a very
formal invitation in an elegant fashion and then lowering the tone with
a joke-laced information sheet printed on a scrappy piece of A4. The wording on your wedding invitations
The wording on your invitations is one of those things that should be quite simple but often isn't! The main decision you'll need to make is how formal you want it to sound - for example will you be asking for 'the honour of your presence' or the more usual 'pleasure of your company'? Many people still use the traditional idea of the bride's parents as 'hosts' but this isn't necessary if you are organising and hosting the wedding yourself. If you're doing your own wording, don't forget to include the obvious things, like an address to RSVP to. As well as basic information, you might like to give an idea about what kind of meal will be served, when it will finish and any transport you're laying on.When to send out the invitations
The usual 'rule'
is to send out invitations six-eight weeks before the wedding, but many
couples post them out much earlier so that people can get organised.
Some people post a second batch depending on the numbers who come back
and accept the first lot - so you might be thinking that the sooner you
send them, the sooner you can ask for a response and therefore the
sooner you can post the second batch! Lots of people do this, just bear
in mind that people are likely to ask each other, 'Did you get an
invite from Jo and Jonny?' Others like to know how many day guests will
be coming before sending out the evening invitations, in which case
you'll need to be quite organised too. Usually you can expect to have
around 10% of the people you invite unable to make it, though this will
vary depending on the time of year and how much notice you give.Save the date cards
Lots
of couples now send 'Save The Date' cards well before the invitations
are ready. The idea is to let people know the wedding date as soon as
possible so that they keep it free; this is an especially good idea if
you're getting married abroad or having a weekend-long wedding for
which people will need to book flights and get time off work. In fact,
anyone marrying in the summer might decide to send them, to help avoid
potential clashes with annual holidays or festivals. Save The Date
cards are informal notices of an impending wedding and are usually
posted 12 to six months beforehand. Or save some trees by sending
e-cards instead. But remember that once a 'Save The Date' card is out
there, that's it - it may not be an official invitation but you can't
un-invite people afterwards! Also remember to be very clear about
exactly who you're inviting, especially if you don't intend kids or
'plus one' guests to turn up.Thank you cards
As
superficial as it may sound, receiving gifts is one of the nicest
things about getting married, and for guests it's lovely to receive a
hand-written note showing your appreciation. Thank you notes can often
be overlooked while you're in the throes of wedding chaos, but if
you're organised you can ensure they fit your theme beautifully.
Writing the notes out by hand takes much longer but is also nicer to
receive than a typed thank you. To make it more meaningful (and fun to
write) try to include some personal elements on each card, specific to
the guest you're writing to, rather than simply copying out 100 generic
messages. To be courteous, thank people for taking the time and effort
to be a part of your day by attending, as well as thanking them for the
gift itself. While strictly speaking you should have your notes
delivered around one-two months after the wedding, people will let you
off if you take a bit longer! Struggling to get the perfect wedding stationery? Get advice from other brides to be on the Scottish Wedding Directory Forum
