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Wedding Invitations and Stationery

Wedding planning involves creating a lot of printed items:
  • Save-the-date cards: Sent 6–8 months before your wedding so invitees can clear their calendars
  • Wedding invitations: Sent 6–8 weeks before your wedding to formally invite guests to the event
  • Other invitations: For rehearsal dinner or morning-after brunch (see Other Wedding Events); sent after the initial wedding invitations
  • Thank-you notes: Sent upon receiving any gifts
Depending on your particular wedding, you may also want:
  • Ceremony programs: Lists the ceremony events and the members of the wedding party
  • Maps or directions: If guests need travel information
  • Menu cards: To list food options for guests if they’ll be ordering their meal at the wedding
  • Place cards: To direct your guests to their tables

Getting Wedding Stationery Made

You have three options for making wedding stationery:
  • Hire a stationer: A stationer is a firm or individual who produces invitations or stationery for a living. A stationer is the most expensive option but provides the most complete service. A stationer will help choose designs, fonts, and wording and may also help assemble your complete invitations.
  • Do it yourself: Designing and printing invitations yourself is the least expensive option and offers the most creative control. However, personal printers are inferior to professional presses, and you’ll have to assemble, stamp, and mail the invitations yourself.
  • Design it yourself, print it professionally: You can create invitations using software at home and bring them to a professional to print. Your invitations will look professional, but cost less than a stationer’s.
You can also choose to combine various methods. For example, you could create save-the-date cards yourself, buy your thank-you notes off the rack, and get your invitations made professionally.

If You Use a Professional Printer

If you work with a professional printer, be prepared to make decisions about paper, printing methods, and color.

Paper

The quality of paper is determined by its bond weight (measured in pounds; the heavier the better) and its contents (cotton is better than wood pulp). Printers typically produce invitations in two standard sizes, embassy (6 5/8" × 5") and classic (7 1/4" × 5 1/8"). If you want an unconventional size, that will likely cost more.

Printing Methods

Professional printers typically print invitations using one of the following methods. Review samples and costs for each before deciding which to use.
  • Engraving: The most formal type of printing. Type is etched into metal plates rolled with ink and pressed to paper, creating raised letters and images on the paper.
  • Lithography: Flat type is printed by transferring an inked impression from a rubber cylinder to paper.
  • Thermography: A special powder is sprinkled onto ink and then heated to raise the letters. Mimics engraving but is less expensive.

Color

Invitations can range from black and white to multicolored. Traditionally, formal wedding invitations are black lettering on white or cream-colored paper. Using more than two colors will cost more.

Save-the-Date Cards

Save-the-date cards are often informal or quirky, such as simple postcards or refrigerator magnets. A save-the-date card should provide the following information:
  • The names of the bride and groom
  • The wedding date
  • The location of the wedding
You can provide your guests with a schedule of events and travel and lodging information by including a newsletter with your save-the-date card or by using the save-the-date to direct your guests to your wedding website.

Wedding Invitations

Wedding invitations contain an invitation and reply card.
 

Wording Your Invitation

The wording of a typical wedding invitation contains five central elements, each of which you can modify based on your personal taste or situation:
  • Names of the hosts: The people paying for the wedding. If both sets of parents are paying, then both sets should both be listed as hosts. If the couple is hosting its own wedding, the invitation can be written as follows: “Cleopatra Lee Ellis and James Henry Raleigh request the pleasure of your company . . .”
  • Invitation phrase: The phrase “the pleasure of your company” is usually used for nonreligious weddings, whereas those held in a house of worship usually request “the honour of your presence.”
  • Purpose of the event: Some people prefer to use the phrase “at the marriage of” instead of “at their.”
  • Name of the couple: The bride’s name precedes the groom’s. If the bride’s family hosts, the groom’s name takes “Mr.” but the bride’s name does not take “Miss” or “Ms.” (Vice versa if the groom’s family hosts.)
  • Time and location of the event: If the ceremony and reception will be held in different venues, provide time and location information for the reception as well.
The guidelines listed above are traditional, but you don’t have to follow them. For instance, you can make the invitation less formal by cutting out titles or by changing “request the pleasure of your company” to “joyfully invite you to.”
 

The Reply Card

The reply card allows your guests to RSVP to your wedding at no cost and with little effort. The reply card should state the date by which the RSVP must be provided and can also be used to ask for other information, such as a guest’s meal preferences or dietary restrictions. The reply card envelope should be stamped and addressed so guests can just drop it in the mail. (It’s acceptable etiquette not to include stamps for any guests who’ll be responding from abroad, but you may want to give those guests the option of replying by email as well.)

Addressing Your Invitations

It’s generally considered polite to address your invitation envelopes by hand. There are two ways to do this:
  • Calligraphy: Beautiful and professional but costly
  • Do it yourself: Free but can take hours
Before sending your wedding invitations, take them to the post office to determine exact postage costs. Odd-sized envelopes usually cost more to mail.
 
 
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