Custom Invitations: Four Important Things to Consider

Courtesy of wedding-beauty.com

You’ve set your date and chosen your venue. You’ve also decided on the type of wedding you going to have as well as the theme. So what’s next?? Invitations! We’ve talked about invite wording in a past article (visit our blog if you missed it), so this week we’re going to explore custom invitations.


Custom invitations are uniquely you!
Vendors such as Carlton Craft and Invitations by Dawn offer very beautiful choices in invitations. But if you and your fiancé’ want something that’s totally unique to you, consider having them custom made. They can fit your theme, colors and style to a “T”, and no one else in the world will have the same invites as you do.

Contemplate hiring an invitation designer
DIY is always an option for you (check out your local craft store), but consider hiring a professional designer to translate your ideas into something tangible. They are experts on typesetting, colors and paper…and, they are SO creative! They can also help you tweak your wording so it reads and flows effortlessly. Lastly, if you like, they can take the burden of addressing and mailing them off of you!

What about budget?
As with anything custom and unique, these invitations may be a little more expensive than DIY or non-custom ones. If having invitations that are all your own are a priority for you, consider adjusting your budget to allocate more money for this and less for something else.

How long do they take to complete?
Again, because your custom invitations are designed with you in mind, the turnaround time to complete them may be a little longer. Find out from your designer what the options are for rushed availability if needed (don’t forget, they still have to mailed so that guests can respond in a timely manner). Your wedding planner can work with you to ensure you stay on schedule with this (and other) wedding tasks.

Your Planning Assignment

Choosing your wedding invitations is a task that is not to be taken lightly. When your guests receive them, your invites will set the tone for your special day, and give your guests an idea of what to expect. Whether you go custom or not, this is a very important decision. Happy Planning!

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How to Word Your Wedding Invitation

Your wedding invitation will set the tone for your special day! Other than a Save-the-Date card or an engagement announcement, your invitation may be the first formal communication regarding your upcoming nuptials your guests will receive. Guests should be able to look at your invite (and whatever inserts are included such as reception cards and response cards) and determine the type and style of wedding you are having.

There are several rules of etiquette that should be followed regarding the structure of your wedding invitation, particularly if you are having a semi-formal or formal wedding. The rules may seem a bit overwhelming, but when you think about them, they kinda make sense! :-)

A wedding invitation has several components. They include:
• Invitation Line (“Mr. and Mrs. John Smith”)
• Request Line (“request the honor of your presence”)
• Relationship Line (“at the marriage of their daughter”)
• Bride’s Name (“Susie Smith”)
• Joining Word (“to”)
• Groom’s Name (“David Jones”)
• Date Line (“on Saturday, the tenth of December”)
• Year Line (“two thousand ten”)
• Time Line (“at two o’clock in the afternoon”)
• Place (“Chapel on the Hill”)
• Address (“Ten Main Street”)
• City and State (“Miami, Florida”)
• Other Information (may include info about the reception)
•
When developing the wording of your invitation, there are a few questions that should be answered:
• Who’s hosting (or paying for) the wedding?
• Are the bride or groom’s parents married? Divorced? Deceased?
• Is the bride, groom, or parents a doctor?
• Is the bride, groom or parents in the military?

You may wonder what these questions have to do with invitation wording! But if you want a timeless and classic invitation, then these factors are important.

For example, if both sets of parents are hosting the wedding, the bride’s parents names should be listed first, following by ‘and’ then the groom’s parents names. Or if one set of parents is divorced and are hosting the wedding, their names should be listed separately, without the ‘and.’
As another example, if the groom is a medical doctor, his name should be preceded by his title (Doctor or Dr.)

The possible scenarios are numerous! The linked articles from WeddingAces provide great information and guidance on handling various situations. http://www.weddingaces.com/2009/05/all-about-invitations-part-two/ and http://www.weddingaces.com/2010/01/wording-dilemma-non-standard-situations/

The wording of your invitation should be carefully considered. Once you’ve come up with a draft (or two), have another set of eyes review it to ensure it makes sense, that all names and words are spelled correctly, and that it reads easily. Your guests should be absolutely clear on what to expect on your wedding day!

HAPPY WRITING!

Wedding Invitation Timelines

Not sure when to order your invitations? Or do you have questions about how much time you should factor in for calligraphy?

Here's a great blog by Marjorie of WeddingAces that answers these and other questions. Thanks Marjorie for sharing this great information!

http://www.weddingaces.com/2010/04/hey-mr-postman/