Wedding Invitation Etiquette

“When to Send? How much Postage?                       Do I need a theme?”

When should I order my invitations?

Once your event details are finalized (i.e. location, date, and time), you should place your order.  You want to ensure you have enough time to find the right invitation and choose your ink color, font and wording to accommodate the look and feel of your event.  With so many options you need time to view what is available.  You also need ample time to receive your order, address the invitations and mail them to your guests.  Typically invitations are ordered 3 to 12 months before the date of any event.

Should my invitations match the theme or colors of my event?

First impressions are lasting ones especially with invitations, as this will set the tone of your event to your guests.  This choice is solely your own, and will depend upon preference.  You can incorporate colors of your flowers (for weddings) or bridesmaid dress on your invitations.  If you have a specific theme for your wedding you could even incorporate that with a specific motif into your invitations.  Or, if you are having a wedding on the beach, tropical invitations are a great way to illustrate the look and feel of your event.   For birthdays, corporate events, and any other occasion you may match your invitation colors with your decor, however, themes are often used for events such as these.

How many invitations should I order?

Remember to order invitations per household and not per guest.  If you have two guests that live in the same household they will typically receive one invitation.  Unless, however, it is a family with adult child(ren), the adult child typically would receive their own personal invitation.  An, adult child is typically over the age of 18 and/or 21.

Once you have your final number of invitations needed, make sure you order 10-25 more invitations than you need.  This is done just in case you remember someone you forgot to include on your list or decide to add guests later.  It is more costly to place a second order for just 25 or less invitations, so it is recommended to order extra invitations to begin with.

When should I mail my invitations to my guests?

For weddings, guest may be sent an invitations 6 to 8 weeks prior to the event date.  However, if you have international guests or a substantial amount of out of town guests you should typically send the invitations 10-12 weeks before the event.  This gives your guests time to plan their travel schedule.  The same guidelines apply if you are having your event during a holiday season or are having a destination wedding.  You want to ensure you give your guests ample time to plan for your special day.

A Save the Date announcement, is a great way to notify guests of your upcoming event.  Save the Dates are great for providing accommodation information along with event date information in advance for guests’ convenience.  Save the Date announcements should be sent out 3-12 months prior to your event.

We are having an adult reception how do we tell people?

You aren’t the first and you won’t be the last couple to have an adult only reception.  There is no sincere way to say leave your children at home please.

If your ceremony is immediately following the ceremony you would want to include a notation that reads, “Adult Reception immediately following the ceremony,” if your reception is at another location your reception card should read, “Please join us for an Adult Reception at 123 Main Street, Bing, Maryland 20839”.

If you are still on the fence about whether or not you will allow children as guests another option would be to pay a teenager relative to watch and entertain the guests children during the reception in location near the reception site or onsite if possible.

How do I address my invitations?

Invitations may be addressed in several ways.  Typically they are handwritten, printed or done in calligraphy.  Etiquette suggests to avoid using labels of any sort.

Outer Envelopes should be addressed to guests using the proper titles (Mr., Mrs., Miss., Ms.) Don’t abbreviate names or addresses.  The outer envelopes has the guests’ names and address.

Men and women living together who are not married should be addressed with names on separate lines with the woman’s name coming first.

The inner envelope has become less popular, but if utilized, should only have the guests’ names.  It is not glued so it doesn’t seal.  You may be formal by writing Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Williams or as informal as Uncle Joe and Auntie Ginnie.

When specifically inviting children:

Young boys up to the age seven are given the title as master.  Mr. is used at the age of 18.  No title is used between the ages 7-18.  Depending on your preference you may issue the child with no title.

Young girls are given the title Miss. Then when married it changes to Mrs. or Ms. if the woman keeps her birth name.  Again, depending on your preference you may issue the child with no title.

How much postage do I need?

You should weigh your invitation for postage before mailing.  When items are added to the envelopes, the weight can increase.  Additionally, the size/shape of your envelope could also increase cost of postage.  For more information on postage it is recommended you visit your local usps or usps.com

Cheers Beauties,

Kimberlee

Article Topic provided by Mind Over Media Enterprise

Valentine’s Day Launch

 

 

We apologize that we haven’t posted in awhile.  We have been busy working on our website which will be launching on Valentine’s Day in 7 days !! Stay tuned for more information and a daily blog post in honor of Valentine’s Day!  

Wedding Entourage

Casting your VIE’s (Very Important Extra’s)

On your BIG day you want only those who are closest to you.  You may have known someone for a long time, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you are close to them or that they are still holding your friendship in a genuine light.  .

Be selective and ensure you choose an entourage you know will be prevalent in your next chapter.  These people should possess the qualities of true friends (almost like family) whom you can trust, and will support you in every aspect of life.  Usually the people you are closest too right now will end up turning into the “long-runs” versus the people who I like to call, “the way backs”.

Your wedding entourage must suit the size, budget, and style of your wedding.  You will want to select these important people right away. Why? Because these particular people are going to be by your side from the moment you start planning to the moment you drive off into the sunset with your spouse.  You will need them to perform essential tasks such as helping you shop for bridal accessories and planning your bachelor and bachelorette parties.

How many VIE’s should you choose?

1. Experts say that the ideal wedding attendant to guest ratio is 1 pair per 35 to 50 guests. So, if you’re planning a very small wedding you will probably only need a best man and a maid of honor.

2. According to MarthaStewart.com, a typical wedding has 4-6 pairs of bridesmaids and groomsmen and a larger wedding could have up to 12 pairs.

3. Choose the number of attendants that fits your budget.  If you’re planning for each of your bridesmaids to carry a bouquet, or paying for their hair/make up, adding more attendants will increase your expenses

Make sure you thank your VIE’s for agreeing to be apart of your wedding party and advise them what is expected of them.

Want to include a VIE, but do not want them to be apart of the wedding party?  Provide them with another role of assistance during the ceremony like ushering guests, delivering a reading, manning the guest book.  There are several roles that a VIE could take on besides being a bridesmaid or a groomsman.

Top 10 Things Every Honeymooner Should Know

Your wedding is usually a collaborative effort with family and friends (depending on what type of bride you are).  The honeymoon destination is the first big decision you will make as a couple.  Not all couples take a honeymoon, but if you can, I highly recommend it.  It is nice to be able to take time after all the big hoopla to relax and enjoy each other as husband and wife.

1. Decide on a budget. Does your wallet allow for an around the world tour, a Motel 6 or somewhere in between? It is important to determine how much you can spend, and how much you would like to spend before hand.  You can even opt to utilizing some of your wedding gift money towards this, however, if you have other big purchases you are considering (i.e buying a home, etc.) then you may want to stray away from that.

2. Discuss your ideas of a perfect vacation. It’s likely your spouse may have one idea of a perfect vacation and you may have another.  Who wants to explore an exotic location? Who wants to lay in the sun all day on the beach? Make a list of things that mean the most you, and compare notes.  Marriage calls for a lot of compromise, and this is a place to start.

3. Pick your destination. This is obviously something that has to be done.  Most resorts adjust their rates seasonally.  For example, it is cheaper to visit the Caribbean during the US’s typical spring and summer months (April – September), and ski resorts who offer additional activities outside of snow season will also be less expensive.

4. Use a timeshare.  If you have access to a timeshare these are great to use to cut cost, and have the ability to select from any unique destination your heart desires.  Remember, most timeshares that have the all-inclusive option will require a fee to use that service upon arrival.  It is worth the fee to be able to enjoy all the amenities without worry.

5. If you’re going abroad, leave plenty of time to make sure your passport is current and you have any visas required.  You will want to ensure you have these necessary travel items well before the wedding.  I also highly recommend unless traveling months after your wedding for the bride to book this under her maiden name  and wait until your return to legally change your name, and update your passport information.

6. When you make reservations, let the resort know you’re honeymooning. People will want to please you (in the hope that you’ll return). You may get upgraded to a better room at no charge, receive a welcome bottle of champagne, and who knows what else.

7. Protect your privacy. This is especially important if you have a destination wedding, where the guests tend to hang around. A honeymoon is for the two of you, period. No kids, no pets, no company.

8. Use a travel agent. It doesn’t cost any additional money, and he or she can make all the travel arrangements without you having to worry about them.   And, if something goes wrong, you’ll have someone you know to call to correct the issue. (If you are using a timeshare a travel agent is not necessary)

9. Do nothing. Yes, do nothing! It is great to know you will have a variety of options in terms of things to see and do, but, this is your honeymoon.  Enjoy each other, take quiet dinners on the beach.  Get a private cabana and lounge by the pool all day.  You have been busy the last few months planning your wedding now is time to relax and enjoy your spouse.

10. Have fun and enjoy each other.