Invitations

Send to guests you want to attend the wedding. Your wording depends on a combination of your taste, the events' formality, and how you are being given away. A strictly formal wedding invitation is worded solely for the ceremony. But, to save the cost of Reception Cards, you can include an "add in" wording inviting the guest to the reception. Invitations for a wedding should be sent at least two months but not more than four months in advance. You should order them three to four months in advance of your wedding.

Invitations consist of the card, either folding or non-folding, an "inner" envelope, a tissue, and an "outer" or mailing envelope. (The tissue is traditional and is a carryover from the days when ink did not dry fast.)

Your invitations can include a Respond Card, Pew Card, Reception Card, and even a Direction Card. All of these and the tissue assemble inside the invitation if it is a folding type. Place all the accessory Cards on top of the tissue. If your invitations are non-folding, simply place all the Cards on top. The Respond Card is placed under the flap of its own envelope but facing out.

The traditional order of placement is Reception Card on bottom and Respond Card on top with any other Cards in between usually in the order they might be used. Again, all cards face out.

This assembly is placed inside the "inner" envelope facing the flap side.

The Invitation envelope is properly addressed with the Bride's return address centered on the flap side. The addressee and the name(s) for the inner envelope are discussed under the Envelopes & Addressing topic. Generally, the inner envelope has "Mr. and Mrs. Jones" centered on the face side followed by the names of any invited children. If your guests have children eighteen or older and you wish to invite them, they receive separately addressed invitations.

Associated with Invitations, a very formal occasion may use Reminder Cards. These cards are worded in part to replicate the name of the occasion, its date, time, and location as a courtesy reminder to the guest. They are sent one or two weeks prior to the event.

Announcements

Send to persons that you KNOW cannot attend since Announcements are properly mailed AFTER the event. You must walk a delicate balance here. You might have relatives that live very far away but could be offended if they are not invited. This partly depends on their knowledge of etiquette. The announcement wording should be similar in format to the invitation wording except that it is in the past tense.

The Announcement envelope is properly addressed with the Bride's return address centered on the flap side.

Respond Cards

The Respond Card, included with your Invitations along with a separate PRE-ADDRESSED and STAMPED envelope, is returned by the invited guest(s) to indicate their attendance at the event. You should address the Invitation appropriately for the guest. Example: Mr. & Mrs. Joe Guest or Mr. Joe Guest & Friend imply two people. Mr. & Mrs. Joe Guest and Family implies that the Bride is requesting children and knows how many. However, if you are returning a Respond Card, you may mark the "will or will not attend" with either a check mark or the number attending. Some Respond Cards may also indicate dinner preferences. Make you marks accordingly.

The Respond Card envelope is properly addressed with the Bride's return address centered on the flap side.

Reception Cards

A separate Reception Card may be included with an Invitation to indicate the time and place of the Reception. If your Reception immediately follows the Ceremony at the same location, you need not include a Reception Card.

Direction Cards

Direction Cards are included with the Invitation if the location of the ceremony and/or reception is not well known. A Direction Card contains only written directions while a Map Card includes a drawn or illustrated map.

Direction Cards should never be printed in the same font as the other ensemble papers. Instead, they should use a plain, easy-to-read font. Remember, your guests may be driving a car and reading from this card. Don't make it hard to read.

Direction Cars are also called Map Cards when, instead of written directions, you provide a drawing or map location for the event. (Printing companies often charge extra for this graphic feature.)

Pew Cards

Pew Cards are used to seat special guests in specially marked areas for the ceremony. Normally, these would be the immediate family members (mothers, dads, brothers, sisters, etc.) Enclose Pew Cards with the Invitation.

Place Cards

Place Cards are used to inform guests that they are seated in selected areas or tables (usually by a "table number"). Place Cards are located near the entrance to the reception room or hall. In addition, you may wish to have specific seating arrangements (very rare) where you assign each guest a place at the table. You would do this with a "name card" placed at the table dinner setting. One use of marking a specific location might be that you are providing individualized gifts for some or all guests.

Thank You Notes

A Thank You Note is sent within a few weeks after the event. It is proper to send this Note even to guests who did not bring a gift since you are acknowledging that their presence alone was satisfactory. Commercially, a Thank You differs from a "personal note" (see below) in that a large "Thank You" is preprinted on the front. Thank You Notes include an envelope.

The Thank You Note envelope is properly addressed with the return address centered on the flap side.

Personal Notes

A Personal Note (or Informal Personal Note) is used in the same manner as a Thank You Note. The difference is that Personal Notes can be imprinted on the front with personalization (such as the Bride's name, Bride and Groom, or just a monogram). Personal Notes include an envelope.

The Personal Note envelope is properly addressed with the return address centered on the flap side.

At Home Cards

At Home Cards are also called "New Address Cards" and are used to inform guests of the date and address the Bride and Groom will be residing. When this card is included with the Invitation, do not have it printed with your married name. If you elect to mail this card after the ceremony, you can use it as above but also with your married name which indicates your married name preference.

The At Home Card envelope is properly addressed with the return address centered on the flap side.

Wedding Program

Your Ceremony can include a Wedding Program listing either or both the chronology of the event and its participants. Typically this is a one page "booklet" with a cover sheet bound with a ribbon. Less formal "trifold" brochures are also used.

Accessories

Both commercial printers and wedding supply stores offer a variety of coordinated papers (and gifts) to match your Wedding Ensemble. You may wish to examine items such as Bookmarks, Match Books, Paper Pads, Napkins budget permitting. These items can be imprinted with your names and event date and make nice keepsakes.