3 Wedding Invitation Must-Do’s

For any event, be it a wedding, a birthday party or a corporate event, invitations are so important because they give your guests the information they need to attend. With all the work that goes into putting a celebration together, the last thing you need is your guests asking you to clarify something on the invite card! We’re going to be talking specifically about weddings today, but all these checkpoints apply to invitations for all occasions. Here are three must-do’s before sending them to the printer to ensure your guests know exactly what’s going down and to make sure you’ve got yourselves some affordable wedding invitations:

1 Check the Legibility

Especially if calligraphy is involved, it’s really easy to get caught up in the styles with beautiful flourishes or with purposefully messy (and equally beautifully) script. BUT if your guests can’t read the information, what’s the point? One way to check the legibility is to ask a third party to read it over. Someone who has no idea what the venue, date, time and details of the event are. If they can read it, then score! The invitation has done its job and informed the person holding it of your event.

While working with a friend to design our wedding invitations, I learned this the hard way. My husband, Jonathan, was very hesitant about using a calligraphy font since he has difficulty reading it sometimes. We had to get his seal of approval before sending the invitations off to the printer.

2 Check the Invitation Style

Does it match the vibe you’re going for? The invitation is what sets the tone for your event and it determines what your guests’ first impressions will be. These different design details can help you evoke the style that will match your wedding.

Paper

If you’re having a luxurious wedding, invitations printed on thick paper are sure to get your guests excited for a high-end event. Going for a more dreamy, romantic vibe? Handmade paper, with lots of texture and hand torn edges is the perfect canvas for your invites.

Calligraphy Style

Copperplate calligraphy is a great option for a more traditional wedding ceremony and, going back to the luxury wedding, flourishes will be your friend (but don’t overdo it on the flourishes. Remember Must-do #1!).  However, if you’re leaning towards a fun, campy outdoor party, consider using a style that exudes the same playfulness. With all the different styles of modern calligraphy, you’re sure to find one that matches your outsidethebox/goingagainstthegrain mentality!

3 Check Your Budget

And finally, for the most important must-do! I got married right out of university so I completely understand the financial stress a wedding can bring. Regardless of how long your engagement is, checking your wedding budget on a regular basis is super important to prevent overspending. Aside from the design and printing fees, invitations have some other unexpected or forgotten costs, so be sure to remember the following when you’re budgeting:

Wedding Envelopes

Always order extra! Calligraphers will typically require 15% more than the quantity ordered to cover any mistakes made during the addressing process. Even if you’re not hiring a calligrapher to address them for you, take a note from them and follow in their footsteps! You (or your fiance or whoever is helping you) will inevitably make typos or slap on a crooked label and those extra envelopes will save you in the end.

Additional Accessories

Are you tying all the invitation pieces together with twine or ribbon? How many rolls will you need for that? Are the envelopes being sealed with a wax seal? All these little things make your invitations a part of your wedding story and are details that will help your guests set your invitation apart. We all have that friend who gets invited to like…ten weddings a year, right?? But, they also add weight to your invitation, so calculate not just the cost for the materials, but also the postage to send them! Which brings us to….

Postage Stamps

Once you’ve calculated how much postage one invitation needs, go back and check the addresses of your guests. Make sure to account for invitations going to international addresses!

Hope you find these suggestions useful! Navigating the world of wedding prep can be overwhelming (and expensive), so here’s to hoping these must-do’s save you time and money!

Do you have another wedding invitation must-do that you’ve found helpful? Drop me a line in the comments below!