So, it’s time to send out those wedding invitations! This is a huge step the wedding planning process and one that, when I had done it, felt like I had a huge weight off my shoulders. Getting your wedding invitations out means that you are done with a major part of wedding planning, which is your guest list. For me, this was a really stressful part of wedding planning because we have so many friends and family we want to come, but only so much in the budget! One key thing to remember is that roughly 10-20% of people you send your wedding invitations to will decline, so feel free to extend invites to a couple more people than you might have otherwise.

The world of wedding invitations is a little crazy, and to be honest, I thought this was something we might spend a small fortune on. I think this was because I had a lot of misconceptions about wedding invites, but I am here to tell you, there’s definitely ways that you can get beautiful invites on a budget. Nate and I went with Minted, which you might remember we also used for our Save the Dates, and we loved how our wedding invitations turned out! I love that Minted features designs from hundreds of different independent designers, which means that there truly is something for everyone and you’re supporting small artists.

Wedding bands via Jack Kelége, ring box via The Mrs. Box

I wanted to share some tips to remember when it is time for you to order your wedding invitations! So without further ado, let’s get into this!

Get Organized

When you start collecting addresses from friends and family, I suggest creating a spreadsheet with all the info. Minted actually has a .csv template you can download and fill out and then upload into their site to auto-fill everyone’s information to make addressing your invites a breeze.

Wedding Invitations Set the Tone

When choosing your wedding invitations, keep in mind that this is the first impression your guests will have of your wedding and will sort of clue them in as to what kind of shindig you are throwing. Nate really wanted all the invites that featured mountains and pine trees, but as we aren’t getting married in the mountains, I had to say no to that request. You can set the tone of your wedding by choosing invites that incorporate your wedding colors, as well as the formality of the wedding.

Don’t be Afraid To Get Unconventional

If your wedding is more traditional, by all means, go for the traditional 4×6 size wedding invites, but if you and your fiance are a little bit more adventurous, don’t be shy! There are so many fun shapes and sizes to play around with wedding invitations these days, so don’t feel like you have to fit the traditional mold. Keep in mind though, if you start to get bigger than the traditional size, you may be running into paying more in postage!

Who’s Name Goes First?

If you and your fiance are throwing your wedding, well, you know what they say…ladies first! I think this applies also to wedding invitations. In certain cases where one person’s parents are the ones basically throwing the celebration for you, you could also preface the invitation with something like, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith request your presence at the request the pleasure of your presence at the marriage of their daughter, Jessica Lauren (don’t include the bride’s last name in this case!) to Nathan Wyatt Burk.” If the groom’s parents are hosting, most definitely include the bride’s last name. While this is the traditional way, I personally wanted our invitations to have less of a formal feel, so we did not adhere to these patterns. Really, there’s no wrong way to do this, you just have to choose the impression you would like your guests to have.

Keep It Simple

Don’t put a ton of info on your wedding invitation, you don’t want it to look overwhelming. Nate and I opted to also include a direction card that is smaller and lets people know that they can find out everything they need to know about travel, hotels, dress code, and our registry by visiting our wedding website. This way, they can easily type in our site’s URL and learn everything they need to know.

When to Send the Invites?

You should send your invites out about 6-8 weeks before the wedding, but honestly I would recommend a little earlier than that to give people more time to RSVP. Trust me, you will have to coax RSVP’s out of a lot of your guests. Make sure to include information within your invitation on when your guests need to RSVP by. This is usually determined by the date set by your caterer as they will require a final headcount in advance to prepare for your reception.

Reply Cards

One thing that is great about this day and age is the INTERNET. Including RSVP cards and additional postage can be costly and also hard to keep up with. Many sites, such as Minted, allow you to create wedding websites you can direct your guests to so they can RSVP online and everything can be tracked for you. So easy!

Other Notable Bits

One thing that you do not need: a calligrapher! Honestly, this is one thing that gave me such anxiety about my invitations until I saw how beautifully Minted can print off all your guests’ names and addresses. Of course, hand written addresses are a beautiful touch, and if you can afford that and have the time, by all means, don’t let me stop you. But, if you’re on a budget like I am, do not feel like this is a necessity. Also, make sure to send one invitation per household, you do not need multiple invitations for your aunt and uncle and your cousins. Do, however, order extra invites just in case you need them.

I hope this post has been helpful and informative! We are about 60 days out from our wedding so I am officially in freak out mode. Send prayers my way!

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