Wedding invitations. That seems easy, right? I mean…it’s paper. You get an envelope. Boom. Done.
Wedding invitations seem easy but if you don’t think a few things through, this “easy” task can become a lot more work that you want.
As much as I’d love to design all the wedding invitations out there, I know some people will chose to do their own. So let me help. Here are the most common wedding invitation mistakes you need to avoid.
Ordering Too Many Invitations
Every wedding vendor will ask you:
“How many people will be at your wedding?”
And you say, 100. Or 50. Or 200.
But DO NOT ORDER 100 OR 50 OR 200 WEDDING INVITATIONS! Why? Because you need to know the number of HOUSEHOLDS you’re sending invitations too. Not every single person is going to need an invitation. So best best, cut your number in half, and then you have a great estimate for the number of invitations you need (but double check that guest list).
Ordering Not Enough Wedding Invitations
So you figured out the number of households you have on your guest list. So you order that many invitations.
And then mom adds one more person.
You don’t have one more more invitation! And printing just ONE more set is costly (money and time).
My advice: order at least 10 extra over your guest list. That way, you’re covered if mom adds someone AND you’ll have a few in case some get returned by the USPS.
Not Allowing Enough Time
If your invitations need to go in the mail two months prior to your wedding, don’t wait until two months prior to your wedding to start your invitations. Gathering information, finalizing information, design, guest list, the USPS…it all takes more time than you think.
My advice: start at minimum 4-5 months prior to your wedding. That gives you plenty of time to get things done. Or better yet…hire an invitation designer to worry about that timeline and we’ll make sure you get time out in time!
Labels
Don’t do them. Just don’t! Labels on envelopes are meant for business correspondence, not personal communication for the biggest day of your life. Take time and maybe a bit of money to hand address them, find a calligrapher or an invitation designer who can print directly on the envelopes (I can do that!). Trust me…you’ll love the look.