The only “musts” to invitations are easy to remember if you keep in mind that you’re inviting someone to an event and you want to get them there … and on time! If you’re not hosting an event that people will attend, you will want to send an Announcement rather than an invitation. Of course, there are endless ways to invite people to events. Creating the perfect invitation to your event can be enjoyable and will offer everyone a keepsake of the event.

There are so many invitations to decide between, but the process will take less time if you know what you want or what interests you. Take into consideration the formality of the event, the number of guests you will have, your personal taste, whether there is some kind of theme, and if there are special colors that will be incorporated into the event. You may want to match your invitation to your dress. If your event color is blue, you can look for an invitation with blue accents, or you may use blue ink and matching envelope liner to incorporate your event color.

Ordering your Invitations

Ordering invitations is a two part process; first you have to do some research and gather all of your information, then you are ready to place your order and have your invitations printed. There are so many questions to answer before you can actually sit down and order your invitations. Here's a brief checklist of what you will want to consider before beginning the order process.

1. What invitation are you going to order?
2. Which enclosures do you need (response card, reception card, directions card, other)?
3. What typestyle do you like best?
4. What printing process are you going to use?
5. How many invitations do you need?
6. Do you know all your wedding day information (location, time, address etc.)?
7. What wording do you prefer?
8. What is your budget?
9. How formal is your event?
   

When and How to Order Your Invitations

Invitations should be ordered well in advance to when you want to mail them (customarily they should be mailed six weeks before the wedding). Order them with plenty of time for you to recieve them by post and address them.

When it comes to wedding invitations, planning your budget reflects its importance on your list. For the basics (wedding invitation with inner and outer envelopes, response card with envelope, and reception place card), you can plan on spending anywhere between 2-5% of your total budget. If you would like direction cards, maps, envelope lining etc. you will want to increase your budget. There are other paper products to consider, such as thank you cards or informal cards, programs, place cards, seating cards and more.

For the traditional basics, each set will include a wedding invitation with envelopes, a response card, and a reception card. Other inclusions for wedding invitations are direction cards, maps, and more. And there are other printed paper products to consider, such as thank you cards, programs, place cards, seating cards and more.

Parts of a Traditional Wedding Invitation

Invitation inclusions are usually used for formal events such as weddings, and corporate dinner/cocktail receptions. You can have some or all - its up to you!

• Response Card
  
  Response (or RSVP) cards allow your guests to inform you if they will be attending your event and how many people they will be bringing with them. Response cards can be classic fold over cards, panel cards or double-sided postcards (with the RSVP wording on one side, and address on the back side). They should be sent out accompanied by an addressed, pre-stamped envelope to encourage your guests to send it back. These cards can be blank with your own handwritten message on them or they can be printed with your wording.
  
  Response deadlines should be no later than two weeks before the special day, or the date your caterer needs a final count. If after two weeks you haven't heard from some people, phone calls can be made to those having trouble putting pen to paper. This gives you time to figure out exactly how many people will be attend.
  
  Having your name and address pre-printed on the front of the Response Card envelope is a handy and easy way to encourage your guests to respond promptly. Traditionally speaking, the host’s name and address (for example a bride’s parents’ address) should appear on the response envelope. If your part of a blended family or live a long distance from the host(s), you may need use your own discretion. It’s traditional to save the first appearance of the bride’s and groom's names together until after the wedding. So, if an unmarried couple is living together, have the cards sent to the bride only.

• Map/Direction Card
  
  This card may be essential to ensure that no one gets lost or ends up arriving late to your event. You can have simple text directions, guiding your guests step by step to each of your destinations (usually to the church, and to the reception). You can also opt to submit either a hand-drawn map or have the ceremony site give you a copy of their own map and have it printed on the card. Clearly written street names and clear map drawings will certainly help out the chronically lost. Please note that not all brands will allow you to submit your own map. You will have to inquire about this option when you have decided which invitation you would like to order.
  
  For the most elegant look, have the same printer of your invitations also print your directions card. This way, you can be sure that the paper stock chosen will match your invitations perfectly. An alternative to sending the directions cards with the invitations is to send it upon receiving their response card indicating that they are planning on attending your event.
  
• Accommodation cards
  
  You may want to send this card with the invitations going to your out-of-town guests. It lists hotels or places to rent in the area you are having your wedding. Include phone numbers and any information they will need to know to schedule a place to stay. This is especially helpful if your wedding will take place at a vacation spot.
  
• Thank You Cards
  
  The Thank You cards can be ordered to match your invitation and are most commonly used as a thank you to your guests for attending and for their gift. It can be printed with 'Thank You', your names, a monogram or a photo on the outside. A nice touch here is to use one of your new Wedding Photos on the front. The inside is left blank allowing you to write a small personal message. Thank you notes can match your wedding invitations or your personality, just remember that you will need plenty of them. You will be writing thank you notes for more than just your wedding. There are always many occasions surrounding your main event where gifts are given and there are many people to thank for their gift of support. You will want to write a thank you card for each gift given at each event; bridal shower, engagement party, bachelorette party, etc. and they should be sent soon after the gift is received.

• Moving House Announcement
  
  This card allows you to tell friends and family of your new address and the date you will begin residing there.

• Programs
  
  Programs are an extra touch of formality that help guests understand the direction a formal ceremony is going in, what is being done next, and the explanation of any special parts that are unfamiliar to people of a different religion. They can also be used as tributes to special people in your lives. For the most elegant look, have the same style of your invitations also for your programs. The program may also be kept by your guests as a memento of your day.

• Place Cards
  
  Place cards help your guests find which table they are seated at and are usually printed with your guests' names and table number, if they aren't already placed on the table. This is great when you have a special seating arrangement and you want your guests to find their place without any problems.

Most classic wedding invitations have an outer and inner envelope. The outer has the recipient’s street address, a return address, and postage. The inner envelope has less information and should be addressed as if you were hand delivering it. These days it is not uncommon for invitations to only include one outer envelope.

Traditional etiquette says to “abbreviate nothing, hand address everything!” Hand addressing certainly takes a lot of time, so this may be a good opportunity to get some of your friends and family involved with helping out if you choose to hand address them. Alternatively, it is acceptable and a lot less time consuming to print your guests addresses electronically.

The Return Address

The return address is printed on the envelope flap and should be the address of those hosting the event. If it is a wedding and the bride's parents are hosting, then it should be the bride's parents' address - names are not commonly used with a formal return address. Please note, guests who are unable to attend or who wish to send their gift before or after your wedding date will use this address to send packages.

Wording for Wedding Invitations

• Traditional Wedding Invitation Wording
  
  The wording of the invitation is the part people struggle with the most. It’s important to remember that etiquette traditions are strictly guides for you and you do not have to follow them. It is fine to use wording that you have written yourslef - after all, its your wedding day.

• Wording Etiquette
  
  There are a number of spelling and wording conventions that apply to all parts of the invitation.
  
  1. No punctuation is used except after courtesy titles (such as Mr. and Dr.)
  2. Capital letters are treated like sentences, and are most often only capitalised as you would read wording like a sentence (not at the beginning of each line). Proper names and courtesy titles are also capitalised
  3. Numbers in the date are spelled out and follow the day (Saturday, the second of July)
  4. Years can or need not be used, but if you want to include it, be sure to spell it out (Two thousand and five)
  5. Times are spelled out and refer to the placement of hands on a clock (eg: Three o’clock in the afternoon)
  6. Formal invitations are usually written in third-person. For example, “Mr. and Mrs. Michael Smith ” instead of “We.”

• The Hosts
  
  The first line is often the most difficult as it’s often seen as a way to not only convey who is hosting the wedding but who the couple would like to recognise. Before blended families and when women were brides at young ages, it was almost always the bride’s family who hosted (and thus paid for) the wedding. Now, a combination of people in a couple’s life host weddings. Sofor example, the hosts may be both sets of parents.

Mailing Wedding Invitations

Invitations should be mailed at least six weeks prior to the event. Never assume you know how much mailing an invitation will cost. Take a completed invitation with all your enclosures to your local post office and have them weigh it and tell you the price for mailing. Also look for wedding-themed stamps for your invitations.

The first engagement party is traditionally thrown by the bride's family, then the groom's family or friends can follow suit. Engagement parties are typically a cocktail event or casual in nature since you want the happy couple to be able to mix and mingle throughout the evening with family and/or friends. The engagement announcement or invitation should reflect the type of party that will be hosted, but shouldn't upstage the wedding invitation. The guests invited to an engagement party should also be on the guest list for the wedding, unless there is an understandable reason; ie. the couple is having a small, family only wedding.

Baby Showers

The baby shower invitations will be the first hint for the guests of what the theme of the baby shower will be. If the expectant couple has found out the sex of the baby, choosing an invitation in pink (or one with pink accents) will undoubtedly announce that they're expecting a girl. The invitation will also tell the guest how formal of an event the baby shower will be – an elegant typeface with formal wording and location alerts the guest that the shower will be a sophisticated event; conversely, a whimsical invitation with informal wording and at a friend’s home tells the guest the baby shower will be a casual affair. A formal invitation should be accompanied by a separate RSVP card and stamped envelope for the guest to respond with; a casual invitation might include a phone number only.

If the couple already have a name picked out for the newborn and are comfortable with telling people the name, you are more then welcome to use it on your baby shower invitations.

To help the expectant mother respond in gratitude for all the gifts she has received at the baby shower, have each guest address an envelope with their information. Drop all of the envelopes in a bowl and draw a winner for a prize. The guests are eligible for a gift and the mother-to-be has half of the note writing process complete!

Who to Invite

When creating a guest list for a baby shower, it is best to ask the mother for a list of whom she would like to invite or at least have her look over a list you have created. Some mothers may want to have a smaller more intimate shower while others will want to celebrate with all of their friends and family. If you are a coworker wishing to throw a “coworkers” shower, then you shouldn’t be expected to invite her family or friends outside of work.

There is no standard day or time for hosting a baby shower, although most are held in the evening or on weekends so that working friends and family are able to attend.

Organising the Flow of the Baby Shower

Name tags are a great way for people to feel comfortable at a large baby shower or one where the guests may not know one another. You can print the tags with the theme of the shower so it matches the invitation.

When planning the seating arrangements at a baby shower, make sure you have enough seating for everyone invited and be sure to set aside a comfortable chair for the expectant mother. Ask someone to be in charge of passing the gifts to the mother and someone else to keep track of who they are from.

Depending on how many guests are invited to the baby shower, the hostess should make sure that the celebration stays in motion. Make sure that the games, eating, gift opening etc. are somewhat scheduled so that the baby shower is a festive celebration and not a drawn out weekend afternoon.

Baby Shower Gifts

Even if you are hosting a baby shower with a lot of guests, it is important that time be allowed for gift opening. The shower is to help prepare the parents for their new baby and many people go to quite a bit of trouble to elaborately wrap the perfect gift. Guests are looking forward to seeing the look on the expectant mother’s face upon opening their gift and will feel appreciated hearing in person how much it is liked. It is also fun for the rest of the guests to see all of the items that the mother has received.

Many things expectant parents will need for their baby are expensive and otherwise out of guests’ price range. One helpful thing a hostess can do is to suggest a gift that several guests can purchase together. Guests will be able to afford something special and the expectant parents can receive the car seat or crib to keep their child safe.

Games

Playing games at the baby shower is a wonderful way to break the ice and encourage guests to get to know one another. Having a quiz about the expectant mother is a great way for guests to learn more about her: Who was the first person she told that she was pregnant? How many weeks pregnant is she? Did she and the father agree on a boy's or girl's name first? Another traditional baby shower game doubles as a gift for the expectant mother: fill a tray with a number of different baby items, set it in the middle of the room for a minute or two, then take it away and ask guests to write down as many of the items as they can remember. Or orchestrate a taste test contest of baby food – you may be surprised at what you can and cannot identify! Offer small prizes to the winners.

Don’t be afraid to use the baby shower invitations as an introduction to the game playing at the shower. Ask them to bring a baby photo to the shower and play a game trying to match the baby photo to each guest. There are all sorts of ways you can get them to participate in the fun.

Games at a baby shower are great ice breakers, however check with the mother-to-be before planning any games as she may feel differently. The mother may just prefer the guests sign in a guest book over playing any games. To put a spin on the guest book, you could have each guest create a baby shower scrapbook page and place the photos in later.

Selecting the right birth announcement is a matter of personal taste and style and knowing, or not knowing, the sex of the baby! Knowing the sex will help make some decisions for you: blue or green for boy birth announcements or pink and lavender for girl birth announcements. There are many other announcements that are adorable in neutral colors. If you are waiting until the birth of the child to find out the sex and would like to order your baby announcements in advance, then ordering one in neutral colors is recommended.

When browsing our entire selection of birth announcements you may see one that you are drawn to and your decision is made. You may want to take the approach of sharing your nursery colors via your birth announcements. If anyone wishes to send a gift, they can take the hint from your announcements.

Photos birth announcements are a great way to introduce the new addition to your family. Keep in mind that it may take a few tries to get the perfect photo and it wall also take time to have them developed and attach them to your baby announcements. No one expects you to send a photo with your announcements, so if you don’t have time for such an announcement don’t fret. Plus, you can always include a photo on or with your thank you notes.

When to Send

It is best to send your birth announcements as soon as possible, preferably within a month after the birth of your baby. If more than three months have passed since the baby's birth, consider including the birth announcement as an insert along with a holiday card or an announcement that includes news about the entire family. Your friends and family will be forgiving knowing that you are busy taking care of a new child.

If you have your baby announcements and wording picked out and your guest list established this will save you alot of time. You can pick out and order your birth announcements before the baby is born. You won't have to fuss with the details once the newborn arrives, you can just call in the vital statistics to finish the order.

Have your birth announcements weighed at the post office and buy your stamps ahead of time. That will also save you a trip when you have your hands full with the new baby.

Also, some people like to write hand written notes on the birth announcements. Know that this is not common practice and not necessary. As new parents, you will be living busy lives and no one will expect you to the time it takes to write a personal note to everyone.

Do people need to send gifts for the baby?

Absolutely not. Although most parents want to send birth announcements as a way of sharing their good news, some worry that recipients will view the sending of a birth announcement as a request for a gift. This is absolutely not the case: recipients are under no obligation to send a gift. If desired, the phrase "Please, no gifts," may be included in small print at the bottom of the birth announcement. In any case, if a gift is sent, a personalized thank you card should be mailed as an acknowledgement of their generosity.

Thank You Notes

After you send out your birth announcements, be prepared to receive gifts and notes of best wishes. When ordering your birth announcements, pick out and order your thank you cards so you have plenty on hand throughout your pregnancy. There are many occasions where gifts are given before and after the baby is born, so be sure to order plenty of extra thank you cards.

Upon receiving gifts after sending your birth announcements, after a baby shower or after an evening with friends, there are several components to writing an appreciative thank you card.

Timing is of the essence; you should have thank you notes on hand after announcing your pregnancy so that you can write your thank you cards without delay. Thank you notes for birth announcements should be mailed within a few days of receiving the gift. You have a bit more time after a shower since you will have more to write.

Sincerity is another key component of a genuine thank you card. Be sure to say “what” you are thanking them for by listing the items they gave you and it is always heartfelt if you can say how you are looking forward to using those items or comment on how adorable or helpful they are.

Thank you cards usually allow for one line of printing that can be used in many different ways. First, you can have "Thank You" printed to match the font on your invitation. Another option is to have your names printed on the card: "Mr. and Mrs. Peter Smith " would be most formal, while "Sarah and Peter " would be the least. This would also be considered an informal card. Note, the bride's name should appear first on all printed items relating to the wedding. There are benefits to both thank you cards and informal cards. Ordering "thank you" on the card allows you to use them as thank you notes for occasions other than the wedding. Ordering your names or monograms on the card allows you to use them as notecards for personal notes or messages that aren't in reference to thanking someone for a gift.