Organising your Wedding Invitations

Congratulations youre getting married. The date is getting closer and your invitations need to be organized. So where do you begin.

First impressions are the ones that last. The choice of invitations set the mood for your wedding, prepares your guests of what to expect. The colour & theme will give guests a feel of what the bridesmaids will wear; the lace work on the cover may give them a clue of what the bride will be wearing. The fine details in your invitation will give your guests a sense of excitement, a feel that they cannot wait to attend your wedding.

*Your invitations need to be organized 6 - 3 months prior your wedding date. They will need to be mailed out 12 10 weeks prior along with RSVP cards, gift registry, bridal shower invitations & hens night invitations. These time frames will give you plenty of time to prepare seating arrangements, place cards, reception details & guest gifts.

Before getting started you need to be sure on a few things.

When choosing your invitations there are a few things to consider

1. Budget

2. Style of card Colour & Theme

3. Wording

4. Guest list - Extras

Budget

Ask yourself a few questions - How much do you really want to spend. Will you be doing them yourself or getting them professionally made. The price difference between the two can be almost half.

With professionally made invitations there are printing costs and run costs for not only the invitations but the RSVP, bridal shower, hens night, place cards and guest gift tags. You will be charged a set-up cost in most cases, and a cost for all materials being used. Having your guest names on each invitation and envelope are also extra costs.

*different ranges of card have different costs.

If you choose to do them yourself make sure you have a good quality printer (laser that can handle +220gsm card stock) and good computer knowledge. There would be no reason why you could not take up the challenge.

*Keep in mind that if you choose to get them professionally done the fine details are taken care of. So whether the budget allows for it or not you actually pay the extra for peace of mind.

Colour & Theme

Some weddings are worked around the colour of the bridesmaids dresses; some are wedding flowers of the bridal party or bride and so forth. Whatever the colour/theme the invitations, RSVP cards, place cards, Church service covers, gift tags and thank you cards all need to match. Hens night and bridal shower can have another theme or colour if you choose depending on what theme you choose for each occasion.

*Creativity plays a big part. Your wedding day is your day so make it special. All the small finishes really make an impression on the day.

*Read our article on choosing your wedding colours and theme.

Wording

The wording of your invitations should be one of the most important things. Your invitations should be precise, the date, time & address of where the ceremony & reception will take place. They can be formal, informal, religious and of different origin or culture.

Eg: *formal wedding names are always written in full.

*The first names that appear on your invitations should be of the person or persons paying for the wedding.

*Date & time are traditionally spelt out in full.

Guest List

A gust list should always be prepared on an excel spread sheet. If you choose to have your invitations made by a professional they will in most cases ask for a guest list on a spread sheet. Having it all prepared can save a lot of time. Make sure its prepared prior to ordering your package.

Your list will give you the quantity of invitations you need. Keep an extra copy for yourself to tick off guest as they reply, keep track of place cards you need, gift tags, thank you cards and have a column for table numbers.

Shop around and have a good look what colours and styles you prefer. This will give you a good indication of what you like and what you defiantly do not like.

Most card and paper stock come in standard envelope sizes. Most transparent or vellum come in different styles and designs for example hearts come in 6-7 different colours with 7 different designs and ranges. Looking at paper stationery can be endless try not to get confused and stick to your theme or style; most times you cannot go wrong.

To read more Wedding articles and tips go to http://www.scribd.com/wedbids

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