Save the Dates:

Sent out 6-8 months before the wedding date.

You don’t HAVE to send save the dates, but they are a good idea to make sure most people can attend your wedding.

It is also a fun way to show off your engagement pictures!!

This is the part of the wedding “send outs” that you can have fun with..unlike the traditional wedding invitations, which tend to be a bit more fancy.

You can add pictures and information guests may need, such as your wedding website.

*Tip: The Knot & Wedding Wire have great FREE wedding websites!

Mine were magnets! And I did a collage of our engagement photos!

TIP: Costco does stunning invitations, they have a great photo center!

Invitations:

Sent out 6-8 weeks before the wedding

Be sure to address your response cards and include postage to make it easy for guests to reply.

On your response cards include an “Rsvp by” date so people know when to send them back. The date for RSVP’s should be 2-3 weeks before the wedding, that way you can get a final headcount.

TIP: If some guests haven’t responded call to get their response to finalize headcount-Otherwise they might show up and not have a place at the table.

Thank You cards:

The traditional rule is that you have one year from the wedding to send our thank you cards.

However, it is nice for guest to get them within 3 months of the wedding.

Hand write a special thank you on each card, even if it is a photo print out. This is more thoughtful and personal.

Tip: Have your card envelopes printed with your return address, that way you don’t need to hand address this part.

What to include on the invitations:

• Dress code

•Time

•Venue

•Wedding registry

What not to include:

•Wedding Website

•No kids allowed

(Put these on the Save the date)

EXTRA TIPS: When only inviting certain members of a family, address the invitations just to those who are invited.

•When kids are not invited, address the invitation to the parents, rather than “The jones family .” This way you name only those who are invited and don’t have to write “no kids”!

•Not everyone has to get a plus one !

•Kids do NOT have to be invited !

This is your wedding, you make the rules!

That’s AL you need to know about wedding invitation etiquette.