Weddings are such an exciting time for any bride or groom! There are tons of decisions to be made such as the Wedding theme, colour scheme, floral arrangements, outfits, the list goes on and on. Your wedding stationery, including wedding invitations, will form part of these decisions. Wedding invitations convey a substantial amount of information to your guests and indicate what to expect at the wedding, from the theme to the dress code to the ceremony. Ensure your wedding invitations are flawless by avoiding the following common mistakes.
Not sticking to your theme:
A casual invitation does not make sense if you are having a traditional formal wedding. Similarly, a very formal invitation does not suit a laidback wedding. Your invitation should portray the theme or colours of your wedding. The style of your invitation will give your guests an idea of whether it is a relaxed event or a formal occasion.
Not sending invitations on time:
The invitations should be sent six to eight weeks before the wedding. Invitations could be sent earlier if you did not send out a save the date to the guests. Usually, a save the date should be sent out at least six months to a year before the wedding date. If your wedding is at Christmas, in the height of the Summer or on a Bank Holiday Weekend, you should send them out even sooner.
Ordering too many invitations:
Your guest list may be extensive, but every person on the list does not require an individual invitation. Many people on the guest list will actually be couples who only need one invitation; families with young children will require a single invitation for the entire household. Go through your guest list and determine how many invitations are required. You might only need half the number of invitations you estimated initially.
Ordering too few invitations:
Be careful to not underestimate the number of invitations. Those over 18 years old and singles living in the same household should receive their own invitations. A mistake might be made in addressing the invitation, which would require a replacement. You may add a few more people to the guest list and then create additional invitations.
A great idea is to hand on to a few extra invitations as keepsakes. You, your parents and grandparents may want to keep the invitations as a memory of the day.
Incorrect invitation wording:
A spelling or grammar mistake is not something you want to see on your wedding invitation. Check the wording several times to ensure there are no mistakes. Have someone from your bridal party check the invitation’s wording. Follow the style of editors and review the information by reading each word separately, starting from the right and then moving to the left.
Choosing illegible designs:
Fancy fonts and attractive colours may look pretty, but this should not be at the cost of readability. Avoid choosing a font that is difficult to read or very small. Pastel colours on light-coloured paper or dark colours on dark-coloured paper will not be easy on the eye. Choose legible fonts and colours that contrast nicely and make reading a breeze.
Not stating invited guests clearly:
The invitation, or envelope, should give a clear indication of who is invited to the wedding. Address the invitation to everyone invited in the household, otherwise some guests will assume the whole family is invited. There’s no harm going the extra mile and writing the exact names, or number of guests invited, on the RSVP card. Then they just have to check a box for attending or not attending – there’s no space for them to add in extra names. Addressing the invitation with “and Guest” will also indicate that partners are welcome to attend the wedding. If you are planning on having a child-free Wedding or are only including Children in the Bridal Party, here are some polite ways of letting your guests know:
If you want to keep it short and sweet: “Please note this will be an adults-only celebration.”
If you want to be a bit softer: “Although we love your little ones, this is an adults-only affair.”
If you have limited space: “Although we love your children, we unfortunately cannot accommodate them at the venue due to restricted numbers.”
If you plan to party hard: “We love your kids but thought you might like a night off. Adults only please.
If you’re inviting newborns or nieces and nephews only: “Unfortunately we are only able to accommodate children in the wedding party at our reception. We hope you understand and enjoy your night off!”
If you’re inviting children to the ceremony only: “Children are welcome at the ceremony, however the reception is an adults-only affair.”
Unclear RSVP information:
The number of guests expected at the wedding needs to be confirmed around four weeks in advance. The invitation should clearly state when you require the RSVP card to be returned. The RSVP date would usually be nearest Friday to the same date as your Wedding but a month before. (Eg. Friday 20th July for an August 22nd Wedding)
Adding unnecessary information:
Only include information that is suitable for your wedding. You do not need accommodation recommendations if all your guests live locally. Do include important information such as cash bar availability and if children are welcome. There is no longer any need to include a long list of directions, it is much simpler to just include the venues Eircode or GPS Co-Ordinates and the guests can enter this into Google Maps.
Forgetting to include postage:
If you are including Pocketfolds or extra insert sheets, your invitations may be slightly heavier, leading to a higher postage charge. You do not want your invitations to be sent back due to insufficient postage being paid. Have your invitation weighed at the post office to ensure you cover the total cost of postage.
Wax Seals:
If you decide to put a Wax Seal or Stamp on your invitation you need to inform the post office that you need your invitations to be sorted by hand. If Wax Seals are run through a sorting machine they usually come out damaged with a chunk dug out of the centre of them ruining the lovely finish.
