What you will need to know before ordering your stationery and how to calculate numbers.
Wedding Invitations and Stationery may be the first thing you think of in your wedding planning process, or it may be the last thing on your mind with all the excitement of planning your dream wedding.
This post will help you gather everything you need to know about your wedding stationery before you start looking for wedding invitations. Remember that your wedding invitations are the first impressions your guests will receive about your wedding. Your invitations are an opportunity to give your guests a taste of the tone and style you are intending, and can even help your guests plan for what to wear based on details such as time of year, style, theme, and formality level of your event.
Formality is an important component of the wedding invitation. Not only is it the first sneak peek of your wedding day that your guests get to view, but it is also very likely the only piece of information they will see prior to your wedding day.
There are a few things you should gather before you start looking for your wedding invitations.
When planning for your wedding theme, make sure to consider the colors, time of year, and the comprehensive feel and look you want to achieve for your wedding day. Having these components organized will make everything much easier, not just for invitations, but to begin planning all the details around your inspiration board and your end goal. For example: Are you having a country style wedding, a black and white tie event, a modern urban event, or a garden themed wedding? There are so many beautiful ideas and endless resources out there, it can be very overwhelming until you lock in the color palette and overall theme, and doing so will help you avoid sensory overload. With a more specific vision you will either know the style and theme you want to achieve, or it will help your wedding Stationer present ideas in that design category.
Once you have your colors and theme, it is time to figure out your guest list.
It is time to sit down with your fiancé and discuss your guest list. This will enable you to begin working on a budget, or if you already have a budget, it will help you narrow down your list. The amount of people you want to invite affects your food quantity, your amount of space and table layout for your reception, how many invitations you need, how many floral centerpieces you need, and how many chairs you need for your ceremony and other design elements. So get your game face on, and get ready to justify why you have more friends. How many guests can your budget accommodate again?
Once you have your numbers figured out then you can calculate how many wedding invitations you will need.
The easiest way to calculate the amount of wedding invitations needed is to take your guest, cut it in half, and then add about 15 to 20 more invitations. Always order 10 to 15 extra invitations in case you have any last minute additions, and also to keep a few copies for yourself. This may vary for each couple, but this is a general starting point as most invitations are addressed to more than one person. If there is a child who is 18 or older they should be sent their own individually addressed envelope, even if they are at the same residence as the family.
This will give you the total number of invitations needed to base your quotes on.
is your content, as well as, all your important information, such as the wedding date, venue, start time, wedding details, rsvp date, wedding website, rsvp date, and guest addresses.
You will need to decide if you would like your guests’ full names on the invitation (including middle name or not), as well as, entrée selections if you are having a plated meal.
Having these components and your guest address information will speed up the time to receive and mail out your wedding invitations, especially if you need your invitations in a rush.
You are now ready and prepared to begin looking for the perfect wedding invitation!
My clients are always excited to work on their wedding invitations, because once they see it in writing it really hits home that they are getting married. It is one of those special moments in the wedding planning process to stop, and take a moment to let it all sink in.