Etiquette Still Counts

Even In The Contemporary Wedding

Once you have taken the plunge committing yourself to a life partner, planning the wedding can be both exciting yet daunting. Even in our current culture where more formal wedding protocols have relaxed, there are some traditions that remain. Selecting Wedding Invitations in a style that is both beautiful and personal is just the beginning. You will also need to know what is to be included in the invitation itself, what kind of language to incorporate within your wedding invitation templates, as well as what kind of timeline is expected as a courtesy for guests who want to attend.

Basic Wedding Invitation Etiquette

We recommend choosing your invitations as soon as your date has been set and the guest list has been established. Typically, this is done between 3 to 6 months prior to the wedding date. This time frame allows you to order, proof and address your invitations. Since it is one of the earliest tasks for you to organize and complete, getting it rolling and out of the way will relieve some of the stress from the many other wedding planning responsibilities you will have.

Ideally, you should send your invitations to your guest list approximately 4 to 6 weeks prior to the wedding. If you have scheduled a summer or holiday wedding, we recommend sending invitations about 8 weeks ahead of the event, since not every couple will send save-the-date cards. If you send save-the-date cards or magnets, we suggest sending these at the 3 to 6 month time frame.

What Is Included In Your Wedding Invitation

Everyone has received a wedding invitation at some point although you may not remember what all is included, let alone know expected protocol and customs. When selecting your invitations, you will order the invitation itself and several enclosures including reception cards, response cards and maps for out-of-town guests.

Our wedding invitation templates guide you through the customary titles and language used in contemporary wedding invitations. They include the couples’ names, parents of each, the date, time and location of your ceremony. Once you receive your printed invitations, you will begin addressing them. It is important to include courtesy titles such as Mr., Miss, or Mrs., as well as any relevant professional titles such as “The Honorable Judge”, military ranks such as Captain or General, and the like. Always use formal names (not nicknames) spelled out for addressee names, as well as streets, avenues and boulevards, etc.

Mailing Your Wedding Invitations and Follow-up

Once all invitations are ready to mail, make a trip to the post office with a sample invitation with all enclosures to confirm how much postage is required. It is likely you will need extra postage to mail the primary envelope with its enclosures. You will also stamp any response cards you need to receive back to get a final guest count. You should receive response cards no later than 2 weeks before the actual ceremony, which will include how many guests are expected to attend each party.