All your Wedding needs
Having a wedding is more than just standing in front of an officiator and saying "I do." A wedding is a celebration of two people's union -- and quite frankly, three people don't really count as a party. If you have attended a wedding before, you know that a wedding is best remembered not by how elaborate the venue or expensive the catered dinner was. A wedding is almost always remembered because of the fun the bride and groom shared with their families and friends. To achieve a wedding worth remembering, you need wedding invitations.
Wedding invitations play several roles in any wedding. First, they let your friends and family know that you want to share your special day with them. Second, wedding invitations can give your guests a preview of what to expect during the celebration. Third, wedding invitations can clear up other important details which can save you a lot of awkward moments. But as easy as it is to run down the copy shop and order your invites, there is more to wedding invitations than white envelopes and wedding stationery.
There are three basic points you must consider to be able to write the best invitations for your wedding:
Budget
Consider your budget before even coming up with a concept for your wedding invitations. There are two budgets you must assess here: your overall wedding budget and your invitation budget allotment. How much can you afford to spend on invitations?
Number of Guests
Decide how many people you really want in your wedding. Consult your partner and come up with separate guest lists. Can you really fit that number in your wedding venue or at the reception? Work with your wedding planner to determine the optimum number of guests you can invite depending on your budget and wedding venue.
Final Guest List
Once you have decided on the number of guests, you must come up with a final guest list. As a rule, keep your guest list as personal and private as possible. Work with your partner in coming up with the list to ensure that both your family and friends are evenly represented. Think if you really want to share the day with the cousin of the best friend of your mother's college roommate just because you met her once when you picked up your mum from the laundry.
When you have set your budget and finalized your guest list, you can now choose the kind of wedding invitation you want. Invitations usually come with a matching set of wedding cards and table name cards. This means, that you have to choose the kind that you really like since you'll be seeing them everywhere on your wedding day. Here is a list of the most popular choices for wedding invitations:
The Handwritten Invitation
If you only plan to invite 50 people or less, you can opt to do your invitation by hand. You write the details of the ceremony and the reception on a plain wedding stationery. Better yet, you can add pizazz by choosing a scented variant and having the stationery's design personalized. This is perfect if you are planning a simple and small event.
The Engraved Invitation
Possibly the most expensive variant, the design and words of your invitation template are copied onto a thin copper sheet by cutting before being put into a press and inked. After this, the inked sheet is stamped onto the card stock or paper. It is the pressure caused by the press that leaves indentations on the paper which give your invites an engraved look. Use this kind only if you have the budget and the time to wait since the process can take a long time.
The Thermographic Invitation
Although it is cheaper compared to engraved invitations, a thermographic invite is still beautiful and suitable for classic and traditional weddings. The negative of your invitation design and wording is put in a template while your invitation paper is put under the press. A machine dusts the wet ink with powder before the inked and pressed paper is heated in an oven. It is the heating process which gives this invitation a unique and slightly grainy texture.
The Contemporary Invitation
An invitation is deemed contemporary if it deviates from the usual ivory, ecru, or white-colored paper. Adding and using personalized items like colored ink and paper, small gifts, and tokens like pictures as part of your invitation is also considered as temporary. This kind is preferred more less-traditional weddings.
The Plain Printed Invitation
For a minimalist take on your wedding invitation, you can just print the wedding details onto the paper. This is perfect if you are pressed for time and budget since you can do this yourself. Ordering them for an invitation shop is also easy since there is no fancy work involved.
Writing wedding invitations for a formal and informal setting have significant differences. You can opt to surf the 'Net for a detailed guide or buy a book on the said subject. But if you are pressed for time, here are some basic tips on writing an invitation for any kind of wedding celebration:
You can use less formal language if you are having an unconventional wedding. You can also add a map, an RSVP card, and a reception card in your invitation before mailing them. To keep your wedding fun, don't forget to mention important details like the dress code, if there's any, and the number of seats you have reserved for your invited guest.
