What to Include in Your Wedding Invitation
You have the ring, secured a venue and now you have a (new) wedding date! It's time to start thinking about your invite so I'm sharing everything you need to include in your stationery suite.
Key Details
Names: Let your guests know who the wedding is for and who they will be celebrating.
Date: Include the full date of your wedding and make it visible.
Location: Where is your wedding taking place? Are your ceremony & reception happening at the same location? Or will your ceremony and reception be at two different venues? Be sure to include both locations if they are in different places!
Time: Include both the ceremony and reception times, so guests can organize their day accordingly. Some may not be able to make the ceremony, but maybe they can join the fun at your reception, which is why it's important to include these details.
Other Details to Include That Are Not So Obvious:
Hosts: Who is hosting this amazing day? Are you and your partner? Maybe your parents? Or maybe both parents are helping out in some way. If your parents are helping you with the wedding, it's respectful to include their names to show your appreciation.
The request to come to your wedding: "you are cordially invited to..." is a pretty standard way to let your guests know you'd like them to celebrate with you on your wedding day. If you want to go more formal, you could use "requests the honor of your presence." No matter how you choose to word it, letting your guests know you want them there is the main thing!
Reception Info: If you want to inform your guests of what is happening at the wedding reception, this is the place to do it. Like, "dinner & dancing to follow ceremony". These details can be on the actual invite, usually placed at the bottom or you can have a separate reception card with more information.
Dress Code: Whether you're having a black tie affair or a more casual wedding, let your guests know the dress code you expect for your wedding.
Extras You Can Include in Your Suite
RSVP Card: This is a more formal option, if you want your guests to inform you if they'll be attending by sending a RSVP card back in the mail. Pro Tip: Make sure to number the back of the RSVP card so you can easily keep track of all the details and cross reference with your master list.
Directions: To ensure you're guests know exactly where to go, it's always a great idea to include a map and directions card.
Accommodations: If you have out of town guests that will be staying in a hotel or maybe a bed & breakfast, you should include an accommodation card to let them know where they can book a room to stay overnight.
Postage: This is a must because you want your invites to get to your guests, and it won't get delivered in the mail if you don't have postage. If you're including a RSVP card for guests to fill out and send back, then be sure to include a postage for this as well. Don't make your guests provide their own postage to let you know they will be attending your wedding!
Now that you have all the details on what to include in your wedding invite, you can get to the fun part and start the design of your wedding stationery. Remember, your invitation sets the tone of your wedding, so make sure it's true to you and your style.
XO Claudia