Before Sending Out Your Wedding Invitations
Sending out wedding invitations is an exciting milestone in the planning process, but it’s important to make sure everything is perfect before they go in the mail. Here are five key things to double-check to ensure your invitations are clear, professional, and ready to be sent to your guests:
1. Clearly Indicate Who is Invited
It’s essential to specify who is invited to avoid any confusion. The best way to do this is by listing each guest’s name on the envelope, including children if applicable.
If you’re allowing a guest to bring a plus-one, make sure to indicate this by adding “and Guest” after the invited guest’s name. To make it even clearer, you can include a note on the RSVP card, like “We have reserved 2 seats for you” to further confirm.
2. Set an RSVP Deadline
Make sure your RSVP card includes a clear “reply by” date. This will help you finalize your guest count for vendors and ensure that any guest-specific day-of stationery (such as escort cards or place cards) is printed on time.
It’s a good idea to set the RSVP deadline 6-8 weeks before your wedding date. If you’re using a mail-back RSVP, allow 8 weeks to ensure enough time for the responses to make their way through the postal system.
3. Specify Ceremony and Reception Locations
If your ceremony and reception are at different locations, make sure to clearly communicate this to your guests. The ceremony location can be listed on the main invitation, while a separate enclosure card can provide the reception location and start time.
Keep in mind that you don’t need to include street addresses unless there are two venues with the same name in the same city or if the reception is at a private residence.
4. Include Postage on Your RSVP Envelope
Pre-stamped RSVP envelopes make it easy for guests to reply, but don’t forget to ensure they have postage! While you’ll likely need to follow up with some guests as the deadline approaches, providing a postage-paid envelope removes one barrier.
If you have international guests, they’ll need postage specific to their country. You can either leave the postage off entirely for them to place themselves or opt for an online RSVP system to avoid dealing with international stamps.
5. Double Check Postage for the Mailing Envelope
To ensure your invitations have enough postage, bring a fully assembled invitation (including all enclosures) to the post office for an accurate quote. Postage costs depend on the size, weight, thickness, and overall “insert-ability” of your envelope. It’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to postage to avoid having invitations returned.
Ensure Your Invitations Are Perfect Before Mailing
Double-checking these key details before sending out your wedding invitations will save you time, stress, and potential confusion for your guests. Taking a few extra moments to review names, locations, RSVP details, and postage will ensure your invitations are picture-perfect and ready to set the tone for your big day. Now that you’ve got everything covered, it’s time to send them out and get excited—your wedding day is getting closer!
Happy Planning!
– Chelsey