Invitations for weddings

The wedding invitation is one of the most important element of a wedding stationary. A wedding invitation asks the recipient formally to attend to the wedding. It should be clear on instruction like time and date for ceremony, reception and place for both events.

A Wedding Invitation is typically mailed six to eight weeks before the wedding date. Wedding invitations may be printed using engraving, lithography letterpress printing, offset printing, embossing and even inkjet printing as many of do-it-yourself are printing on their home or office computers, they can also be done by hand if the bride or groom is artistically inclined.

Traditionally, wedding invitations are mailed in double envelopes. The inner envelope may be lined, is not gummed, and fits into the outer envelope. The outer envelope is gummed for sealing and addressing. Tissues are often provided by manufacturers to place over the engraved text, originally this tissue protected the engraving against smudging or blotting, but improved printing techniques mean they are now simply decorative.

Depending on your budget the inner envelope can be left out since you will not only save money on it but also in the postage. In some cases, a pocket fold takes the place of an inner envelope.

The responsibility of addressing the envelope traditionally belong to the mother of the bride but this task can be outsource to a professional calligrapher, a friend with good penmanship, labeled and also printed directly on envelopes from a guest list using computer software like words.

Invitation design is continually changing and evolving to match current trends. Today's invitations generally match the style of the couple as well as the level of formality of the event. A casual Miami beach wedding usually have pastel, fresh colors and beach-related graphics. A formal church wedding may have more script typefaces and ornamentation that matches the formal nature of the event. The design of the invitation is becoming less and less traditional and more reflective of the bride and groom personality.

The wedding invitation often included in the ensemble the R.S.V.P., reception card, response card with corresponding envelope, map or direction card, registry card.

The R.S.V.P. card should be stamped prior to sending the invitation as a courtesy for the guest to send their response easily. R.S.V.P. cards are typically including an envelope, or more recently, are in the form of a postcard to save postage fees and the expense of the envelope. The reception card is used to lists the addresses and times of any post-wedding events, such as a cocktail hour, dinner or dance. Map or direction cards provide details about the location of the wedding and reception. The registry card are usually given to the couple once they do their registry at the store of their choice, it has the store name, their customer number and name, and it makes it easy for guests to purchase a gift of the couple's choice.