Before You Order Wedding Invitations...

Wedding invitations seem to give so many people a hard time. It seems like a mountainous task that ends up on the "dread list." For me it was harder than choosing my cake! As a matter of fact, it took me 10 minutes to order my cake and 1 year to decide on my wedding invitations! (I know--sounds crazy.)

While working with brides, I get so many questions about various aspects of the invitation process. So I've decided to blog about the process from start to finish. Hopefully this will help anyone planning their wedding now and in the future. Today, I'll focus in on preparing to order your invitations. Yes, there is a way to plan for this too!

I had a young lady call me about ordering an invitation. She wanted to make an appointment to see the invitation in person and possibly order. I'm a jotter by nature and sometimes I forget that everyone isn't like me. Anywho--she came to her appointment excited and giggling but she left a little dismayed. She wasn't prepared to order her invitations after all. She didn't know the number of invitations she needed and she was very surprised that she would have to place another order for any extras.

So how do you prepare? First, sketch out your guest list before you go to your consultation. It will be an asset to early planning by helping to establish your budget. Think about it, your caterer, the person making your cake and the stationer will each ask you, "How many people do you plan to have?" It's best to be as accurate as possible to save money from the start. The last thing you want to hear is, "We'll have to charge you as though you're placing a new order."

Knowing the type of wedding you'd like to have helps narrow down the style of invitation you choose. Would you like a wedding outdoors, or are you going for a formal affair with cocktail hour included? Your stationer can quickly guide you to specific invitations and you don't waste an afternoon looking at paper instead of eliminating other tasks on your "to do" list.

Having an idea about invitation styles is also helpful. If you know that you want to order from an album that's good. If you know that you want a more custom invite that's even better. Knowing that you'd like a pocket style or just the traditional flat panel is great. It narrows the field and gets to some more specific choices as well as begins to determine specific pricing.

Sit down with your man and make a draft of your possible wording. It doesn't have to be set in stone, it's just a sort of guide. Having this draft will help you remember to ask questions that you may have like, "How do we put both sets of parents on the invite?" It will also provide the ceremony time and date, reception location and point you to a response date.

The last thing I would suggest is that you carry any samples that you have gotten or pictures of what you like with you. This will also help the person assisting you point you in the right direction. If you have specific artwork that you'd like to see incorporated take it also. The more you information you have, the easier it is for someone to assist you without taking up your entire day!

Happy planning and as always, feel free to leave a comment or email your questions!