DISCOUNT WEDDING INVITATIONS
Plan your wedding invitations early.
Begin creating your guest list as soon as possible. Ask your parents
and the groom's parents for a list of the people they would like to
invite. You and your fiancé should make your own list. Make certain
that all names are spelled correctly and that all addresses are
current. Determine if you wish to include children; if so, add their
names to your list. All children over the age of 16 should receive
their own discount wedding invitations.
Order your discount wedding invitations at
least 4 months before the wedding. Allow an additional month for
engraved invitations. Wedding invitations are traditionally issued
by the bride's parents; but if the groom's parents are assuming some
of the wedding expenses, the discount wedding invitations should be in their names
also. Mail all invitations at the same time, 6 - 8 weeks before the
wedding.
Options: There are three types of
discount wedding invitations: traditional/formal, contemporary, and informal.
The traditional/formal wedding invitation is white, soft cream, or
ivory with raised black lettering. The printing is done on the top
page of a double sheet of thick quality paper; the inside is left
blank. The contemporary invitation is typically an individualized
presentation that makes a statement about the bride and groom.
Informal wedding invitations are often printed on the front of a
single, heavyweight card and may be handwritten or preprinted.
There are three types of printing:
engraved, thermography, and offset printing. Engraving is the most
expensive, traditional and formal type of printing. It also takes
the longest to complete. In engraved printing, stationery is pressed
onto a copper plate, which makes the letters rise slightly from the
page. Thermography is a process that fuses powder and ink to create
a raised letter. This takes less time than engraving and is less
expensive because copper plates do not have to be engraved. Offset
printing, the least expensive, is the quickest to produce and offers
a variety of styles and colors. It is also the least formal.
Things To Consider: If all your
guests are to be invited to both the ceremony and the reception, a
combined invitation may be sent without separate enclosure cards.
Order one invitation for each married or cohabiting couple that you
plan to invite. The officiant and his/her spouse as well as your
attendants should receive an invitation.
Order approximately 20% more
stationery than your actual count. Allow a minimum of two weeks to
address and mail the discount wedding invitations, longer if using a calligrapher or
if your guest list is very large. You may also want to consider
ordering invitations to the rehearsal dinner, as these should be in
the same style as the wedding invitation.
Price Range: $0.75 - $5 per
invitation
RESPONSE CARDS
Response cards are enclosed with the
discount wedding invitations to determine the number of people who will be
attending your wedding. They are the smallest card size accepted by
the postal service and should be printed in the same style as the
wedding invitation. An invitation to only the wedding ceremony does
not usually include a request for a reply. However, response cards
should be used when it is necessary to have an exact head count for
special seating arrangements. Response cards are widely accepted
today. If included, these cards should be easy for your guests to
understand and use. Include a self-addressed and stamped return
envelope to make it easy for your guests to return the response
cards.
Things To Consider: You should not
include a line that reads "number of persons" on your response cards
because only those whose names appear on the inner and outer
envelopes are invited. Each couple, each single person, and all
children over the age of 16 should receive their own wedding
invitation. Indicate on the inner envelope if they may bring an
escort or guest. The omitting of children's names from the inner
envelope infers that the children are not invited.
Price Range: $.40 - $.80 each
RECEPTION CARDS
If the guest list for the ceremony is
larger than that for the reception, a separate card with the date,
time and location for the reception should be enclosed with the
ceremony invitation for those guests also invited to the reception.
Reception cards should be placed in front of the invitation, facing
the back flap and the person inserting them. They should be printed
on the same quality paper and in the same style as the invitation
itself.
Things To Consider: You may also
include a reception card in all your wedding invitations if the
reception is to be held at a different site than the ceremony.
Price Range: $.35 - $.60 each
CEREMONY CARDS
If the guest list for the reception
is larger than the guest list for the ceremony, a special insertion
card with the date, time and location for the ceremony should be
enclosed with the reception invitation for those guests also invited
to the ceremony.
Ceremony cards should be placed in
front of the wedding invitation, facing the back flap and the person
inserting them. They should be printed on the same quality paper and
in the same style as the invitation itself.
Price Range: $.35 - $.60 each
PEW CARDS
Pew cards may be used to let special
guests and family members know they are to be seated in the reserved
section on either the bride's side or the groom's side. These are
most typically seen in large, formal ceremonies. Guests should take
this card to the ceremony and show it to the ushers, who should then
escort them to their seats.
Options: Pew cards may indicate a
specific pew number if specific seats are assigned, or may read
"Within the Ribbon" if certain pews are reserved but no specific
seat is assigned.
Things To Consider: Pew cards may be
inserted along with the invitation, or may be sent separately after
the RSVPs have been returned. It is often easier to send them after
you have received all RSVPs so you know how many reserved pews will
be needed.
Tips To Save Money: Include the pew
card with the wedding invitation to special guests and just say
"Within the Ribbon." After you have received all your RSVPs, you
will know how many pews need to be reserved. This will save you the
cost of mailing the pew cards separately.
Price Range: $.20 - $.60 each
RAIN CARDS
These cards are enclosed when guests
are invited to an outdoor ceremony and/or reception, informing them
of an alternate location in case of bad weather. As with other
enclosures, rain cards should be placed in front of the wedding
invitation, facing the back flap and the person inserting them. They
should be printed on the same quality paper and in the same style as
the invitation itself.
Price Range: $.20 - $.30 each
MAPS
Maps to the ceremony and/or reception
are becoming frequent inserts in discount wedding invitations. They need to
be drawn and printed in the same style as the invitation and are
usually on a small, heavier card. If they are not printed in the
same style or on the same type of paper as the invitation, they
should be mailed separately.
Options: Maps should include both
written and visual instructions, keeping in mind the fact that
guests may be coming from different locations.
Things To Consider: Order extra maps
to hand out at the ceremony if the reception is at a different
location.
Tips To Save Money: If you are
comfortable with computers, you can purchase software that allows
you to draw your own maps. Print a map to both the ceremony and
reception on the same sheet of paper, perhaps one on each side. This
will save you the cost of mailing two maps. Or have your ushers hand
out maps to the reception after the ceremony.
Price Range: $.50 - $.75 each
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announcements are not obligatory but
serve a useful purpose. They may be sent to friends who are not
invited to the wedding because the number of guests must be limited,
or because they live too far away. They may also be sent to
acquaintances who, while not particularly close to the family, might
still wish to know of the marriage.
Announcements are also appropriate
for friends and acquaintances who are not expected to attend and for
whom you do not want to give an obligation of sending a gift. They
should include the day, month, year, city, and state where the
ceremony took place.
Things To Consider: Announcements
should never be sent to anyone who has received an invitation to the
ceremony or the reception. They are printed on the same paper and in
the same style as the wedding invitations. They should be addressed
before the wedding and mailed the day of or the day after the
ceremony.
Price Range: $.50 - $1
STAMPS
Don't forget to budget stamps for
response cards as well as for discount wedding invitations!
Things To Consider: Don't order
stamps until you have had the post office weigh your completed
wedding invitation. It may exceed the size and weight for one stamp.
Order commemorative stamps that fit the occasion.
Price Range: $.33 - $1
CALLIGRAPHY
Calligraphy is a form of elegant
handwriting often used to address invitations for formal occasions.
Traditional wedding invitations should be addressed in black or blue
fountain pen.
Options: You may address the discount wedding
invitations yourself, hire a professional calligrapher, or have your
invitations addressed using calligraphy by computer. Make sure you
use the same method or person to address both the inner and outer
envelopes. |
