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Wedding Invitations Check List For Your Day Guests

Anyone who has or is in the process of organising a wedding will know just how many details there are to remember and how stressful it can become. One of the most important elements to get right is your wedding invitations and especially the ones that will be sent to your day guests. The unfortunate truth is that many couples still make errors and their invitations end up being sent out with incorrect information. This is often down to the fact that much focus is placed on the design and colour scheme, whilst the details are rushed over. Hopefully our check list will help you to avoid making such a mistake.

Yet embarking on a destination wedding can seem like leaping into the unknown for many couples, so it is important to keep these handy tips in mind:

Host details:

The opening line of any wedding invitation should always include the name of who will be hosting the wedding. Traditionally this will be the parents of the bride, even if other parties are making some financial contribution. Depending on personal circumstances it could be that the hosts are the bride's grandparents, aunty and uncle or perhaps other relatives. In some instances it may even be that the couple to be married are hosting their own wedding reception.

Guest names:

Each invitation should be personally addressed to the recipient/s. If there are a few friends or family members who have partners that you haven't yet met, do try to find out their name to make them feel welcome. Also be sure to handwrite the recipient's names to add a personal touch.

How the hosts and bride are related:

In most circumstances the relationship between the bride and the hosts should be mentioned. This is especially the case when the wedding will be a formal affair. See below for an example:

Details of venue:

The opening line of any wedding invitation should always include the name of who will be hosting the wedding. Traditionally this will be the parents of the bride, even if other parties are making some financial contribution. Depending on personal circumstances it could be that the hosts are the bride's grandparents, aunty and uncle or perhaps other relatives. In some instances it may even be that the couple to be married are hosting their own wedding reception.

Details of venue:

Information on where the ceremony and reception are taking place is where mistakes most commonly occur. Make sure you provide complete address details including the postcode for those who have satellite navigation systems. Also provide the times of when the ceremony and reception begin and what times guests should arrive by.

Enclosed RSVP:

In order to progress with many of your other wedding plans you must first wait for the invitations to be returned. This can be a long wait if you forget to include a RSVP as many couples do. One way to ensure that you don't fall into this trap can be to go for wedding invitations that have a tear off RSVP card. If you do go for separate RSVP cards be sure to double check every has one enclosed before you seal them. Remember to provide a return address to where the RSVP should be sent as not all of your friends and family will know where you live. Including a stamp will also hurry along the return process.

Contact Number:

As well as a return address it is useful to provide a contact telephone number. This allows invited guests the opportunity to clarify any queries they have before they send back their RSVP.

Menu choices:

The wedding feast is one of the most important elements of the day. The meal is traditionally a symbol of thanks to the guests from the married couple for attending and sharing their big day. Always try to offer a wide range of meal choices that are tailored to suit every taste and include at least one vegetarian option. It is also a good idea to leave some space for any special dietary requirements for those with nut allergies etc.

Present list:

If you are accepting gifts and have put together a list then be sure to include it. The wording should be tactful and never assume that a gift will be received. In order to avoid present duplication it can be a wise move to set up wedding gift lists with relevant retail outlets, which can be accessed by guests either in the store or online.

This guide is provided by Paper Themes, who specialise in wedding invitations and all other stationery items you may need for your big day. Through the use of the Paper Themes innovative preview tool you can review your wedding invitation design and wording online before you order; greatly reducing the likelihood of an error.


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