Wedding Tips
If you thought narrowing down the guest list involved tough choices, the task of choosing exactly what kind of wedding invitation to send out may seem no less a challenge.
With thousands of different styles and types to select from, making a final pick that suits the tone of your celebration may be no easy matter. Annabels Weddings by Invitation offers a few practical tips to make the experience of shopping a little easier, so you can concentrate on expressing yourself with style:
Order invitations four to six months before your wedding. It may be tempting to take care of "bigger" things first, but the choices you make in selecting an invitation can really help set the tone for the whole wedding.
Before you make an appointment with a stationer, your guest list should be more-or-less complete. This means having the names and addresses of all your guests ready. Things like pricing and delivery dates are very dependent on final numbers to print.
Naturally, you don't need one invitation for each person. Normally, you only need to send one per household, specifying two or more names. But consider that some invitees, such as a young adult still living at the family home, may appreciate receiving their own invitation.
Before ordering your invitations, check out the vast range of wedding stationery and invitations we have available, nearly all of which come in matching sets.
Being a good supplier, we should be able to work within your budget, whether it's £100 or £1,000 for invitations, and don't forget we offer an amazing 15% off normal retail prices, and we have many special offers available upon request.
Proofs are a vital part of your wedding stationery order, and it is your responsibility to make sure your wedding details and the spelling of guest's names are correct.
At some point, the process of arranging invitations to even a small wedding may leave you feeling as busy as a branch office of the Post Office. If you're just starting out, here's a guide to help you plan and prepare for all your wedding-related mail.
These short-and-sweet announcements can be sent in advance of formal invitations, usually three months or so before the wedding. Though not obligatory, sending a short note or card to ask friends and family to reserve the date is particularly useful if you are planning a destination wedding or expect to invite many out-of-town guests.
For a formal wedding, invitations should be sent about six weeks prior to the wedding. However, for very informal weddings or perhaps a second wedding, it's acceptable to mail invitations as little as two weeks prior to the event. Keep in mind that if any of your guests will be traveling a long way to attend, it's thoughtful to give them more notice by mailing invitations earlier.
If you will be gathering with your family and the wedding party for dinner following a wedding rehearsal, a simple phone call to invite everyone is usually just fine. But if you're planning a formal wedding or some of the invited guests are from out of town, a written invitation is a thoughtful and personal touch. Mail these invitations three to four weeks in advance.
Simple cards to announce your marriage, these should be printed, put in envelopes, addressed, sealed and stamped before the wedding, but not sent until immediately after. If you plan to be out of town right after the wedding, assign someone else to drop these in the post on your behalf.
Usually a relatively small event for close family or relatives visiting from out of town, invitations for a day-after brunch can be printed on separate cards and inserted into the wedding invitations of those you would like to attend. Otherwise, you can send them out on their own, three to four weeks before the event.
An important gesture to show your appreciation, send a thank-you card as soon after you receive a wedding gift as possible. If you receive a gift before the wedding, it's okay to open it and send the thank-you card ahead of the event. Some people choose to wait until after the wedding to open gifts, but it's still thoughtful to call or write to the gift-giver to at least acknowledge that the parcel arrived safely. Then, follow up with a proper thank-you after the wedding when you've opened it.