Ah, invitations. This is a whole other post series in and of itself that I’ll probably have an invitation pro write, so I’m just going to keep it short and sweet (or simple-stupid as some also say).

1. Quantity. You don’t have to order one invitation for EVERY person on your guest list. Because I’m pretty sure half of those people live at the same place. So when thinking of how many invitations to order, cut the number of guests you have in half. :)

2. Price. Custom invitations are the way to go- and they’re NOT as expensive as you think. I think that just because the word “custom” is associated with it, many people automatically think it’s out of their price range. I know I did! (But essentially everything for your wedding SHOULD be custom, because your wedding is CUSTOM to YOU!) Think of it this way- you don’t blink twice when you buy a mass produced greeting card with glitter on it for Mother’s Day for $5 at the drugstore, do you? I know I don’t! So if you can get awesome custom invitations that are SO much better than a glittered up greeting card for a few more dollars, that’s pretty AWESOME! :)

3. You need time. I can attest to that. I didn’t have time have my invitations custom made, so I had to order through a “big book”. But now you now. Hip Ink recommends starting the process for your invitations 6 months before your wedding, essentially giving you 4 months to hash everything out and have them nice and ready to be sent out 2 months before your date. (Oh, and while we’re on the topic of designing invitations, don’t ever expect a designer to replicate someone else’s design. Show them what you like that you’ve seen elsewhere and they’ll create something custom for you from your inspiration, but don’t ask them to copy someone else’s work.)

4. Proofread! You don’t know how many times I’ve heard about invitations being printed wrong because of a lack of proofreading! Your stationer most likely doesn’t know the exact spelling of your fiance’s name, your parents’ names, your venue’s name, etc- but you do! Make sure you look over the proofs sent to you, and then have at least 2 other people look them over as well!

5. Don’t forget… about postage and other paper elements too! The majority of the time an invitation is NOT going to take a normal stamp, so you’re going to need to take it to the post office and have it weighed before you buy your stamps. And you’ll need stamps for your RSVPs too! As for the other elements, people always think about them, but they’re often forgotten in the excitement of the invitation design- menus, escort cards, programs, etc. Even though they’re not needed until the day of your wedding, I definitely recommend having your stationer design these things along with your invitations so they’re ready to go once you have all of the details to “fill in”. And as for table numbers, well, you should probably have custom ones made for you by me. ;)

There is SO much more about invitations, but like I said- that’s really a whole different series. :) Let’s just consider this post an “intro”.

Also, did you see the latest episode of ELD TV? It has some great tips about getting your makeup done and how to prep, things to ask, etc. Definitely be sure to catch it!

Other blogs also posting Thursday Tips today…