How to Send Out Wedding Invitations: A Simple Guide

Getting the invitations done, sending them out on time, and ensuring your guests receive them without a hitch are top priorities during the wedding planning process. One small slip could mean not having those closest to you to celebrate your big day.

But this is something most brides and grooms leave out till the last moment. After all, it’s just an invitation. How complex can it get, right?

Well, wedding invites are a formal request to your loved ones to join you on one of the most special and deeply personal moments in your life.  

So, it requires much more care, thought, love, and attention than many people assume. Remember, you only get one chance to get it right.

Here’s what you should know before sending your wedding invitations out.

Start Working on Your Guest List Early

Preparing the invitee list demands some deliberation. After all, you don’t want to miss anyone important. So, get started on this as soon as you set the date.

Consider friends, family, and other loved ones you would like to be there when you tie the knot. Write down their first and last names with the title, and verify the spellings to avoid mistakes.

In addition, collect their phone numbers, mailing addresses, and emails, too. This will make it easier to prepare the invites when it’s time to send them off and arrange follow-ups later on.

If you don’t have the latest contact details of your guests, check their social media profiles or google them online. When you want to save time, Nuwber’s people search engine is a faster option for finding addresses and emails.

Finalize the Wedding Invitation Designs

The color palette, font, and other aesthetics of your wedding invites must match the look and feel of the event. So, determine the overall theme of your wedding before you get to designing the invitations.

Next, consider the specific inserts to be included. These can range from the main invitation and reception card to the RSVP response card and venue directions. You might also decide to have an inner and outer envelope.

Pay close attention to the wordings of each insert. They should be consistent with one another and the main wedding theme, too.

Another important part of the invitation is printing and decorative elements. For example, you can have embellishments, a wedding stamp, or gold foil printed for a personalized touch.

But keep in mind that all these involve a cost. So, it’s best to allocate a stationery budget, speak to several suppliers, and get a few quotations to compare.

Follow the Standard Etiquette

On your big day, you get to call the shots. But you don’t want to ignore basic wedding etiquette and appear disrespectful to your guests.

If you’re unsure of anything, get advice from a wedding etiquette expert.

Meanwhile, here are a few things to keep in mind as you prepare the invitations.

• Mention all the details your guests will find useful, such as the dress code and when they should arrive. They’ll appreciate directions to the venue and parking information as well.
• Decide who would get a plus-one and mention it clearly.
• Avoid any references to the gifts registry in the invite.
• Add postage-paid envelopes for RSVPs. Alternatively, you can include an online confirmation option to simplify the process.
• When addressing wedding invitations, write your guests’ full names with titles and steer clear of nicknames and informal language.
• Proofread all the content before finalizing the invites.

Decide the Delivery Method

How would you like your invitations delivered? This is the next question you need to answer.

Having invites mailed by the United States Postal Service (USPS) is a popular option, mainly because of lower costs. If you choose this route, get a sample invite printed and assembled and take it to the local post office to get an idea of postage costs.

If you plan to have a fancy invitation with decorative items and expensive or delicate material, there’s a chance the regular USPS machine-canceling process could cause some damage. Requesting hand canceling is best in such instances.

Couriering, on the other hand, is a costlier option. But it’s a more reliable method when you’re working within a tight deadline and want to make sure your guests receive the invites without delays.

Note that some couples finalize the delivery method before designing the invitations. This allows them to stay within a pre-determined budget and come up with a design more suitable for the delivery service chosen.

Send and Follow Up

Before you drop off the invitations at the post office or hand them over to a courier, take one last look to be certain that everything is in order. Check how the inserts are assembled, and confirm that the envelopes are properly sealed to prevent items from going missing.

Also, print a return address on the envelopes. This will be useful in case an invite can’t be delivered to a guest for whatever reason.

If you want to save time, you can purchase the necessary stamps in advance and prepare the postage before going to the post office.

To avoid a last-minute rush, we suggest you send invites six to eight weeks prior to the wedding. This will allow enough time for invitation delivery and for guests to confirm their attendance.

Remember to give a follow-up call or send an email to check on RSVP and provide a gentle reminder to invitees in the interim.

Key Takeaways

Planning a wedding is undoubtedly a stressful and overwhelming experience for anyone. To ease the workload, starting early is important.

As soon as you set the wedding date and book a venue, one of the first things to address is sending out your wedding invites. Begin by preparing your guest list and finalizing the invitation, keeping standard wedding etiquette in mind.

Once you have the invites ready, determine how you want them delivered and send them out quickly. Don’t forget to follow up to ensure they’ve reached your loved ones.

FAQ

To whom should I send engagement party invitations?

An engagement party is a pre-wedding celebration held following the engagement of a couple. Now, not everyone would throw one. But most choose to have it to officially announce their engagement and create an opportunity for family and friends of the bride and groom to meet and get to know each other.

For this, you don’t need to invite everyone you expect to have at your wedding. You can limit the guests to the wedding party members or your closest loved ones.

Typically, the bride’s parents host the engagement party. But nowadays, many couples host it themselves and decide who they would like to invite.

How early is too early to send wedding invitations?

There’s no hard and fast rule here. The earlier your invitations go out, the easier it will be for your guests to mark their calendars and make it to your nuptials.

In general, six to eight weeks ahead is standard practice. But you can even consider sending your invites six to eight months in advance.

The right time to mail can depend on a variety of factors.

For instance, do you plan to use standard USPS or a courier service? Are there guests arriving from out of state or overseas? You also want to provide enough time for your guests to RSVP.

Can I just put my wedding invitations in the mailbox?

Yes, you can. If you’re pressed for time, this is an option you can certainly consider.

However, it’s not without risks and limitations. For example, if your invitation suite is bulky, putting the invites in the mailbox could be a problem. If it’s heavy, the standard postage won’t do. And if there are embellishments and delicate material, they could come off or get damaged during the standard machine-canceling process.

So, to minimize issues, handing over the invites to the local post office is a better solution. The officers there can advise you on the options available to send them out safely.

Is it OK to send my wedding invitation via email?

Yes, it’s perfectly fine to send digital invites to your guests. In fact, an increasing number of couples are now choosing this eco-friendly practice.

There are other upsides to emailing your wedding invitations. One is the cost advantage. A printed invitation suite can be significantly expensive, whereas an email costs next to nothing. Designing them is easier, too, considering the availability of thousands of templates.

Plus, they’re faster and more secure than standard USPS mail or even couriering. E-invites also make it convenient for guests to confirm their attendance.

Do I need to send save the dates for my wedding?

A save the date that goes before the formal invitations serves as a pre-wedding reminder, allowing invited guests to block the date on their calendars.

This isn’t just useful for international guests. Even out of town guests would need some advance notice to make travel arrangements and book accommodations.

Other guests would also appreciate a heads-up, especially when you’re planning to tie the knot during the busy wedding season. If multiple weddings fall on the same day, you want to make sure your loved ones attend yours and not anyone else’s.

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