All About Wedding Invitations and Stationery

Wedding Invitations can include a number of enclosures, depending on the nature of your wedding and your stationery budget. (obviously more enclosures means higher costs). Here's a list of the common componants of a wedding invitation:

Outer envelope: Holds all enclosures, formally addressed to the recipient.

Inner envelope: Holds all contents of the formal, third-person invitation for protection during shipping.

Reception card: Specifies where and when the reception will be held - usually included only if the ceremony and reception take place at different locations.

Response card: On which your guests indicate acceptance or regrets. In self-addressed stamped envelope. Make sure to include an RSVP deadline.

Map/Directional: Optional insertion to help guests navigate and arrange for accommodations

For more invite advice, visit this complete Wedding Invitations guide.

Although save-the-dates are not absolutely necessary, these cards have increased in popularity with the rise of destination weddings and modern guest lists spread over the country. Since they are a relatively modern concept, no real rules apply - a fact which sometimes causes confusion for brides when planning their wedding stationery. We've sorted through the information that's out there to bring you the real ins and outs concerning save-the-dates%u2026

Who Needs Save the Date Cards?
If your guest list includes a number of out-of-towners or if your wedding takes place during a holiday or other peak time, you are a prime candidate for save-the-dates. Since invitations don't go out until 6-8 weeks before the big day, save-the-dates are the perfect way to give wedding guests a preliminary heads up so they can begin making travel arrangements. These days, however, more and more brides send these cards regardless of the time and location of their wedding. Why? Save-the-dates provide a fun opportunity to get the word out and foreshadow the style of your big event!

Save the Dates - Rules & Etiquette
Again, few rules apply. The only information you must include is your names and the wedding date, although we suggest including location information as well so wedding guests can begin their travel plans. Aim to send save-the-date cards soon after you secure your date and venue, or about 6 months prior to your wedding. Remember, everyone who receives a save-the-date also receives an invitation, so have your guest list finalized prior to sending them. Although formal replies are not required, you can get preliminary attendance estimates through word-of-mouth.

This complete guide to save the date cards has even more ideas, trends, and tips on save the dates.

They provide the first glimpse into your wedding, but wording and addressing invitations can be confusing without a little guidance.

This ehow article - How to Address Your Wedding Invitations walks you through the process so you get it right.

Still need to plan wedding invitations or other stationery items? Look no further - you can find your Wedding Invitation, Save The Date Card, Rehearsal Dinner Invitation, Shower Invitation, or Engagement Party Invitation in this interactive invitation and stationery search.

This is an invaluable tool for brides. You can search by price, colors, paper weight, printing method, or brand - and get tons of results that match your criteria. Happy hunting!!

Another way to find wedding invitations? You can search this directory of local wedding services to find recommended stationers near you.

Gone are the days when wedding etiquette mandated that the bride's parents, and the bride's parent's only, hosted the wedding. Today anyone can foot the bill, and with modern familial arrangements often anything but nuclear, there is no straightforward rule for wording invitations.

This list of wedding invitation wording examples sorts through the confusion to bring you wording samples nearly every scenario.

Yes, we all love to receive gifts, and weddings are a perfect occasion for gift-giving, as friends and loved ones customarily honor the commitment of the newly betrothed by showering them with wedding gifts. As the happy couple, just remember to always feel privileged - not entitled. Approach thank-yous with as much thought and organization as the rest of your wedding planning.

This article has some useful tips to ensure you get your etiquette and thank you notes right.

And if you're looking for even more help with your wedding thank yous, this complete guide has more advice and thank you note examples.

You may want to put a personal stamp on your wedding invitations, but it's probably best not to wait for the post office to release your mug on their next commemorative series. So do it yourself at Zazzle.com, where you can make your own custom postage.

The site guides you through easy step-by-step instructions that even your mother-in-law could follow, and your options are practically endless.

Learn more about custom stamps for unique wedding invitations at Unveiled Wedding Blog

Your wedding stationery is your first opportunity to wow your guests and give them a prelude for fabulous things to come. But don't let memorable wedding invitations and stationery spell the end to your carefully planned wedding budget.

Invite in style - and on a dime - with these top tips to find cheap wedding invitations (that look anything but!).

As someone who has had extensive contact with wedding vendors - both personally and professionally - I can tell you that most of them are genuine, talented professionals who strive to perform a service to the best of their ability. For most vendors, the joy gained from performing an artistic craft that they love is the primary incentive. The money earned, well, that's extra. Don't get me wrong, at the end of the day, we all need to make a living and we all work for money. But some vendors seem to be less motivated by the craft and more motivated to squeeze every last dollar from the happy (or unhappy, depending how you look at it) couple. It's these vendors who propagate the myth it's impossible to exchange vows without simultaneously shelling out tens of thousands of dollars and going into debt.

Case in point:
Elegala.com has a number of articles offering money saving tips for every wedding detail - from flowers, to music, to photography. Believe it or not, we've had some pompous vendors complain that we offer these money saving tips, insisting, for instance, that we remove a tip about how you can save on photography by being wary of upsells like custom albums or save on your floral budget by sticking to in-season flowers. Apparently, we're releasing to the public blasphemous ideas that vendors have been dubiously safeguarding for decades. Oh no - don't enlighten the brides-to-be!

Sure - there are many lucky brides who have unlimited funds to plan their weddings, but for many - especially with the economy in the state that it's in - these budgeting tips are essential in making a wedding a reality. Let's face it - even some couples who have the money spend would prefer to spend it somewhere else. And that's OK. Really, it is. But some wedding vendors would prefer that everyone continue to keep up with the Joneses so long as it keeps their wallets fat. I say shame on you.

See original post on my wedding advice blog.

Here's a quick look at one the most common wedding etiquette dilemmas, invitation etiquette:

Inviting partners and guests
If an invited guest is married, engaged or living with a significant other, that partner must be included in the invitation. A single invitation addressed to both individuals should be sent to spouses or couples who live together, while separate invitations should be sent to each member of an engaged or long term couple who don't live together. Inviting single guests with a date is a thoughtful gesture, but one that is not required. If you are inviting a single guest with a date, try to find out the name of your friend's intended date and include that person's name on the invitation. Otherwise, inner envelopes may include "And Guest," indicating that he or she may bring any chosen escort or friend.

Inviting Children
To invite or not invite the little ones - this is a situation that can quickly get ugly. Make your decision and stick with it - then inform your guests through carefully addressed invitations:

Children over 18 who are invited to the wedding should receive their own invitations - regardless of whether or not they live with their parents. If you don't send them an invitation - it's clear that they're not invited.

Children under 18 who are invited to the wedding should have their name included on the invitation. If you're inviting Joe and Mary Smith without their two little ones, their invitation should read "Joe and Mary Smith."

If you're still worried that some guests may add write-ins on their reply card - print the names of those invited on the reply card as well.

Guests Who Ask to Bring a Guest
Your guests should know better! It is never appropriate for a guest to ask to bring a date, and you have every right to politely say no. However, if you discover that a guest is engaged or living with a significant other, you should extend a written or verbal invitation.

For more invitation etiquette and answers to other common etiquette dilemmas, visit my complete Wedding Etiquette guide at Elegala.com.

On a fun scale of one to ten, wedding dress shopping easily gets a ten. Creating directions for out-of-town guests: most definitely a one. That is, until Weddingmapper.com recently launched its interactive site where you can create an online wedding map for your guests and personalize it with photos, web links, and descriptions. You plot your points using the easy-to-follow instructions, and your finished map is saved as a secure web page to share with guests.

Learn more about online wedding maps at the Unveiled Wedding Blog ...

This informative ehow.com article, How to Create Your Wedding Programs, breaks it down to 3 easy steps.

For even more ideas and adive, this complete wedding programs guide offers some creative ideas, dos and don'ts, and sample wording.

The Unveiled Wedding Blog from Elegala.com is looking for buzzworthy wedding ideas from brides (or anyone who's been to a recent wedding). Unveiled is known for punchy, catchy posts on what's new and trendy in the world of weddings, and they're offering a free two night stay at the luxurious Taj Hotel for the best entries.

Learn more about and enter to win this wedding contest