Top 10 Wedding Invitation Etiquette Questions You Should Know
The process of writing, addressing, and mailing wedding invitations is a vital step when it comes to preparing for an upcoming wedding. While the main purpose of the invite is to provide crucial information to guests, following proper wedding invitation etiquette is also very important.
If you’ve got wedding-invite-related questions, now is the perfect time to seek some answers. Look over these tips and learn everything you need to know about the correct way to handle your invites.
1. When to Send out Wedding Invitations
One of the most important points to focus on with your invitations is getting them into the mail with enough time to spare. Tradition dictates that invites should go out somewhere between six and eight weeks before the wedding date. This provides ample time for the guests to plan for the event.
Naturally, destination weddings or more involved events mean you need to provide additional time for your guests. Giving guests around a full year’s notice for destination events makes it possible for friends and family to book flights and arrange plans with time to spare.
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2. Should I Put an Incorrect Start Time on the Invitation?
If you come from a family of people who are notoriously late for everything, you may feel like you want to use any means necessary to ensure they show up on time for your wedding. While it may seem appealing to put a fake start time on the invitations to get guests to arrive a bit earlier than scheduled, proper wedding invitation etiquette suggests being honest. Use the right start time and speak with the guests who are always late in advance to ask them to show up when expected.
3. Where to Include Information Such as Your Wedding Website or Your Wedding Registry?
It is more than fine to include both your registry information and wedding website somewhere on the invitation. Since you likely have a lot of info you need to provide to guests on the invite itself, you can include the extra info about these details on an insert in the card.
Some couples also send out this information with the save-the-date cards, but you can feel free to follow whatever tactic feels right.
4. Should I Make the Deadline for RSVPs?
According to wedding invitation etiquette, guests should RSVP to the event somewhere between two and three weeks before the date of the wedding. Naturally, don’t expect to hear back from your guests by this date. People are more likely to text you or tell you in person these days. Though frustrating, don’t rely solely on the RSVP cards to determine who will be in attendance on your big day.
5. How Do I Ask For Cash Instead Of Gifts?
Gifts are a common component of weddings, but couples often feel awkward mentioning info related to presents on the invitation. Still, you may have a preference that you need to mention.
If you don’t have the capability to cart back large boxes from the venue, asking for cash or no gifts at all is totally fine. Try to focus on the verbiage and look at examples of wedding invitations to get a feel for how other couples have framed these points before.
6. How Do I Let Guests Know Were Having an Adults-Only Wedding?
Some weddings are meant for people of all ages and some are not. If you want your event to be for adults only, then you need to state this on the invitations. You can make this clear by phrasing it in a manner such as “Unfortunately, no one under 18 permitted,” or whatever works best for you.
You may want to make exceptions, also. If you have one or two kids in your life who mean the world to you, there’s nothing wrong with bringing them into the fun.
7. Do I have to invite every guest with a date or a “plus-one”?
Unless you have the funds for it, you probably don’t want to give every guest the option of bringing a plus-one to the party. Tradition dictates that only guests in serious relationships or married should be given this option.
Guests usually understand that an invitation will clearly state whether or not they can bring someone. If anyone asks for a plus-one and you’d like to comply, you can provide the seat of a guest who has told you they will not be able to attend.
8. Where do I put the return address on wedding invitations?
Yes, even though you will likely include self-addressed stamped envelopes in the invites for the RSVP, you still need to have your return address on the invitation envelopes. Should an invitation get lost in the mail or wind up at the wrong address, your return address is what will get the card back to your door. Put the return address on the back of the envelope and give yourself a little peace of mind.
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9. What IF I Have A Dress Code ?
10. When should I send wedding thank-you cards?
After the wedding bells have ceased their chiming and your party is over, you want to spend time writing out thank-you notes to the guests who made your big day so special.
Do not wait on this action. Custom suggests they should be sent out within three months. Some people start earlier than this, of course. You can even write them on the plane ride to your honeymoon to get the task over and done with!
Related post: How To Address Wedding Invitations: Basic Guides for Couples
Conclusion
Proper wedding invitation etiquette is easy once you understand the basics. As long as all of the most vital information is clearly stated on the invitation, you’re on the right path. Give yourself a bit of time to review examples of wedding invitations and it will provide you with a better idea of what information should be included on your own. With a bit of effort, you will be ready to get the invitations in the mail and check another pressing item off of your wedding to-do list!
