Creating and sending wedding invitations is a critical part of the wedding preparation process. But as simple and easy as it may seem, there is much more to do with wedding invitations than just writing names with a note and dropping the cards at the post office.
With that said, it is important to note that there are a set of etiquette procedures that you should consider before mailing out the invitations to your friends or family. When to send, the best way to deliver a specific set of rules for the wedding is some but a few of the things to look out for before sending wedding invitations. Let’s get on to the wedding invitation etiquette mistakes you should avoid when planning for your big day.
1. Putting an Incorrect Start Time
Time is of the essence in any event or function, and a wedding is definitely one you cannot afford to mess up when indicating the correct time. You need your guests to show up on time, but they can only adhere if you correctly indicate this.
If you are planning to start your function at 4 p.m., expect your guest to arrive between 3:30 and 3:45 p.m. and head to the aisle at about 4:15 p.m. Providing a huge allowance of time before the actual start of the function may tire your guests to wait for close to an hour before the beginning of the ceremony or your grand entrance to the aisle.
2. Failing to include all the essential information
Specifying when, what time, and where the event will take place is really important to your guests. You don’t want your guests to appear at your function at different times or even worse, show up at the wrong location!
If your reception follows immediately after the tying of the knot, it is okay to indicate “reception to follow”. But if the reception starts a few hours after your function, depending on the distance of the location between the two(if it's a different one), it’s important to include the start of both times,
3. Not Providing RSVP Instructions
An important thing not to forget is an “RSVP by” date included on your RSVP cards. Give your guests three to four weeks to communicate if they’ll be in attendance. Your caterer needs an accurate number of those attending, and in this case, you should give an allowance of at least two weeks for the RSVP date. Make it easier for your guests to know how to RSVP, be it a specified email or phone number that they can use to send back their reply.
4. Not Clarifying Who Is Invited
This is as important as any other aspect, and it’s all about the written names that appear on your invitation envelope. Indicate Mr and Mrs if you are only inviting a couple but don’t use, for example, “The Richards Family”, which includes their children. If inviting someone with a guest, include “and Guest” or be sure to include their significant other.
5. Sending The Invite Too Late
For a non-destination date, it’s important to count back eight weeks as the latest to send your wedding invitations to give your guests enough time to RSVP. If you are having a destination wedding, count back at least 12 weeks for your guests to find the best travel arrangements.
6. Not Including a Dress Code
It’s important to clarify the level of formality you prefer on your big day. But when considering what dress code to choose, it’s vital that you take the projected weather and the location terrain into account. Include this on an enclosure card within your wedding invitation card.
