The Wedding Invite - The formal wedding invitation cards usually contain several parts. For this reason, wedding stationery costs can be fairly high and should definitely be planned for in the budget. Among these parts are an inner and outer envelope, an RSVP card, a separate reception invitation, and the wedding invitation itself. Embellishments, such as ribbons or dried flowers, are often added to the invitations to make them look even more special and to give them a splash of color.
The color is important because most formal wedding cards are going to be printed on ivory, gray, white, or cream paper. That may not seem like many choices but if you want to stick to something traditional that's going to be the way to go. Of course, if you like the idea of your marriage cards be a little less formal you can find a wide range of colorful, themed, and unique choices with wedding invitations wordings.
The Wedding Announcement - Most couples would love to invite everyone they know but budget and location size constraints don't usually make that dream a reality. Instead, people close to the couple who could not attend either for the previously mentioned reasons or for other factors, such as poor health or distance, receive a marriage announcement.
Typically, the announcement is printed on stationary that matches that used for the action wedding invitation. For this reason, most couples order both parts at the same time. It seems to make the process easier. The announcement should include most of the same information from the invite, except you can leave off the time of the ceremony and any mention of the reception. You can add some other information to the announcements, including your new married name, new contact information and a personal message for recipients.
Mailing Wedding Announcements and Wedding Invitations - Obviously, mailing these cards is going to be a bit of a challenge. With the weddings invitations, you'll need to take one of the completed cards to the post office to be weighed so you'll know exactly how much needs to be spent on postage. It's also a good idea to have them hand-stamped at the post office so the mechanical bar code doesn't make your envelope look ugly.
When you're mailing wedding announcements and wedding invitations, send them out on time. Invitations should be mailed six to eight weeks before the event. Announcements are mailed the day of or after the event. Make sure to send wedding thank you cards within two weeks of the event for any gives you receive.
