Wedding Stationery: A complete guide I

Clients ask me all the time for a checlist of wedding stationery items, so I thought I would compile a list which also contains the etiquette for each item. In this edition I will be looking at pre-wedding stationery.

Save the Date Cards

The save the date card is the first official announcement of your wedding date.

Save the date cards should include:

• Your names and the wedding date
• The location, if you know it, so that out-of-town guests can begin making travel arrangements
• The words “formal invitation to follow,” or a similar phrase
• The URL of your wedding website

Accommodations Cards

These are optional, but it’s smart for destination weddings or if you’re expecting a lot of out-of-town guests. It’s enclosed with save the date cards to assist your guests with booking travel and lodging.

What you may include:

• Hotels near the ceremony and reception sites
• Airfare or other transportation information
• Maps of the area

If you’re limiting invitation costs, include this information on your wedding website and direct guests there on the save the date.

Wedding invitations

The wedding invitation is the most important item of stationery you will purchase for your wedding, and to that effect should be the most elaborate.

Key information to have:

• The names of the hosts (often the parents)
• The names of the bride and groom
• The day of the week the ceremony occurs, as well as the date, time, and address.

The invitation doesn’t travel alone. It’s accompanied by the following, all enclosed within the outer envelope:

• A reception card-especially if the party will be at a different location than the ceremony
• The response or RSVP card, with a self-addressed, stamped envelope
• A map or directions to where the ceremony and reception will take place

Events or Itinerary Card

If you’re planning a destination 0r weekend-long celebration, consider an events card. It can detail planned activities, such as golfing or an afternoon tea, so that guests can pack accordingly.

Rehearsal Dinner Invitations

Within many families, the groom’s parents issue this invitation. Because they likely won’t be your responsibility, it’s not necessary for rehearsal dinner invitations to match your wedding invitations. However, it’s a nice touch. Talk it through with your future-in-laws and let them determine how to proceed.

In the next edition I will discuss all the stationery you will require to make your big day FABULOUS.