5 Wedding invitations mistakes to avoid

 There are certain etiquettes one needs to follow while sending your wedding invitation. It’s not just about sending a fancy card via the mail. We share your expert tips on things to weigh in before sending the wedding invitations. Here are the top invitation mistakes to avoid so that your invites are everything you want them to be.

Though you may be tempted to indicate a ceremony start time earlier than the one you have planned, hold that thought. The one thing guests know at a wedding is to show up early before the wedding ceremony. If you begin the ceremony at 5 pm, expect the invitees to arrive between 4:30 and 4:45. If you tell the invitees that the ceremony starts at 4:45, they will arrive around 4:00 and then have to wait an hour to see your grand entry.

Make sure to keep your guests in the loop. Specify the date, time, and location of the wedding along with other important details on your wedding invitation. If your reception is at the same venue, clearly mention “reception to follow” to inform the guests that they don’t need to go anywhere else. If you are having the reception at another location, include this point on the invitation or, formally print a reception card with the proper time and location.

Look at your wedding date and count back 8 weeks (for a non-destination wedding). This is the latest you must send your invitations to your guests enough time to RSVP and make any travel plans. If you are having a destination wedding, count back 12 weeks so your guests can plan accordingly and don’t feel rushed. This also gives them to check the best travel prices.

Don’t forget to add an “RSVP by” date on your RSVP cards. Give your invitees 3-4 weeks to inform you if they will be attending the wedding. The RSVP date must be at least two weeks before the wedding so you can give the caterer a more accurate headcount. Of course, inform the guests how to RSVP. Include a pre-addressed envelope so that they can send back the reply or provide a specific email, phone number or URL they should use as RSVP.

If you want your guests to mail back the RSVP card, make sure the envelope is pre-addressed and includes a stamp. Yes. But asking your guests to give a reply (even if it’s a single stamp) is strictly against the etiquettes.