Singaporebrides | Essentials
August 2011
Before Printing Your Wedding Invites
Your wedding invitations set the tone for your wedding celebrations. These tips help you make a great first impression!
Registering your marriage, choosing a venue, hiring a professional photographer, searching for the dress… there are a gazillion details to take note of when you’re planning the perfect wedding. Well, wedding invitations are a small but integral part of the big (happy) picture. More than just fulfilling a practical purpose, they give your guests a sneak peek into the party style of your Big Day. Create a great first impression by doing it right – we list some practical and etiquette tips.
SELECT THE STYLE
This is the first of many decisions that you have to make with regards to wedding invitations, and it really depends on your wedding style. For example, couples planning to host a banquet tend to stick to a standard template provided by a printer. Others may want to choose or create a custom design that fits their wedding theme. “If so, start the creation or selection process four to six months before your wedding day,” advises Lynette Tan, owner of custom wedding invitations company Ola Designs. Explore various bespoke wedding invitation designers in Singapore to find one who best expresses your theme and your style. But if you want to go the eco-friendly route, you can even do without print invitations altogether and simply stick to an e-invite (yes, most people will appreciate how you’re trying to save the earth!).
PREPARE THE FACTS
Before you head down to the printer’s or invitation card designer, prepare a list with details like the wedding date, names of bridal couple and parents, venue address, RSVP contact persons and dress code. Some bridal couples also choose to include a response card (for RSVPs) or a location map for guests who might be unfamiliar with the wedding venue. And in this digital age, many couples keep a wedding blog in the months leading up to their wedding. If you want to mention your URL on the invitation, go ahead. Once you have collated all the information, carefully check that the details are correct before confirming your print order to minimise any chances of error.
TIP!
Even if you have a wedding gift registry, do not send the information card with the wedding invitation. It can be impolite to suggest that guests buy you gifts. And while some guests may think it’s convenient, others will think that it’s a greedy gesture. This is especially true in Asian culture. Only mention it to anyone who asks directly.
GET THE WORDING RIGHT
Once upon a time, couples stick to a standard, formal template. But there is no one accepted way to word a wedding invitation now. And with today’s complex family structures, this is probably the most daunting part of the process. Whether you’ve opted for a formal tone or casual style, just make sure that the content of your invitation is clearly stated and organised. Check out our wedding invitation etiquette guide for wedding invitation wording samples before starting.
TIMING IS CRUCIAL
Take note of the time frame – make sure you have enough time for the selection, printing and mailing of your wedding invitations. If you’re choosing custom stationery over ready-made templates, you will need to invest more time. In Singapore, printers usually require three weeks for printing of the cards. Do ask your printer how much time they need to deliver the invitation cards. Also factor in extra time for amendments in case there are misprints on the cards. Generally, wedding invitations should be mailed four to six weeks before the wedding date.
TIP!
Make a trip to the Post Office to mail them out in a single batch instead of dropping them into a mailbox. This is not only more efficient, but it also guarantees a better peace of mind. Also print or hand-write a return address on the outside of your envelopes so that any undeliverable invitations will be returned.
“MA, I’M NOT INVITING THAT COUSIN NANCY!”
You must have heard horror stories of intimate weddings ballooning into noisy banquet affairs. That’s because everyone – especially both sets of loving parents – can get so caught up in the excitement of the wedding that they practically invite the entire extended family. Well, be ruthless. One way to do this is to plan an “A” list and “B” list. Put down names of guests you must invite on the first list, including your bridal party, close relatives, friends and colleagues. On the “B” list, add the names of people you would consider inviting if you have space, such as distant cousins, your friends’ partners or casual acquaintances.
TIP!
Don’t feel bad about not inviting everybody. If you can’t invite a certain group of friends or co-workers, simply send a wedding announcement and organise a separate, smaller party or dinner with them after your Big Day.
NUMBER OF INVITATION CARDS ≠ THE NUMBER OF GUESTS
Do realise that the print quantity of your wedding invitations will not match your guest list exactly. That’s because it is customary to combine invitations in one card for a married couple or a family with children under 18. But it’s a good idea to separate invitations for singles over 18 (as they’re mature individuals) and the elderly (as a form of respect) even if they are staying under one roof.
ORDER MORE, NOT LESS
Go by this rule when you’re trying to decide how many invitation cards to order. For one, it is more expensive to order a small quantity of reprints later. Also, it’s always good to have about 30 extra invitation cards in case you make mistakes when writing the names and addresses. These can also be used as last-minute invitations should you realise that you’ve left out a few names or if you’ve the space to add more seats. Get a few more envelopes from your printer as well.
DON’T FORGET THE RSVP
Including a RSVP in the wedding invitation will make life a lot easier for you. That’s because you will be able to get a better estimate of the number of guests who will be attending. What this means is that you won’t have to pay for (or waste) a lot of extra food. You will also be able to sort out seating arrangements in time and order enough wedding favours for your guests. Also, getting an early “Congrats, but I won’t be able to attend your wedding” notice means you can free up that seat and invite another guest from your “B” list.
TIP!
Ask two close relatives or friends if they’d like to help collect RSVPs. Then you can include their contact details such as mobile numbers and email addresses in the invite as well. That will free up your time before the wedding to settle other nitty-gritties.
Getting the wedding invitations printed and mailed out without a hitch is no mean feat. But the process shouldn’t stress you out either. We hope these tips have helped!
All content from this article, including images, cannot be reproduced without credits or written permission from SingaporeBrides.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram for the latest article and promotion updates!