Print invitations are important because, before the wedding, print invitations are the first interaction with your guests. Wedding invitations have an informative purpose. But, they also tell your guests more about you.
However, people often don’t pay attention too much to the wedding invitation. They only think about the look of the invitation. But, there is more to it. Let’s see what the most common mistakes when it comes to print invitations are.
#1 Typing Errors
In the modern era, where you have a lot of free spelling and grammar checkers, it is unacceptable to send out print invitations with typing errors. Otherwise your guests might get the impression that you don’t even care that much. Such an invitation you will not be able to send and print them one more time might be costly.
Also, give your friends to check the invitation text, it is always useful to have another pair of eyes.
#2 Non-personal salutation
Non-personal salutation is another thing you should avoid. You know your guests, don’t you? So, it takes an hour or two to write the invitations with an individualised opening line, but it speaks much about your respect for guests. You can start by using a template “Dear (name of the guest).”
Additionally, you can print out several invitations with a non-personal salutation, just in case you make some last-minute edits to your wedding guest list.
#3 Sending out invitations too late or too early
When is the time to send the invitations? Don’t get into the trap of sending the invitations just when you have set up a date. It is a bit too early, there are still more things to organise before you can send invitations. For example, you need to discuss the budget, to have everything arranged with the vendors, band, marriage officiant, and to have a timeline of the wedding to be able to inform your guest about the wedding protocol.
Once you have all that necessary information confirmed, you can start with the invitation creation.
Also, don’t wait too long to send the invitations, as a guest might feel as if they were on the alternative guest lists, and you are only inviting them because other people canceled. The optimal time to send wedding invitations is around 4 months before the wedding date.
#4 Too many or not enough details
The wedding invitation needs to include only the important details about the wedding itself. You don’t have to write how you two have met on print invitations or who your marriage officiant is.
Keep it short and concise, but focused on essential information such as time and date, locations, dress code, etc.
Always give someone to proofread your wedding invitation without telling him or her more about the wedding. That way, you can check if the invitation is informative enough and if there is some unnecessary information.
You can find templates online that can help you create a checklist of all the needed information.
#5 RSVP Deadline
The next thing many couples make a mistake is giving the guests too much time to respond. Setting the proper RSVP deadline is important for practical reasons. Once the guests have confirmed that they’re coming to the wedding or canceled, you need to organise set arrangements, report to the caterer, and complete more things.
Therefore, give the guest two or three weeks to check if they can make it to the wedding, so you have enough time to finish all of your tasks.
#6 Not mentioning the dress code
Mentioning the dress code is essential on modern wedding invitations. It helps the guests to choose the right clothes and helps to avoid wearing formal clothes when the party is e.g. on the beach.
Anyway, don’t focus too much on the Dress code on your wedding invitation.
Put the tag “Dress code” in the lower-left or right corner and give out more information. For example, black tie, formal, semi-formal, cocktail attire, casual or clothes with particular colours – are some of the labels you can assign to the dress code.
#7 Forgetting to mention +1 for single guests
You will probably invite a lot of married couples or couples in a long relationship. But it might be considered rude if you don’t give the option to guests to bring someone to your wedding. Just because someone is single at the moment, it doesn’t mean that he or she will not find a partner until the date of your wedding.
Print invitations are a beautiful tradition, but there are some rules you need to follow to make sure the invitation fulfill their purpose.
Keep them light and informative, and ask a friend for help to see if you have covered all important elements.
