What is important information to include in a wedding invitation?
- Who
- What
- Where
- When
- RSVP Date
Like most couples, it is normal to wonder what to include in a wedding invitation. You are not expected to be detailed experts since this is going to be your first time. From designing, packaging, and sending wedding invitations, ideas available online are plenty enough to choose from.
It is clear that every part of planning for a wedding is a major undertaking. Your head may be starting to overload or you may be finding it hard to tell the difference between cards. If that is the case, here is some of the vital information you must remember to include in your wedding invitation.
Who
Determining who to include is the easiest part of planning a wedding invitation card. Naturally, before you finalize a wedding invitation, you already have a list of the important people’s names as well as their roles. You must decide if you want to include the best man, maid-of-honor, principal sponsors, flower girls, and ring-bearers on the invitation.
Here is a quick checklist of the names you should include:
Couple’s Full Name
In writing the couple’s names on the invitation, it is common to use ones that people are familiar with. Others choose to write only the first name but typically, Filipino couples put their whole names. The reason behind putting the entire name on the invitation is to avoid confusion. Some of your guests might confuse you for another person with the same name.
Parent’s Names
Traditionally, Filipino couples pay their respect to their parents by placing their names right below that of the couple. The father’s name usually comes before the mother’s. However, it is entirely up to you which names you wish to put first. The important part is you include your parents’ names to give them credits.
Key People
While it is not necessary, most Filipino invitations include the names of the best man, maid of honor, bridesmaids, principal sponsors, flower girls, and other key people of the event. If you are cutting down on expenses, you can omit this part of the invitation as it can occupy 2 to 3 pages.
What
Putting in the “what” details can be quite tricky for many couples. In some instances, couples would only like to invite certain guests to the reception to keep the wedding private. With this, invitations given to these guests should only indicate the necessary details of the reception. Conversely, if you only wish to invite guests to the church wedding and not the reception, then the invitations must solely include the location of the church as well as the time.
One way to do it is to include the first page of the wedding invitation with the couple’s name on it as well as other details to the reception. Insert a card to indicate to the guests that they are to proceed to the reception. Take note, there is no need for you to put the wedding church venue and time in the invitations of those who are only invited to the reception.
Where
When including the location of the wedding and the venue for the reception, make sure to include a mini-map that will help them reach their destination. While mini-maps are very traditional, they still work for elderly guests that are not familiar with using navigation applications. Otherwise, you can include instructions for guests who are going to use GPS navigation apps. Give your guests everything they require to save them from the hassle of driving to the venue.
When
Writing the date of the wedding celebration as well as the time is almost as easy as the location. Make sure to include the time the eucharistic celebration starts and when it should end. This way, you are informing your guests of the expected time of their arrival at the venue. Take note, if you have some guests that are only invited to the reception, make sure to provide them with the best estimated time.
RSVP Date
The RSVP deadline should include the month and date. Typically, invitations are sent out two to three months prior to the wedding day. The time is allotted for guests to confirm their attendance. With this, the deadline for the RSVP date should be a month before the wedding.
Another way to confirm RSVP is through social media platforms. Facebook, Viber, Twitter, and other forms of communication platforms are now used to track the attendance of guests. Aside from sending a hard copy of the wedding invitations to guests, an online communication message can make things easier and faster. With this, you will receive up to date confirmation of attendance.
Key Takeaway
With the number of wedding invitation ideas available online, choosing the most suitable can be a tedious task. With this, choose to finalize everything first before worrying about what your invitation should look like.
When planning for the wedding invitations, you must get your date and time straight. It can be very costly to produce plenty of hard copies only to find little mistakes. Finally, always optimize space. You can cut on budgets by limiting the information on the invitation to the details that are important to the guests.
