Let’s talk about invitations. There are so many reasons to get excited about them. You get to pick out some custom stationery, share a favorite photo from your engagement shoot, and ultimately, it means you’re wedding is approaching. And SOON.
Before we get into invitations, let’s talk about save the dates. Save the dates are important specifically just for that reason: saving the date. When guests receive a save the date, it gets your wedding on their radar and lets them know to keep an eye out for the invite. A Facebook post announcing your engagement doesn’t cut it; your guests need to know when you’re tying the knot so that they can block off any necessary time for work or travel.
Save the dates should be sent out about six months before your wedding. If you’re envisioning a Northern Michigan wedding as a destination wedding, consider sending save the dates as early as eight to ten months out. That allows your guests plenty of notice and gives them time to make plans surrounding the big day. It’s also helpful to include the city you’re getting married in, so that guests can prepare themselves, however, they need, on travel or if they need to take time off for work. Include accommodation information on your save the dates. Many hotels release room blockings90 days out, so by the time invites go out, those room blockings may not be held anymore. You could even list your wedding website on there so that guests can check in on any updates on the big day.
When it comes to invitations, this is where the details really come into play. Invitations are to be sent out about six to eight weeks out from the wedding, hopefully with RSVP turnaround within the next four weeks. Rather than just giving a city and a date, there are a number of things to include.
Accommodations
It’s important to layout accommodation options for the area you’re getting married in. A lot of the time, you’re going to have guests traveling from out of the area who are going to need a place to stay. List where you’ve blocked rooms, local hotels, or bed and breakfasts. Check out accommodation options we offer in the Charlevoix area here and note that blockings are usually offered in neighboring cities like Petoskey or Traverse City.
Schedule
Outside of listing the time of your wedding alone, it may be beneficial to lay out how the weekend will go. This applies to those couples who plan on having welcome drinks or a post-wedding brunch. Think of it as mini-invitations to each event of the weekend.
You’ll also want to include the location of your wedding, something along the lines of:
Ceremony at 3:00 in the Queen’s Courtyard at Castle Farms
Cocktail Hour and Reception to Follow
How to RSVP
Whatever the plans are for your wedding, always be sure to include an RSVP option. Be specific about how you’d like guests to RSVP, either by mail or online, and give a clear deadline. RSVPs are essential to the final details of your day. For fun, creative ways to have your guests RSVP, click here.
Website
Regardless of what you include in your invitation, you should have all your wedding week(end) details compiled on your website. You can create a tab for a schedule of events, an RSVP option, your registry, a dress code, accommodations, and even your personal back-story of how you met. Your website is completely customizable to what you want it to be, as long as it includes those key points to your wedding.
Have fun with your stationery and website! Consider cute matching color schemes and creative ways to share your engagement photos with the world.
