Five must-know tips for wedding-invitation etiquette
We have five tips for wedding-invitation etiquette that will help you from committing a major faux pas. Credit: Fotolia
Wedding invitations may seem like a daunting task, but if you follow these tips, you'll be sure to avoid an etiquette faux pas. Below are five tips to help you get those invitations written, addressed and sent in the mail without commiting a courtesy crime.
1 SAVE THAT DATE
Make sure you give your guests early notice by sending out Save-the-Dates. It is recommended that you mail these anywhere from four to eight months before your wedding date. If you're having a destination wedding, remember: the sooner the better! Giving your guests an even earlier heads-up is expected and appreciated.
2 KNOW YOUR GRAMMAR
It can be hard to remember what should be abbreviated and what should be written out in full. When writing out addressess (by hand, of course), things like "Street," "Avenue" and "Apartment" should be written out fully. What's can be abbreviated? "Mr." and "Mrs." -- these are generally OK to shorten.
3 (TASTEFULLY) SHOW OFF YOUR STYLE
Your invitations are the first things your guest will see when it comes to the details of your wedding, so you want to make a good impression. If you know your color scheme, or have an overall theme for your wedding (the Roaring '20s, a beachy celebration, etc.), let it show in the invitation. Just don't go too crazy: You'll want to make sure that the details of your day are clear and concise. Which brings us to our next tip ...
4 CLEAR THE AIR
Your wedding invitations should have just the specifics of your day -- meaning the full names of the bride and groom, as well as the place and time your ceremony and reception will start. The same goes for who you are inviting; the names written on the envelope are the people you are inviting. It should be known that if a guest has children and their names are not on the envelope, they are not invited.
5 DON'T FORGET TO SAY THANKS
After your wedding celebration is over, get to writing those thank-you cards as soon as you can. Sending a card expressing your gratification within the first two or three weeks of marriage is the best rule of thumb. However, if you have a honeymoon right after your wedding, it's OK to hold off until you come back -- just be sure to make that on the top of your list when you arrive home.
