Wedding Invitations - Wording the Invitations - Wedding Information - Handmade Wedding Stationery - Designer Stationery - Handmade Stationery Designers - Create Your Own
Wedding Invitations - Wedding Information
Believe it or not, your guests are unlikely to be psychic - they need some basic information. Don't assume they will know where the venue is, how formal the reception will be and so on.
Your guests might need directions to the venue for the ceremony and then on to the reception. It's a good idea to show the ceremony venue in relation to the main approach roads into the area, and remember that some people appreciate written directions as well as a map.
Some of your guests may
need overnight accommodation, depending on the time of your
wedding ceremony and reception and also on how far
they're travelling. Sending details of local
accommodation can be really helpful, particularly if you can
include a range of prices. If you're holding your reception in a
hotel it's worth asking if your guests can be given a reduction
on the standard room rates.
Make a
free Wedding Map at Wedding Mapper
Google
Maps
Order of Service
An Order of Service card provides details of your ceremony and is essential for church or civil weddings. The ushers should hand the cards out - one to each guest - on the day.
Order of the Day
For civil wedding ceremonies, Order of the Day cards are a useful alternative. They can be placed on each seat or handed to guests as they arrive at your venue, and will provide an informal guide to the day's events.
Menu Cards
Menu cards for the reception can be ordered and printed once details of the food and drinks have been arranged. They are really a courtesy to your guests: everyone likes know exactly what they are eating! Ideally suited to a sit-down meal, with one card for each place setting, they can also be used for a buffet where they can be set out at random on the tables.
|
|
|
Roses - New for 2008 |
Place Cards
A formal sit-down reception traditionally has a top table at which the bride and groom, their parents, the best man and the chief bridesmaid sit.
You could add to this list and include one or two extra-special guests. When it comes to seating the other guests, remember that most people will feel more relaxed if they can talk to someone they either know or have something in common with.
Avoid splitting the guests into two camps - use your knowledge of each guest to mix things up a bit.
Thank You Cards
Thanking your guests for their presents and good wishes is an absolute must. As each present arrives, note the details then tick the names off the list as you send the cards. It's a good idea to add a hand-written personal note to the pre-printed text, and, traditionally, this is the most courteous thing to do.
Post Boxes and Wishing Wells
With the expense of weddings ever increasing, not to mention the escalating cost of setting up your first home together, it's not surprising that many couples are now asking for gifts of money or vouchers instead of traditional wedding gifts. You can include a rhyme or verse within your invites, putting this suggestion to your guests in a charming and polite manner.
Example verses and rhymes
asking for cash instead of gifts
A nice idea is to have a post box or wishing well for your guests to place the envelopes and vouchers. You can have these made for not a great deal of money or even make your own.
DIY Stationery
With the cost of weddings generally increasing many couples, in an attempt to save money, are opting to produce their own wedding stationery and invitations. This can be a good idea, and great fun too.
Many people often struggle for ideas on where to start on this and someone who has a novel approach to solving this problem is Frances Venn of Dreams to Reality a creator of Handmade and Bespoke Designer Wedding Stationery based in Lincolnshire.
Frances says: "I found that a lot of girls on a budget think that bespoke handmade stationery is beyond their means but often this is not the case, I offer several packages that suit most budgets".
"However", Frances adds: "for girls who want to create their own designs I decided to offer a simple service where I provide samples and ideas on how to get started. This is a very inexpensive option for couples who want to make their own invitations but lack the confidence or inspiration to get started. My DIY Stationery Design Service has proved to be very popular and my initial designs are often all that is needed to get those creative juices flowing".
Wedding Invitations - Wording the Invitations - Wedding Information - Handmade Wedding Stationery - Designer Stationery - Handmade Stationery Designers - Create Your Own