Are wedding invitations really that important?
Planning a wedding is tough. There’s a long list of things to complete and so much that goes into every detail. Where do your invitations fall on the line of importance? Are wedding invitations really that important?
Photo by One Red Door Photography
Invitations set the tone
and expectations for your wedding
The invitation is the first look your guests have into your wedding. You’re working hard planning all of the little details, right? Right! But your guests have no idea what to expect about your Big Day until the moment they receive your invitations.
Imagine this…You walk out to your mailbox, open it up and see this beautiful envelope with amazing calligraphy and vintage postage stamps. (You know it’s something special already, right?) In anticipation, you eagerly open it up. When you do, you’re presented with a delicate floral envelope liner and then you spot the invitation – perfectly enclosed with a vellum overlay and silk ribbon sealed by a gold wax seal. (eeee!!!) You carefully pull the ribbon off and vellum off to reveal the invitation – a beautifully printed invitation with deckled edges. You notice the special details they put into it such as the custom venue illustration and fun response card wording. (Excited, right?)
You know this is going to be an amazing event not only because you know the couple and they are ah-mazing, but because their invitation properly represented what your experience will be. Elegant. Timeless. Formal.
By setting the tone, invitations also give guests an idea on what to wear. If you received the above described invitation, you’d know it was a formal event and you should dress as such. No jeans for this event!
Now, say you received an invitation that was printed on thin cardstock that was placed into a plain envelope – you might not know what to expect. Is it formal? Maybe. But their invitation didn’t properly convey this. Is it casual? Could be.
Make sure your invitation properly expresses to your guests what to expect when they attend your wedding.
Invitations create excitement!
This goes hand in hand with my first point. If you properly set the tone and expectation for your wedding, it’s sure to create excitement for your wedding!
Since invitations are the first look your guests have into your wedding – it’s also a chance for you to get them super excited! We live in a world full of technology, Facebook and quick texts. Snail mail is special. It’s personal. When a lot of thought and attention goes into the invitations, your guests will take notice and they will get excited too. Present to them an amazing invitation and they will be brimming with anticipation!
Invitations give guests important details
Let’s not forget one of the main parts to an invitation – letting your guests know WHO is getting married, WHERE and WHEN. These are super important details and the invitation does the job!
Want to go a little further and give your guests more information? Hotel accommodations, fun places to visit and stay while in town or invite them to a brunch/dinner? This is what your invitations are for too! Include fun little things and really make your invitations, YOU.
Invitations are keepsakes
This is the detail that hits home the most to me.
It’s not uncommon to hear “The invitations aren’t important anyway so why spend money on them? People are just going to throw them away.” Sure, some people will throw them away – it’s the nature of things. But, will you? Will your best friends, parents or grandparents? Chances are they will keep them.
When all the dishes have been cleared and flowers have wilted, your invitations will remain. Let that sink in.
Your invitations will remain.
Your invitations are meant to be kept, treasured and cherished. Whether they are carefully placed in a wedding keepsake box or framed lovingly in a shadow box, your invitations will remain.
My goal is to make sure when your grandkids are looking back through your wedding keepsakes, you can be proud to show them your invitation –the detail, thought and love that went into creating it.
