Assisted Wedding

The Essence Of A Great Wedding Invitation

January 25, 2010

Besides the photos and the memories themselves, the one thing you and your groom will always have from your wedding day is the invitation. In fact, it is probably the best souvenir that any of your guests can save from the event.

Done well, it can be in itself a work of art and a piece of memorabilia. Your wedding probably has a theme, and the invitation is the perfect place to reflect that theme. Whether the theme is beach or fairy tale or a European odyssey, there is a way to personalize your invitation so that everyone has an inkling of what to expect and can look forward to your big day with anticipation. Some people go to traditional printers and engravers, while others savvy enough on the computer may want to print their invitations themselves.

In either case, there must be good taste and common sense used. A wedding is an occasion that should have class and not be crass. Therefore, you may want to think of a slogan for your wedding, related to the theme that appears on the invitations; but it should never demean or offend anyone or insult the institution of marriage.

Along with a slogan, there might be a trinket, ribbon, special paper, or something else that echoes the theme and makes your invitation special and memorable. Within these guidelines, have fun with the wording of your invitation if you’d like. Have it reflect the personalities of you two. But keep it simple. Don’t bore people with too many words.

People need to be able to focus on the text so they can easily read and remember the basics: who, what, when, where. These days the bride and groom often send out their own invitations because they are established in their own right and are the ones who are throwing the party.

However, if there are parents or others who are hosting, be sure to acknowledge them. Include any information that might be helpful in getting people to the ceremony and from the ceremony to the reception. Before sending out the invitations, enlist the help of your attendants or better yet some one or two people in your circle who are good with words to proofread.

Checking and double checking are the only way to catch errors that could be embarrassing later, and others can help us do that. We may think we’re seeing clearly, but after looking at the same wording for many hours we probably are blind to mistakes that seem obvious to someone taking a fresh look.

Maybe a proofreader will just ask you if what you said is what you really meant to say. That question is invaluable as it will help you clarify your intention and create a really beautiful invitation to your upcoming day.

Posted in: Wedding Stationary