Most Common Wedding Invitation Mistakes
Kelly Henry
Bad mistakes, I’ve made a few…is not a song lyric you want to be quoting after ordering your wedding invitations. As one of the most vitally important parts of your wedding, your invitations hold need-to-know information (like when and where you’re getting married) and they give your guests a glimpse into what to expect from your overall wedding aesthetic. Mistakes happen but with the proper amount of preparation, there’s no need to fall victim to common invitation pitfalls we see time and time again. Consider the following Most Common Wedding Invitation Mistakes so you can avoid them yourself.
MISSPELLINGS
When it comes to wedding invitations, don’t expect autocorrect to save you from all typos. Even spell check can’t always catch grammatical errors. Read over your invitations multiple times and take special care to double check the spelling of names. Involve your fiance, parents, or friends in reading the proofs so everyone can be on the lookout for mistakes. If you’re working with an invitation designer don’t assume they will serve as your copy editor. While they may be able to fix obvious mistakes, they won’t know the difference if you misspell a name.
NOT ORDERING ENOUGH
Having to order more invitations is not a good position to be in. Not only will it add unneeded stress to get the extra invitations to your guests on time, going back to print will cost you. Save yourself the trouble and order 15-20 percent more invitations than your guest list requires. You may need to resend invites that get lost in the mail, or you may want to invite additional guests that weren’t on your original guest list. We also recommend requesting extra envelopes, as addressing mistakes can happen.
FAILING TO TAKE THE ENTIRE AESTHETIC INTO CONSIDERATION
Remember to focus on your entire stationery suite and not just the wedding invitation. While the invitation will be the focus of your paper goods, the envelopes matter too. You can make a big impact on guests with stunning envelopes as it’s truly the very first thing they will see. Avoid using address labels that will cheapen the look of your invitations. There are so many options available for addressing your envelopes from printed envelopes to utilizing a stationer or calligrapher.
ORDERING TOO LATE
Ordering your save the dates or wedding invitations late will put undue stress on you and your invitation designer. If you’re sending out save-the-dates aim to have them sent to guests at least 6 months before the wedding. To determine when you need to send your invitations, Brides states “Look at your wedding date and count back eight weeks (for a non-destination wedding). This is the latest you should mail your invitations to give your guests enough time to RSVP and make any travel plans. Having a destination wedding? Count back 12 weeks so your guests don’t feel rushed and can shop around for the best travel prices.”
NOT TAKING PHOTOS OF YOUR STATIONERY SUITE
In all the preparation for the big day, it might not occur to you to have your wedding stationery suite available so your photographer can take photos of it. Some photographers may request you send them copies of your paper goods before the wedding day so they can capture the photos ahead of time. The invitation suite is a big part of your wedding and should be captured along with all the other important memories.
Avoid common wedding invitation mistakes by starting early, ordering extra invitations, and remember to proofread multiple times! Hiring an expert to design your wedding invitations can also greatly reduce the amount of work you will have to do navigating the ins and outs of wedding stationery etiquette and avoiding common mistakes.
photo by // Tim & Kylee Photography
