Invitation Trend
For invitation trends, check out this article
from getmarried.com:
There’s a world of paper possibilities to help
you add thoughtful and stylish touches to your
wedding. Here’s a list of the stationery basics
to get you started.
Save the date
Sent up to six months in advance of the wedding,
these cards can be a fun way to kick off your
engagement and wedding plans. If you’re planning
a destination wedding, these cards are essential
heads-up notices to guests who’ll need some
lead time for making travel plans. The look
of these cards can hint about the style and
formality of the coming wedding or not–it’s
up to you.
Wedding invitation
A wedding invitation is often not just a card
in an envelope but a small suite of cards, enclosures
and envelopes. The idea behind this more-is-more
strategy is two-fold. First, the more information
your guests receive to help make their wedding
day experience wonderful, the better their chance
of having a great time. Second, those little
extras (the inner envelope, the matching enclosures)
help create that this-is-something-very-special
feeling.
A classic wedding invitation includes:
• The invitation
• A lined Inner envelope for the invitation
• Enclosure cards
These might include the invitation to your wedding
reception, a valet parking notice, a pew card
(for certain guests for whom you’ve reserved
special seating), etc. If you’re having a destination
wedding, use these cards to invite guests to
other pre-and-post-wedding get-togethers, too.
• The response card
This is the ‘RSVP’ for your guests to fill out
and return to you. This card should be enclosed
along with an envelope pre-printed with your
address and stamped. Note: don’t stamp those
response card envelopes going to guests living
outside the US.
• Map card
These helpful cards can be printed on the same
paper as your invitation with the same ink to
match the invitation.
• The outer envelope
This should be printed with your return address.
Then you write out, by hand, the addresses of
your guests or hire a calligrapher to do it
for you.
Informal notes
Many stationers offer informal notes–essentially
extra cards the same style and size as your
wedding invitation’s response card with matching
envelopes. These handy blank cards can be used
for thank you notes, gift enclosures, and, importantly,
for special hand-written personal notes for
special guests. You may want to enclose one
of these cards in the invitations you send to
your parents, your future in-laws and everyone
in the wedding party, for instance.
At home cards
These cards bear the address of your new home
and when you’ll be moving in. They can be enclosed
with your wedding invitations.
Wedding programs for the ceremony
Shaped like a large card, a brochure or a booklet,
these programs are given out to guests at the
wedding ceremony. A wedding program usually
contains a schedule of the ceremony but can
also include special notes about the members
of the wedding party and other information that
might help make your guests’ ceremony experience
all the better. If your ceremony will be conducted
in a language not all your guests are familiar
with, consider adding a translation of the important
parts. The wedding program doesn’t have to match
the look of your wedding invitation but it should
reflect the same formality and theme.
Place cards and menu cards for the
reception
These cards give you the opportunity to add
a stylish flourish to every place setting at
the reception. Again, these cards don’t have
to match your wedding invitations but they should
reflect the tone of your overall wedding theme.
Thank you notes
You’ll be using these practically from the moment
you announce your engagement. Consider getting
two styles of notes. Order a set that matches
your wedding invitations for sending thanks
for wedding gifts from guests. Order a second,
uniquely designed set for shower gifts and sending
to all those wonderful people who made a special
effort to make your day unforgettable.