Advice From The Bride – Invitations

I just love when my brides send me their wedding invitation. It’s so exciting to see the first glimpse of the vision for her wedding day. The wedding invitation is one of the first details I photograph on your wedding day. I advise my brides to have a box of all the small details for their day–an invitation, jewelry, heirlooms, and wedding shoes. That way as soon as I arrive and I can photograph all the small meaningful things that will play a part of your wedding day. An added bonus would be to have a box in the groom’s getting ready room too–cufflinks, tie, watch, cologne, socks, and shoes. In our continuing series, “Advice from the Bride”, a real bride shares her thoughts on wedding invitations.

Isn’t it fun getting a wedding invitation in the mail?  Opening it to see the colors, the details, the design. When I was preparing for my own wedding, I always liked seeing what other invites looked like, the style, the graphics/fonts, etc.  Even now I still like seeing the details, colors, even the size of the invite.  

I have noticed that it really is personal preference with wedding invites, RSVPs, and extra details.  

Recently, I received an invite to a wedding that was one card with information on the front and back.  All the important information was listed on the card and it was done in one of the wedding colors.  For the RSVP, the bride and groom elected to have it emailed to them. They even created a special email address for the wedding for this purpose. It was easy, low maintenance, and inexpensive.  It worked really well for them.  

Personally, when I did my invites I wanted the extra card with information, as well as the RSVP postcard.  That’s what worked for me and the guests. I was all about a paper trail and having the information laid out in front of me.  I chose postcards because they’re cheaper to may made and return postage was cheaper for these than a standard card and envelope.  I felt like my invitations were a good representation of me and my style.

I still get excited though when the thick wedding invites come, in all their formality. The layers of envelopes, the colors, the details.  It’s pretty, and it’s fun to open in anticipation!  

Regardless of the way the invite looks, I find it an honor to be invited to weddings and to be a guest at such a special occasion.

As you’re looking at invitations or preparing to purchase them, I’ve thought of a few questions to get you thinking…..

*What do you like or dislike when receiving an invite?

*Are there any special details that you want to include on your invitations or on the extra cards included?

*Is there something special that you want to appear on your invite? (For me, I wanted engagement photos on ours.)

*How much money is allotted in the wedding budget for the invitations?