Why is it important to include information with your wedding invitations?
When it comes to planning your wedding, there are so many details to consider. One of the most important aspects is ensuring that your guests have all the necessary information for the big day. Including specific details with your wedding invitations not only helps your guests prepare, but it also sets the tone for your wedding and ensures that everyone is on the same page.
What are the essential details to include?
1. Date and Time: This may seem obvious, but it's crucial to include the date and time of your wedding. If you're concerned about guests arriving on time then you can also include a time that you'd like guests to take their seats by.
2. Venue: Provide the name and address of the wedding venue. If your ceremony and reception are in different locations, make sure to include both addresses.
3. RSVP Details: You will need guests to confirm their attendance so you can plan accordingly. Consider whether you'd prefer guests to respond digitally (phone, email, website / QR code) or traditionally, by posting a card back to you. You'll also need to set a date when guests need to RSVP by.
4. Names: We know this sounds obvious! But it doesn't get much more essential than having your names on the invitation and in a way that you'd like them presented.
What additional information can you include?
All of our invitation styles have options for including additional information and, with all wording entirely customisable, you can include the aspects that matter to you.
1. Accommodation Information: If you have out-of-town guests, it's considerate to provide them with information about nearby hotels or accommodations. If you have booked on your guests' behalf, then you can include this (we can also provide separate information for separate guests if accommodation has been provided to close family only).
2. Transportation: If you're providing transportation for your guests, include the pickup/drop-off locations and times. You may also want to include some local taxi companies, especially in a rural area.
3. Gifts: While it's not necessary to include gift information on your invitation, you can include a separate card with this information for guests who may want to purchase a gift. If you feel awkward about asking, then consider a gift poem to break the ice.
4. Children: The majority of couples prefer not to have children present on their wedding day. Much like a request for gifts, this can make couples feel a little awkward. We have a few options that can be used to soften the request for your wedding to be adults only.
5. Wedding Website: If you have a wedding website, include the URL on your invitation and / or a QR code. This can be a great resource for guests to find additional information about your wedding, such as the schedule, gifts, and transportation details, as well as potentially providing an option to RSVP.
6. Dress Code: Let your guests know if there is a specific dress code for your wedding. Whether it's black tie, casual, or themed, it's essential to give your guests a heads up so they can dress accordingly.
7. Venue Specifics: This could be that your venue doesn't allow confetti, that there is a cash only / card only bar, that stilettos can't be worn on the dancefloor, and so on. Many venues allow parking on-site but set a time that vehicles must be retrieved by.
8. Itinerary: This can be especially useful for a multi-day event so that guests know what's happening and when, but is a nice touch for a traditional single day wedding so that guests are fully aware of key events and gaps between these events during the day.
How to manage your guest's meal choices
If you're offering your guests a menu to choose from for the wedding breakfast, then you'll need an easy way to be able to gather that information. And again, your options here are whether you'd like the choices sent back physically, or digitally.
For a physical response this setup is often best when opting for an invitation suite formed of multiple cards. One of the cards can be used for the fully-worded menu, with printing on the reverse of the RSVP card enabling guests to note their name and tick their selection.
For a digital response you have a few choices. If you have a wedding website it's entirely possible that you can build in the meal choices to that website. Alternatively, you could set up a Google form which pre-populates a Google sheet, which automatically tracks what guests have chosen.
Of course, you can also request that guests email you their choices for you to record manually.
Whilst this guide is centred around invitations, when it comes to stationery for the day itself we can arrange for the guest's meal choices to be added to the reverse of their place cards, or have individually-printed menus.
If you're not providing a choice to guests then you'll likely need confirmation of any dietary requirements (for example vegetarian, vegan, allergies). This should be incorporated into your RSVP request.
What to avoid?
1. An Overwhelming Amount of Information / Wording: While it's important to provide necessary details, avoid overwhelming your guests with too much information and wording that's difficult to digest. For example, a few local accommodation options and taxi companies will do - a big list isn't needed.
2. E-Invites: Feedback we've had from our couples who themselves have attended weddings is that e-invites are easy to forget and are impersonal.
3. Controversial or Sensitive Information: Whilst your overall tone can be informal or formal, keep your wedding invitations light-hearted and avoid including any controversial or sensitive information that may offend your guests.
Remember, your wedding invitations set the tone for your special day, so make sure to include all the necessary information while adding your own personal touch. Have fun with it and let your personality shine through!