9 Wedding Invitation Mistakes You Could Be Making

Your wedding invitation is a tangible and visual depiction of your love story and the style you intend to communicate during your reception. But many mistakes must be made on the way to picture-perfect wedding invitations. Here are some tips from some of our favorite Pittsburgh wedding stationery designers about the most typical errors they encounter in wedding invitations and how to prevent them!

1.) Thinking that "it's just a piece of paper"

An invitation to your wedding is more than just a mail; it informs your guests of many crucial details. Yes, it might wind up in the trash after the wedding (though we hope it's too lovely to discard!), but in the meantime, your wedding invitation acts as a communication channel between you and the person you're inviting.

There are numerous subtleties to consider when it comes to wedding invites, such as how to address them correctly, what printing technique to use for the ideal appearance, and how the design relates to your wedding's theme. In addition to providing directions to the location on your wedding day, your invitation should include advice to guests on what to wear and what to anticipate from the event. In addition to these aesthetic considerations, your invitation should serve a practical purpose, such as collecting RSVPs for wedding weekends that include several events with distinct guest lists (I'm looking at you, rehearsal dinner) or learning about the dietary needs of your vegan cousin, gluten-free aunt, and friend who is allergic to everything. Newly Cut Prints

2.) Not leaving enough time

Wedding planning is already a demanding task. Avoid putting undue pressure on yourself by falling behind the deadlines that your vendors—including your stationery designer—have suggested. It takes longer than you think to develop a concept, revise, edit, print, ship, assemble, stuff, stamp, and mail. Allowing adequate time for each step is crucial to ensure that invites are mailed on time.

Don't undervalue the timeframe. It's crucial to adhere to the timeframe and deadlines suggested by your stationery designer, particularly if you're going with a bespoke design or incorporating specialty services like letterpress or foil stamping, because of the (currently common) shipping delays and additional time required for things like assembly. Angela Pro Design

3.) Abbreviating words

Shorthand is inappropriate for your invitation, even if you have a laid-back wedding. Use the complete name of your location, spell words out, and substitute "in the morning" or "in the afternoon" for AM or PM.

Except for Mr. and Mrs., everything on the invitation falls within this category. Dates should be fully stated, including the day and the year. Although I am willing to breach the rules and use 2022 rather than the exact number 2, times shouldn't be shortened, and AM and PM should not be included. You should spell out the entire street name (road, street, lane, etc.) and avoid shortening the name of your place. Blossom Paper Co.

4.) Having grammatical or punctuation errors

Make sure to proofread your invitation suite several times to ensure that all the words are spelled correctly and that the grammar and punctuation are used correctly. This will help you avoid embarrassing situations. Asking someone else to proofread them is the best option. One set of eyes can easily overlook mistakes, but it is far more difficult for several sets.

Regarding inaccuracies in the invitation, I frequently see flaws in the date's writing. There is always a hyphen between two-word numbers (twenty-two). The word "and" is omitted from the year (two thousand twenty-two). Lastly, only proper nouns, such as names, the names of the days of the week, and the names of the months, are capitalized. In verbal form, numbers are not capitalized. For instance, "June 25, two thousand twenty-two." would be written for June 25, 2022. — Fresh Cut Prints

5.) Including a zip code

A mailing code is one of the many pieces of information that should not be on a wedding invitation. Keep the zip codes for your enclosure cards and the outer envelope.

Zip codes should only appear on envelopes and are used for mailing. Please don't put a zip code on your official invitation. However, you can put it on your enclosure cards. –The Blush Paper Company.

6.) Ordering too many

You don't have to invite everyone on your guest list. To find the precise number of invites that must be mailed, go through your list and arrange the attendees by household. Being aware of this will ultimately save you money and eliminate unnecessary printing!

One of the couples ' most expensive errors is ordering one invitation per individual instead of one per household. You need to send out nearly half as many invitations as you have guests on your list. Regretfully, this can end up being a costly error! –Newly Cut Prints

7.) Including too much information

Your wedding invitation doesn't have to include every detail; it shouldn't include most of them. Your save-the-date should include links to your wedding website, a terrific source of more specific information.

Keep it brief and to the point! Use as few words as possible to convey your point when delivering directions or instructions. We can link your visitors to a wedding website for anything that needs a long or in-depth explanation. Angela Pro Design

8.) Adding your registry information

Despite modernizing many aspects of weddings, this ancient etiquette guideline remains relevant. Including your registered details on your wedding invitation is still inappropriate since it suggests that receiving a gift is equally significant to inviting people to your wedding. Even though they will undoubtedly give you something, you shouldn't act like you're requesting a gift.

Including your registration details with your invitations is a major faux pas because asking people to purchase your presents is impolite. Although it is customary for a couple to set up a registry, including that information on your invites is strictly forbidden. However, you are expected to include this with your invitations to the wedding shower.

The workaround? Please include a link to your wedding website on a details card and encourage visitors to visit it for additional details. Include connections to your registry and extra crucial information for visitors, such as local attractions. Your parents and other wedding party members may also spread the word about your registry. Blossom Paper Co.

9.) Not working with a professional designer

Numerous internet merchants provide chic wedding invitations at reasonable prices, but none of them can match the personalized touch you'll get from collaborating with a freelance, experienced designer. Baswon'tvites won't inform you how to address your envelopes properly, and it won't respond to your inquiries on invitation wording. A local artist will guide you throughout the entire process, from design to mailing and all points in between.

Having an experienced professional to help you with the wording, etiquette, and subtle clues your invitations are communicating is vital, even though you can handle them by making or ordering them yourself. It takes skill to design an invitation that reflects your wedding's distinct style and is practical for a contemporary wedding while also making your grandmother happy. Newly Cut Prints