Happy new year, everyone! As per usual, this is the time of year when inquiries start coming in more heavily and we find ourselves answering numerous questions about the ordering process. One of the most common questions we receive is, “When should I order my invitations?” Since we’ve never added a guide regarding invitation timelines to our website or blog, I realized it was time to do so. With that being said, here we go!

We recommend mailing your invitations approximately 6 to 8 weeks before your wedding date. If time is tight, don’t panic! It’s okay to mail them out a little closer to the wedding if need be. Just try to allow enough time for your guests to mark their calendars and reply back to you so that you can get an accurate head count before the big day arrives.

If you are having a destination wedding, you may want to consider mailing your invitations even sooner – such as 3 or more months prior to the wedding. In this case, you want to make sure your guests have plenty of time to plan for travel, accommodations, and time off from work if necessary. If the location of your wedding happens to be a popular tourist destination, or if your wedding is occurring around a holiday, then it is especially important to give plenty of notice so that plans can be arranged. Also, by being able to plan early, your guests may be able to save on airfare or may be able to book group hotel rates. Just keep in mind that if you send your invitations out too early, there may be a risk of them becoming lost or even forgotten.

If you want to spread the word about your wedding many months in advance, you may wish to send a save the date card. Save the dates are typically sent about 4 to 6 months prior to a wedding, or about 6 to 9 months in advance for destination weddings. Again, keep in mind the amount of planning that will be involved based on the location of your wedding, as you may find you want to send a save the date out even sooner.

Once you know when you would like to mail your invitations, you can easily figure out when to order them. First off, I suggest figuring out when you want your invitations in your hands. You need to consider the time it will take to address and assemble them.  If you plan on working with a calligrapher, be sure to check on their schedule and turn around time. In general, you will probably want to allow 2-3 weeks for the assembly and addressing process, though I know some clients have them ready to mail in just a few days. Keep in mind you may have to track down some addresses, so it’s always nice to have some wiggle room!

After figuring out when you would like your invitations to be in your hands, work backwards to find out when you need to order them. Recommended times may vary from one stationer to the next, but here at Oslo Press, we suggest placing your invitation order about 8 weeks prior to when you need them if choosing a design from our collection. If ordering a custom design, then we suggest ordering your invitations about 12 weeks or more before you need them in your hands. Also, it’s important to keep in mind any holidays, events, or travels that may fall during your order time. For instance, if you know you will be taking a weeklong vacation and won’t be checking your e-mail during that time, then definitely add an extra week to your ordering schedule.

Hopefully, this information will be useful to some of you! Again, if you’re on a tight schedule – do what works best for your circumstances when considering when to mail your save the dates or invitations. If you don’t feel like you have enough time to place your order, don’t be afraid to contact us anyway! When possible, we try our best to accomodate tight schedules.

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For the most part, the envelopes you see on our website are shown in various shades of white or cream.  Please don’t let this fool you though – we gladly offer colored envelopes as well.  We have several favorite manufacturers that we like to use, so please let us know if there is a color you are interested in and we will let you know what is available.  Typically when working with a client, we will send them samples of the color they are looking for.  This enables them to see their color options as well as feel the paper.  If requested, we will custom mix the ink so that it matches the selected envelopes.

Here are a few things to keep in mind if interested in using colored envelopes:

• Currently we only offer letterpress printing.  Letterpress is well-suited to printing dark colors on light paper.  However, dark paper colors can have the tendency to show through the printed ink a little bit.  We can still print a light color on dark paper, but keep in mind that letterpress printing white ink  onto dark paper may not produce as crisp of a white as other printing methods.
• The US Postal Service prefers the use of white or pastel colored envelopes.  Using a dark ink on light paper insures optimum contrast which is ideal for use with their optical readers/scanners.  Basically, sticking to lighter colors makes their jobs a little easier.
• Consider using labels to dress up your dark envelopes.  Labels don’t have to be boring or ugly – we can design and print them for you so that they will coordinate with the rest of your stationery.
• Some envelope manufacturers offer different flap designs.  You may or may not have a choice with a particular color, but we will certainly let you know what the options are.

Need more information on available envelopes or recommended ink colors?  Please don’t hesitate to ask!

What you see: butterfly reply card in pearl white cotton paper, chocolate and lilac ink, lilac envelope

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A common question around here is whether or not we offer wood table cards. Of course we do! We custom make all of our wood table cards to order. They can be engraved with a number or name, as well as a motif. As with any of our products, you can choose from the designs in our collection or request a full custom design.  Various styles and stands are available, so please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

By the way, we also offer table cards in paper that are letterpress printed with  a motif – leaving room for the numbers or names to be written by hand.  They’re a great way to show off some lovely calligraphy!

A few things to think about in regards to table cards:

• Be sure to place the cards so that they are easily spotted on the table.  If raised, make sure that they don’t block the view across the table.
• Table cards should be large enough to read from a distance.  Keep in mind that large numbers are more easily recognized from a distance, as opposed to small words.
• Using numbers is very common, though it is also popular to label tables using things such as song titles, names of significant locations, or movie titles.  As mentioned above, just make sure the words are large enough for your guests to read them from a distance.  If using long titles, you may want to consider giving the table a number as well.
• If you think that assigning individual seats is too time-consuming, you may want to consider assigning your guests to tables only. This will enable you to group together certain guests while still allowing them a little choice in the matter. It will also get everyone to their general location quickly so that when it is time to eat – everyone should already be seated.

Photo Credits – Clockwise from the top: small table number in walnut – real wedding photograph by Brandon Scott Photography / close-up of  a table number in cherry by me /  large table number in walnut – real wedding photograph by Cappy Hotchkiss

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Wondering  whether or not you need to include a reception card with your invitations?  Well, in general, if your reception will be held at a different location than the ceremony, then it is a good idea to include a reception card.  This way, you will have plenty of room to list the significant details without overloading the invitation with too much information.

Once you have decided to include a reception card, make sure you include the proper details.  First, announce the occasion.  Simply stating “reception” at the top of the card will work, or you can be more specific with something like “cocktail reception” or “black tie reception” or simply “dinner and dancing.”  Such details will  clue  your guests in as to what to wear or what to plan on for food that day.  Secondly, state when the reception is being held.  Something like “immediately following ceremony” will work if there will not be a break between the two events.  If there will be a long break after the ceremony, make sure to list what time cocktails or dinner are to begin.  Lastly, don’t forget to include the name and location of the reception site.

A few things to remember:

• There is no need to send the reception card separately.  Simply include it with the invitation.
• You don’t need a separate reply card for the reception card.  Unless you are told otherwise, if someone lets you know they will be coming to the wedding, you should assume they will be at the reception.  If it is crucial that you get a head count for the reception, then you can leave a designated space on the invitation reply card for the reception.
• Make your invitation suite consistent.  If your invitation wording is formal, then keep the same level of formality  for the reception card.

So, what if your reception is being held at the same location as the ceremony?  In this case, you can mention the reception on the invitation.  Just include a line near the bottom that states something like “reception to follow” or as seen in the above photo, “dinner and dancing to follow.”

With all this said, whether or not to include a reception card is ultimately up to you.  If your reception and ceremony will be at two different locations, you can still list this information on the invite instead of using a separate card.  This is a good way to save on both material and cost.   Of course, the reverse is true as well – you can certainly use a reception card even if both the ceremony and reception will be in the same location.

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Occasionally, we have clients who are concerned about the potential of uninvited or unaccounted for guests. Traditionally, the names of invited guests are written on the invitation envelope and it is assumed that only those invited will make an appearance at the wedding.   Yes, you heard me, it is assumed that people know the proper etiquette and would not think twice about bringing an uninvited guest without asking first.  Easy enough and makes sense in my opinion, but sometimes this is just not the case.   While some may not see a problem with showing up uninvited, it can cause quite a few issues.  In some cases, it can even create a financial problem.  Take for instance the issue of food.   It’s good to keep in mind that unexpected guests can equal an unexpected catering bill at the end of the evening for the newly married couple.  (Not exactly the sort of wedding gift anyone has in mind.)

If the threat of uninvited guests is a concern to you, there are ways to approach it without (hopefully) offending anyone.  As stated previously, the envelope is the place to list the names of those invited.  Don’t be afraid to be specific. When children are included, their names can be written below their parents’ names or if preferred, the term “and family” can be used.   If including an inner envelope, then list each name on it instead.  If inviting a single friend or relative and you wish for them to have the opportunity to bring someone along, then simply state “and guest” after their name.

To go a step further, some like to include very specific information on the reply card.  If you need to keep a tight rein on the head count, you can include something similar to the following:   “we have reserved ___ seats in your honor” or perhaps,  “___ seats have been reserved for you.”  In either  case, you would fill in the blank with the number of guests invited individually on each reply card.

Similarly, you can use something like this:   “___ of ___ guests will be attending.”  In this case, you fill in the second line ahead of time, and the guest fills in the first line before returning the card to you.  For example, upon completion by both parties, it would read something like this:   “1 of 2 guests will be attending.”

You can also be a little more direct in finding out how many guests will be attending with something along these lines: “There are ___  guests in our party that will be attending.”  Or you can write out several options and simply leave them a place to check by the appropriate number.

To find out the number attending the ceremony versus reception, try something like this:

“Number attending ceremony ___    Number attending reception ___”

Any of these suggestions can be mixed and matched or reworded to suit your specific needs.  While this sort of reply card wording  may be a little less traditional, it will hopefully help create a few less headaches down the road.

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It is an unfortunate fact of life that mistakes happen; and when it comes to weddings – the less mistakes the better.   The simple act of proofreading is one very important step in the creation of your invitations.  When done properly, it can save you from many headaches at the end of the day.  Unfortunately though, I think this is a step that is not always taken seriously.  As the designer, I may catch typos along the way, but I certainly won’t be able to tell if your mother’s name is spelled correctly or if the location of your venue is accurate.  Nope – making sure of all these tiny details is the responsibility of the client.  However, we certainly don’t want to leave you in the dark, so here is a bit of advice on the subject:

• Don’t go it alone:  Make sure to ask several other people to proofread for you.  They will often catch things that you might have overlooked.
• Have a hard copy in hand:  Make sure to print a copy out and take a break from the computer.
• Read it backwards:  This method keeps your brain from expecting to see what it has been used to looking at – in turn making it easier to catch mistakes.
• Read it out loud:  Yes, you heard me right.  Pretend you are back in school and reading to the class.  Again, this method will slow you down a bit and point out mistakes you may have otherwise overlooked.
• Take a break:  Sometimes it is best to leave something alone for a while.  Whether it’s for an hour or twenty-four hours – it should help you get a fresh perspective.
• Don’t depend on the spell-check feature:  Yes, use it.  Just realize it will not catch everything.  Will it realize that you accidentally listed your brother Mike as your sister?  Um… not so much.
• Beware of all-caps:  Look over text that is in all-caps more carefully as it may be harder to catch mistakes.
• Focus on specifics:  Proofread several times, each time focusing on a different thing such as spelling, punctuation, capitalization, etc.
• Be alert and minimize distractions:  Enough said.

Along with the above tips, here is a list of specific things you should double check while proofreading your invitations:

• Names:  Check the spelling of all names such as the Bride, Groom, Mothers, Fathers, Venues, etc.
• Times:  Check that all times are correctly listed and be sure the time is properly designated as a.m. or p.m.
• Dates:  Double check the date of the wedding, as well as the RSVP date.  Be sure the day of the week that is listed corresponds with the numerical date.
• Locations:  Again, check the spelling of the locations.  Also, be sure all directions and addresses are listed correctly.
• Abbreviations:  Make sure they are listed correctly and are followed by periods as needed.
• Consistency:  Pick a method and stick with it.  Be sure that all capitalization, punctuation, etc. is consistent throughout your invitation suite, or at least consistent on one item.
• Commonly confused words:  Be sure to check for these common mix-ups  – to/too, there/their/they’re, your/you’re, desert/dessert, etc.

For the record:

Number of typos discovered upon proofreading this entry: 7

Number of those typos discovered by spell-check:  3

Number of typos that will be discovered, and consequently edited after this entry is posted:  still to be determined

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