Wedding invites are keepsakes. Family members and friends will keep them for years, putting them in picture frames, scrapbooks, family bibles and photo albums. You want your wedding invitations to be the type that they will treasure and want to keep.

Step 1 – Pick the Right Design

Picking the right design is important. The wedding invitation needs to bring back memories of the wedding itself. Don’t choose something generic just because it is less expensive. Don’t choose a flimsy, cheap paper to have it printed on. You will want the invitation to be a keepsake that they will have for years. Choose colors, designs, and themes that match your wedding theme. Some examples would be flowers or sunsets, or beach scenes for spring, vintage designs for a more traditional wedding and something unique if you are picking an unusual, more modern theme.

Step 2 – Pick the Right Cards

Make sure to pick the right cards to go with the invitations. RSVP’s, direction and registry cards, accommodation cards, place cards, name cards, and coordinated menus are kept as keepsakes for a wedding also. Be sure to order cards that match the invitations, and be sure to order enough so everyone attending will get one. A guest will feel insulted if they get an invitation and find out other cards were sent that they did not receive.

Step 3 – Be Concise

There is nothing more embarrassing to the couple and more insulting to the parents than having the parent’s names misspelled. Be concise. Check the spelling on everything before ordering the invitations and accessories.  Make sure that everything is written correctly and in the correct order. If the names of other relatives or friends will be included, be sure to get the proper spelling.

Step 4 – Personalize

Everyone loves to see their name on something. Personalised invitations are some of the most treasured keepsakes. It makes the guest feel very special and very close to the bride and groom. If you can’t afford to have each guests name put on the cards, then see if you can have a friend or relative with beautiful handwriting or experience in calligraphy write the names on the top of the card. If this can’t be done, then at least be sure to address the envelopes by hand. There is nothing more impersonal than receiving an invitation in a typed or computer generated envelope.

Step 5 – Include a Personal Note

Although this may take some extra time, including a small personal note on the back of the invitation will go over really big with your guests. If you have too many guests, then just do it on the back of relative’s cards. If the wedding invitations are ordered early enough, then writing a personal note, just a line or two near the bottom will make the invitation more of a treasure for each person. For example: “ We would be so pleased (name), if you could attend our wedding. It would mean so much to us to have you be a part of our special day.” Or “ We are looking forward to seeing you at on this special day.”