Welcome back! It’s officially the beginning of a brand new year of wedding inspiration and it feels so good to be back! We are kicking off the first post of 2012 with 5 things you didn’t know about wedding invitations. You may be wondering, isn’t an invitation just an invitation? This may be true for most parties, but not for wedding. In fact, there are five key elements your wedding invitations will reveal about your day and we’re sharing them with you this morning, along with a little handmade wedding invitation inspiration to get you started. Enjoy!

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Wedding Invitations

Your wedding invitation will reveal…

1. You Know How To Throw A Good Party

Does your wedding invitation get guests excited for the party you have planned? A wedding reception is the biggest party you’ll ever throw – make sure it’s a good one! And, be sure to preface the party with a solid wedding invitation that tells guests you’ve got it under control.

(case in point? “join us… it’s going to be fun!”)

2. How to Dress For the Wedding

Let’s face it: words like ‘black tie preferred’ or ‘casual attire’ are important things for guests to note. For instance, if you’re planning an elaborate, upscale event, let guests know what the dress code is so he or she feels dressed appropriately. On the other hand, if your wedding is outdoors and you prefer guests to dress comfortably for the humid weather, let them know in your invitation with a simple suggestion such as, “Comfortable Attire Preferred”.

3. Your Wedding Theme

A proper event always has a theme. Even Phyllis Lapin-Vance, chairwoman of the Party Planning Committee on The Office backs us up on this one by stating, “There’s always a theme.” Your theme doesn’t have to be all-encompassing, either: even the tiniest element like a strand of natural twine fastened around a sand dollar and tied to a simple invitation can give a beachy feel. An invitation filled with golds, oranges, and browns can excite guests for an autumnal affair; furthermore, a wedding with red and white gingham print can clue in guests about a picnic-styled wedding that you have planned. Have fun & run with it: select a theme and go!

4. What You Enjoy As a Couple

You may not expect it, but your wedding invitation will in some way shed light on you as a couple. This doesn’t mean, however, that your wedding invitation has to scream ‘ice hockey’, if this is a favorite hobby. Instead, tie in your love for ice hockey by adding subtle ideas such as a snow-filled design on your wedding invitation combined with fun design elements throughout your wedding such as chocolate hockey puck favors, a DIY sno cone bar, ask guests to sign a hockey stick in lieu of a traditional guest book, and have custom hockey jerseys with ‘Bride’ and ‘Groom’ on the back, placed over your chairs at the head table. This is just one idea… use your own favorite hobby and run with it! Guests are always fascinated to learn more about the bride and groom, particularly about what they like to do as a couple.

For example…

– are you hunters or lovers of the great outdoors? This Red Barn Wedding Invitation by Hunt & Gather Paper Goods has you covered:

– if you are planning a country-chic wedding, with emphasis on homespun items + mason jars? The lovely Jen Simpson Design is ready to take your order.

– love to ride on a bicycle built for two? Vanessa at Vo Handmade takes tandem to an entirely new level in the wedding world with these adorable invitations!

Finally, we can’t stop smiling over these oh-so-sweet country-themed wedding invitations by Andi Mans. “Folks, we are getting hitched!” Love it.

– are you planning a retro wedding? This printable 50’s style wedding invitation by Something Blue will get guests in the hand-jiving mood in minutes… this invitation is available as a printable!

And, ah, yes…

5. The Pertinent Details

This is obvious, but worthy of mentioning anyway. Your wedding invitation should include the who, what, when, and where of your wedding day! Don’t leave guests high and dry, either – provide plenty of hotel options for out of town guests, an itinerary for your bridal party so everyone is on the same page, and please include directions along with a map and a telephone number of the reception site. Even though using a smart phone today seems like second nature, plenty of people still use maps or printed directions from the computer to find their way to the aisle.

Happy Planning!

♥
-E.

P.S. Don’t forget that today is Giveaway Monday which means we’ll be launching a brand new giveaway for you to enter! Stay tuned by subscribing to our FREE email updates or RSS feed!

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Share Your Comments!

Today, we shared with you 5 things you didn’t know about wedding invitations… and we want to know if you have other tips or questions about wedding invitations. If so, share them as a comment below to kick off the discussion with our readers! We’d love to hear from you!