Wedding invitations can be a tricky piece of the wedding planning puzzle, especially if paper and prose aren’t really your thing. But when done well, wedding invitations can do so much more than communicate the important details! They give your guests a sneak peek at your personal style, and provide visual cues for what they can expect on your big day. Your unique design and verbiage set the tone for the celebrations ahead—not to mention a sentimental souvenir you can keep forever. Ready to get started? Let’s talk all about wedding invitations!

When should I send my wedding invitations? 

As a general rule, you should plan to have wedding invitations in your guests hands between six and eight weeks before your wedding with an RSVP deadline of three weeks before the big day. If you’re planning a destination wedding, shoot for 12 weeks so your guests have a bit more time to plan their trips. Count on around 5-7 business days from drop-off to mailbox arrivals, depending on how far your guestlist reaches. 

This timeline gives your guests time to check their schedules, hear back on any pending calendar holds, and still give you a final headcount before crunch time. If you’re sending Save the Date cards (which I highly recommend), those should be sent around six months prior to your wedding day.

Is there etiquette I need to follow?

Simply put, less is more. You want to include all the necessary information without the key details getting lost or misinterpreted. Whether you’re going traditional letterpress or unique and trendy, it’s best to stick to classic wedding invitation etiquette:

• Bride and groom’s names 
• Wedding date and time
• Ceremony and reception location(s)
• RSVP instructions
• Any additional details like attire requests, registry information and website details

Choose a traditional template (like including the bride’s parents’ names as hosts), or take a modern approach (like a wedding website QR code), but always keep it simple. Any other fun plans and information can be included online or communicated upon arrival.

Are there traditions I can trade for trends?

In this digital age we’re all navigating, sometimes paper wedding invitations can feel a bit dated. But there are ways to dodge that stuffy feeling while still delivering on this timeless wedding tradition! The most important thing is to stick to your wedding theme, and to let your personality shine. Are you planning a traditional, elegant celebration? Stick with the classics in color and font. Are you adding some quirky personal touches to a tried and true wedding theme? Bring fun to florals with a more whimsical design. If flowers don’t fit your style, opt for some squiggles or sketched-quality line work. Whether you choose classic card stock or funky formats, just be sure to honor your guests with clear and concise information.

Can I use my engagement photos on my wedding invitations?

Can’t get enough of your engagement photos? There can definitely be a place for them on your wedding invitations. Just remember, less is more! The details of the day should shine the brightest, and be the easiest for your guests to find and reference. Look for a template that limits your design to one or two photos, and make sure the ones you choose have clean colors and plenty of negative space. 

Want to utilize those photos but stay with a more traditional invite? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. Check out my top 10 ways to use your engagement photos (six of which incorporate those images right into your wedding day!).

Hiring a wedding photographer is probably already on your planning list, or is maybe even a detail you’ve already checked off. But if you want to have video of your big day as well, there are a few more details to consider! Having video from your wedding can be a gorgeous addition to your keepsakes, but it does add another visual/media ball to juggle. Sounds daunting? Don’t worry. Here are five tips to get you well on your way to a perfectly-captured event.

1. Expect to hire two professionals

Not every wedding photographer is a videographer, and vice versa. Do your research! Sometimes you can find a professional who provides both services, or two companies that work together as partners. But the bottom line? Everyone has the same goal—to give you the best-kept memories from your big day. And in order to do that, it’s likely going to take two professionals, even in a one-company operation. So establish your budget and needs early. That way you know just what you’re looking for, and everyone can focus on their unique responsibilities. 

2. Compare styles

You know your style better than anyone, and you know the vibe you’re going for when it comes to your big day. I always recommend finding a wedding photographer who’s style aligns with your vision, but it’s also important to make sure the styles of your wedding photographer and videographer are cohesive. Your wedding day should be glowing with personal style and personality. That includes your photos and video! Look for examples of each professional’s work, and take a look at them side-by-side. You’ve worked hard to make sure all the wedding details work together, from the invitations to the flowers and the dresses. Media elements should be no different! 

3. Ask questions

Is your wedding photographer good with collaboration and compromise? Have they worked with your videographer before? Do they have preferred partners when it comes to videography? Is there any part of the ceremony or reception they’re territorial over? It’s important to ask these questions of both companies when considering them for hire. We’ve already gone over a few other questions to ask during the interview process, but if you know you’re going to hire a videographer as well, make sure you adjust this list accordingly to make sure everyone knows the key players and how they’ll be interacting throughout the process. 

4. Prepare both parties

I always encourage creating a connection between your wedding photographer and videographer early on, making sure everyone is as prepared for the big day as the bride and groom. Both teams will need your schedule for the day, and the lay of the land. Have a walkthrough scheduled? Invite both your wedding photographer and videographer to come along. If you want your media team to work well together, it’s important that you give them every opportunity to be on the same page. 

5. Open the lines of communication

Once you’ve booked a wedding photographer and a videographer, reach out and let each one know who they’ll be working with. It’s a big industry, but especially in smaller towns or venues with preferred vendors, chances are they’ve worked together before… and when they have, it’s magic! Put your professionals in touch, whether that’s via email, Zoom, or in-person coffee. Start conversations to compare timelines, location overlaps and individual needs. This will allow both parties to make sure you walk away with perfectly-captured memories.