subject: Avoiding Invitation Catastrophes! [print this page] Its merely an invitation, you say to yourselfIts merely an invitation, you say to yourself. What could possibly go wrong? Famous last words, indeed! What may possibly go wrong? More than you can imagine. Here are some things to think about when preparing your invites.
Wording
Oh, dear. How can you word the invitation when you have a very complex family? Unpleasant divorce cases, step-parents, birth parents, in-laws . . . family can be anything but easy to work out. The key principle to follow is that the person (or people) listed on the invite ought to be the host (or hosts) of the wedding reception. If divorced parents are co-hosting the big event, they might both still be listed, though preferably on individual lines.
Take caution in not giving credit wherever credit is due. In a recent wedding, the grooms parents footed the bill for the entire magnificent affair, yet it was the brides parents whose names were on the invitations. At the wedding reception, several guests heartily thanked and congratulated the brides parents on what a beautiful wedding and wedding reception they'd sponsored, and the callous couple blithely took credit for everything. As you can imagine, the grooms mother and father felt disappointed and unappreciated! Where the grooms mother and father are paying, you may decide to put the names of both sets of parents on the invitations.
And let's say youre hosting your own wedding reception? Well then, feel free to put your names on the invitation!
Typing errors and Misspellings
Really, are you kidding around? you may say. Who doesnt check for typing errors? Nevertheless, every year there are countless invites which appear with problems in spelling and grammar. Usually, these invites are of the do-it-yourself variety. If you plan to produce your own wedding invitations, be sure to have another person proofread the text, ideally somebody whos great at English!
An additional detail to be painstaking about is the spelling of names. Lets say you are not certain how to spell your old college roommates wifes name. You might think, Oh, potato, poTAHto, whats in a name? When the invite turns up addressed to Dan and Carrie rather than Dan and Keri, the couple may be less than thrilled. A name is more than just a name; its an integral part of your identity. Make an effort to telephone your guests if you are in doubt; this individual touch reveals that you really care and may even encourage them to attend your special event.
Its in the Mail
Other common problems center round the mailing of invites. To start with, make sure you allow enough Response time for attendees to answer. A good principle is usually to mail your wedding invitations 8 weeks before the wedding ceremony. This usually provides invitees enough time to make travel plans and to secure vacation days if required. This grace period should also give you time to respond if any of your wedding invitations are returned to you as undeliverable. But dont let that come about in the first place! As with the spelling of names, double check the addresses of your friends and family to be certain they're current and properly written.
Now WHERE am I going?!
One of the worst type of wedding invite disasters you want to avoid is including faulty directions or unreadable roadmaps to your wedding wedding ceremony or wedding reception. Directions arent much of a problem in a small town, but in an unfamiliar city, finding your way around can be irritating and even alarming for some people. Be careful of printing out directions verbatim from the latest mapping website. Such web sites dont always provide the most direct or logical routes, as numerous people have unhappily discovered firsthand. Unless you are a superstar with directions and are totally confident that the directions are accurate, you might give some thought to driving each of the routes outlined yourself (from the north, south, east, and west, as required). You may discover unexpectedly closed roads, construction, or just simple wrong instructions. Oh, and it may be a good idea to incorporate a contact number on the invitation of a directionally-gifted friend with a mobile phone who would be willing to guide travelers to each venue on the day of the event.
Please don't let these kinds of invite problems happen to YOU! With just a little luck, and lots of preparation, your invites might go off without a hitch.
