Wedding invitations are in the form of a letter, usually come with two envelopes, to inform guests about the wedding’s venue, time and date. Wedding invitations are also a means for guests to RSVP their attendances. This is done through the enclosing of a response card whereby as is the norm, the bride and groom’s party would have written their addresses and affixed stamps with the response letters. Responses on attendances are important for caterers to ascertain the exact number of guests attending and make the preparations accordingly beforehand.

Wedding invitations are usually sent 4 to 6 weeks before the wedding date to give room for guests to adjust their schedule accordingly in order to increase the likelihood for them to attend. In the invitations, maps and accommodation details for guests are included as well. The methods for the printing of these invitations are engraving, letterpress printing, thermography, lithography and blind embossing. They are also produced by artists specializing in handmade cards and can also be handmade by you.

Before embarking on the next step - deciding on whether to produce your own cards or purchase them from manufacturers or specialists - it is important for you to know just exactly why wedding invitations are so important. These letters are like windows for your guests to the wedding ceremony and you. They can either provide a favorable or unfavorable impression on you based solely on the letters. They also provide a glimpse on what to expect of the wedding ceremony – the theme, whether it is a formal or informal event – and also, the layout, the wording, the design etc all contribute to the decision making process of whether to go or not to go for your guests.

Thus, the look of the letter is recommended to incorporate the wedding theme, should a theme be set for your wedding. Thus, if your wedding is beach themed, beach scenery, the ocean, flip flops, shells and many more can be included in your invitation. As for the wording of the letter, it conveys the message of whether the ceremony is going to be formal or informal. Thus the appropriateness of language and font according to the formality of your ceremony is crucial for the impressions they provide for guests.

Now you are ready to decide on whether to buy or make. If you are not artistically and technologically inclined, this would be out of the question. But if you are, should you prepare your own wedding invitations to save costs?

With only a laser or inkjet printer, software, papers and embellishments as the materials required, it is easy to save some money for your wedding. With sufficient creativity, cheap can be ‘wow’ for your letters. However, cost savings might not always be the case. This is because ink cartridges, stock papers, response cards and envelop costs can be a surmountable challenge in your money saving goals. Other additional costs might include paper cutters and font purchases, for the limited number of fonts available in your software. The layout, template and wording selection is also time-consuming, not to mention the printing errors that are associated with DIY invitation making. These will all add up and you might be better off purchasing them and saving a lot more.

That being said, retailers often provide samples free-of-charge upon the selection of your invitations. This way, you can have a feel of what you are potentially buying before committing to any payment. Once you are satisfied with the design, template, layout and materials of your invitations based on the sample provided, the selection of the wording and its associated colors and style, a digital proof is given to ensure there are no inaccuracies before the delivery of cards and provide an opportunity for you to see what they look like beforehand.

There are many retailers to choose from when it comes to purchasing your invitations, and they can be done online or through direct retailers. The choices are also abundant for the types of software available should you desire to go the DIY route. That being said, the important element is conveying the right message to your guests by ascertaining what needs to be there in your invitations. With some careful consideration and preparation, this is easily done.