Texoma Bride Guide | Issue 007 | Summer/Fall 2020

While most aspects of your wedding don’t follow a strict set of rules, your
invitations do. However, keep in mind that knowing the rules and proper
etiquette will also give you the tools and knowledge to bend them just a little
to suit your needs. The presentation of information on your invitations can
vary widely based on your style, colors and theme but all the basic pieces
still need to be there.
Although subtle, your invitation is the first clue that your guests will get as to
the formality of your wedding. A traditional letter press printed invitation with
simple colors and addressed with calligraphy would be used for a wedding that
is more formal in nature, whereas a square invitation with a playful font and
bright colors would fit a more casual celebration. Regardless of design, many
couples still use formal wording on their invitations. The lifetime commitment
you’re making in front of your family and friends is a significant event, and most
couples approach the ceremony with decorum.
You should also be mindful of the costs associated with mailing non-standard
sized envelopes. Post offices have machines that can only process certain
envelope sizes, generally rectangles that are a minimum of 3.5 by 5 inches to a
maximum of 6.125 by 11 inches. If your envelopes are a non-standard shape,
for example square, you may end up paying a surcharge, usually around 20
cents per envelope, for hand-processing.
Keep in mind that the size of your guest list does not equal the number of
invitations you will be sending out. Don’t make the mistake of ordering double,
or even triple the number of invitations because you didn’t pay attention.
“CAN’T I JUST SEND OUT AN E-VITE
OR CREATE A FACEBOOK EVENT?”
We know putting on a wedding is expensive,
and sending invitations via email or another
internet platform is basically free.
Most etiquette gurus still recommend paper
wedding invitations. They tend to set the tone,
establish expectations and specifically state
who is invited to the wedding. This can be
hard to do with electronic invitations.
There are also a large number of places you
can purchase pre-designed invitations and
print them at home to help stretch your
budget.
Find your stationer at
tbgvendors.com/invitations
BUYING POSTAGE
Before purchasing stamps, take an
assembled invitation to the post office and
have it weighed. Inserts can add additional
weight, or unusually shaped envelopes will
require extra postage. Skipping this step could
result in your invitations being returned for
insufficient postage. This would throw your
entire timeline off because the invitations
would arrive late, plus you’d have to purchase
new envelopes, re-address them and
purchase the correct postage to send them
out again. Take our advice, and get your
envelopes weighed.
Once you are sure you know how much it will
cost in postage to mail your invitations, you
can look in to purchasing wedding-themed
stamps. It’s certainly not required, regular
stamps will work, but adds a special touch to
your envelopes!
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