Prep Before Print: Five Things to Finish Before Starting Your Wedding Invitations
Your wedding invitations are the first glimpse your guests will have of your special day, setting the tone and excitement for the celebration to come. While it’s tempting to dive headfirst into designing and sending out your invitations, there are a few important tasks you’ll want to tackle first to ensure a smooth and stress-free process. In this blog post, we’ll explore five things you should finish before starting your wedding invitations, from finalizing your guest list to confirming key details with your vendors.
Finalize Your Guest List
Before you can begin designing your wedding invitations, you’ll need to finalize your guest list. Your guest list is actually something I recommend doing as one of your very first wedding planning tasks because it helps you determine overall wedding budget, venue size and so much more.
At this point, take the time to carefully review your list and make any necessary adjustments, ensuring that you’ve included all of your VIPs and haven’t forgotten anyone important. Once your guest list is set, you can move forward with determining how many invitations you’ll need to order and addressing them accordingly. TIP: Remember when determining how many invitation sets you need, you need to count households, not individual people plus 10-15 extra for keepsakes, last minute add-ons, etc.
Choose Your Wedding Date and Venue
Your wedding date and venue are two of the most important details to nail down before sending out your invitations; actually before even thinking about save the dates!
Make sure you’ve confirmed both with your venue and any other vendors involved in your big day that could impact the date.
Once your date and venue are locked in, you can include this information on your invitations, allowing guests to mark their calendars and make any necessary travel arrangements.
Decide on Your Wedding Theme and Color Palette
Your wedding invitations should reflect the overall theme and style of your wedding day. Take some time to design your wedding theme and color palette, considering elements such as your wedding venue, season, and personal preferences. Once you’ve settled on a design aesthetic, you can begin choosing invitation styles, fonts, and colors that complement your theme and create a cohesive look for your wedding stationery.
Remember, your wedding invitations help communicate to your guests the type of wedding you are planning. It helps them determine how to dress and know what to expect so make sure you know what your day is going to be so your invitations reflect that.
Create Your Wedding Website
A wedding website is a valuable tool for communicating important information to your guests and keeping them informed throughout the planning process. Before sending out your invitations, take the time to create your wedding website and include essential details such as your wedding date, venue, accommodations, and registry information. Once your website is up and running, you can include the URL or QR code on your invitations, directing guests to find additional information online.
Set Your Budget
Last but not least, it’s essential to set a budget for your wedding invitations before you start designing and ordering them. Determine how much you’re willing to spend on invitations, including printing, postage, and any additional embellishments or upgrades. Having a clear budget in mind will help you make informed decisions when choosing invitation styles and customization options, ensuring that you stay on track financially throughout the process.
Your wedding invitations are an important part of your wedding planning journey, and taking the time to finish these five tasks before starting them will set you up for success. By finalizing your guest list, choosing your wedding date and venue, designing your wedding theme and color palette, creating your wedding website, and setting your budget, you’ll be well-prepared to create beautiful invitations that reflect your unique style and set the tone for your special day.
