Most Common Wedding Invitation Mistakes - and How to Avoid Them
As a Wedding Stationer, I’ve observed the most common wedding invitation mistakes! Let’s learn how to avoid them and what exactly these mistakes are when creating wedding invitations. So In no particular order… the most common wedding invitations mistakes:
Not having enough postage
In general, we are used to mailing everything with a regular, first class, “forever” stamp. Since most wedding invitations have 2 or more insert cards, in addition to the main card and an RSVP envelope, your wedding invitation suite isn't like any other piece of regular mail (nor do we want it to be!) Add on ribbon, wax seals and all the other fun details that make your wedding invites pop and you're now well over the 1 oz. limit for forever stamps. (click here to read all about the cards that make up your wedding invitation set)
So what’s a couple to do when budgeting for postage? There are a variety of combinations of stamps you could use to make sure you are covering the cost of mailing, but the easiest way to go about it is to always assume you need two first class stamps at least! - If calculating postage rates and dealing with post office clerks seems like something you would NOT like to do, I am here to help!
Not ordering enough invites - don’t forget to order a few extra!
I’ve heard from so many couples that one of the hardest decisions of the wedding planning process is to narrow down your guest list! Who to include, where do you draw the line and do you really need your third cousin once removed who you haven’t seen in 10+ years even there?!
It’s always best to have a clear idea of the total number of guests you'll invite before ordering your invitations. Of course, there’s always a few curveballs with planning this type of important event. Like last minute additions, and, god forbid, invites being lost in the mail (this is not a common occurrence for Fioribelle couples, but accidents can happen). Having a few extra sets ensures everyone in your guest list will receive an invitation.
Also, it’s always nice to have a keepsake set on hand for wedding day detail pictures, a memento box to save for later or a spare keepsake for your dear grandma.
Ordering a few extra sets at the beginning of the process will save you money and time. There are several setup, shipping and material costs associated with the process of creating your wedding invitations. When you have to go back and order a second batch separately, this means it may cost more per invitation to order a handful at the last minute than it would at the beginning. You will save more money overall if you order 88 invitations for a guest list that may only appear to need 80 invites.
So how do you avoid this costly mistake? Simple, just add at least 10% extra sets to your guest list count. (Wanna make guest list planning a breeze? download my FREE Guest List Template Here)
Wedding invitation typos
Typos. So embarrassing. Human nature. It happens, we’re all human. Misspelled words, or wrong details are not common, but they do occur from time to time.
It’s always best practice to have a second set of eyes with you when you proof and approve every single piece of your invitation suite. Here are Fioribelle we are super careful about having everything designed and printed correctly, but no one knows the details of your own wedding better than you do. Have your partner, a trusted family member, bridal party member or parent look over the final design proofs. Make sure addresses are correct and dates are right! Go over the entire invitation with a “fine tooth comb” so to speak so that when everything gets sent to print, it will come back perfect. We do have several checks and systems in place throughout the entire design process to make sure we catch any errors before sending our suites to production so we'll be happy walk you through the entire process
Booking too late
If you talk to anyone in the wedding industry, they will all agree that 2022 and 2023 are already going to be crazy wedding years again which is great! - Love is in the air and depending on whether you want custom or semi custom you will have to book by a certain date to ensure there’s enough time to create the perfect invites!
Remember to allow 6 to 8 weeks for custom wedding invitations and 3-5 weeks for semi custom invitations. In general, you will want to give your guests 3-4 weeks to RSVP and you will need to have a final guest count at least one month before the wedding day. It is recommended to book your wedding invitations 5-8 months before the wedding for fully custom work and at least 3-4 months before the wedding for our semi-custom collections. To avoid rush fees and shipping fees, give yourself that additional planning time. We want to make this overall experience a positive one for everything involved by allowing enough time to plan, design, send to production, assemble and mail your invites!
At Fioribelle, we only book 20 weddings per year to guarantee quality of product and service to our couples. Once our calendar slots fill up, we are booked out! If you’d be interested in working together to create a one-of-a-kind invite for your wedding day, inquire about my Custom Wedding Invitations here. If you're on shorter timeframe, take a look at our beautiful, easy to customize wedding invites here