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Finalize your guest list as soon as possible. Make sure all names are spelled correctly and all addresses are up to date. |
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Save-the-dates should be sent at least six months before the wedding. For destination weddings or weddings occurring over holiday weeks, they should be sent earlier, even up to a year in advance. |
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Make sure the guest list is finalized before sending save-the-dates. Anyone who receives a save-the-date must be invited to the wedding. Having a finalized guest list ensures you don’t end up with more guests than your venue or budget will allow. |
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Decide if you want to invite children to the wedding and reception. The general rule of etiquette is that anyone over 16 years old should receive their own invitation. |
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Invitations should be ordered about three or four months before the wedding. |
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Invitations are usually mailed six to eight weeks before the wedding. The R.S.V.P. date you use largely depends on your caterer and when the final headcount is due. Three weeks before the wedding is common, and allows time for follow-up calls with guests who haven’t responded with an R.S.V.P. card. |
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Allow yourself at least two weeks for addressing envelopes and longer if you are using a calligrapher, which could take several weeks. |
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Wedding programs, place cards, and menu cards are often ordered with the invitations. If not, they should be ordered about four to six weeks before the wedding. |
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Thank you cards are ideally ordered with your invitations. If you receive any gifts before the wedding, you should send a thank-you immediately. Ordering thank you cards early means you will be prepared for pre-wedding gifts. |
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Order 15 to 20 more invitations than you think you need. It can be very expensive to order additional invitations at the last minute - and you may not get them in time! You'll need extra invitations for any mistakes made in addressing the envelopes, any "last minute" additions to the guest list, and a few for keepsakes. |
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Take a typical invitation "package" - what you will be sending to your guests - to the post office and have it weighed. Be sure to apply the appropriate amount of postage stamps so that your invitations are delivered on time and with no postage due. |
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You must put the appropriate postage on your return envelopes. |
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Double and triple-check everything before it gets printed. Borrow another pair of eyes. This includes invitations, response cards, envelopes, wedding programs, and so on. Search ruthlessly for spelling, address and date errors. |
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