Wedding Invitations:

Your wedding or party invitation and accessories set the tone for your special event firmly establishing your style and taste. It is the first official message about the event, which a guest will receive from you, so make it special.

If you're looking for premium quality, custom printed wedding invitations that will serve as treasured mementos for yourself and your guests for years to come, Lilies Collections would be proud to assist you. Ordering from us is easy and you can preview your invitation with your own wording, in the exact ink color and lettering style of your choice. We have programmed the choice selections through out this site to match the samples that are pictured. You should however change any of these settings to suit your wedding plans. Just choose the ink and lettering you like best, select a verse or write your own verse and view a proof. We encourage you to make changes to the wording, lettering and ink color and proof again until you are fully satisfied.

Remember to include reception cards, response sets and thank-you notes in your calculations along with additional trousseau items like place cards, table cards, menu cards and so forth. We recommend you order 25 more invitations than the number required for your mailing list. This allows for addressing errors and last minute guests. Ordering 25 more at a later date is considered a new order and is more expensive. Wedding Invitations should be mailed six to eight weeks prior to your wedding date.

If you have any questions about what to order, how to word your invitation, or any other matter, please feel free to contact us. We are available to help you.

Wedding Invitation Wording

Whether it be a Church wedding, home wedding, second marriage or whatever, the proper etiquette and wedding invitation wording are essential. It is suggested that the wording for an invitation should indicate the event, honoree, date, time, location, host, RSVP, and registry information if applicable. You may choose to have a verse printed on the invitation. The verse can be light-hearted, traditional, formal, poetic, humorous, or of any style that you choose. The verse can set the and mood of the event and is a nice way to add a personal touch to the invitation.

Items You Should be Familiar with When it Comes to Your Wedding Invitations:

There are many terms and items related to wedding invitations. To assist you in your invitation shopping, here are explanations of some of the more common ones you might encounter.

Reception Cards;

If the reception is held at a different location, a separate card is usually enclosed announcing the location and time of the reception. Reception cards indicate the time and place of your reception. There are times when wedding ceremonies and receptions may not have the same number of guests. You include Reception Card only in the invitations of the guests whom you wish to attend your reception. Envelopes are not required. Please keep in mind that this card could possibly add to your mailing cost since postage is based on weight.

Response Card

Response cards make it convenient for your guest to reply and for you to plan properly. These cards are essential to your dinner/reception planning since an accurate guest count will be needed for food and seating preparations. The respond card along with its mailing envelope will be inserted with your wedding invitation. They always include a line for the guest to write in their names, a line for the number of persons attending and a date asking for your guests to reply by. If you are offering your guests a menu choice, list them here. An envelope printed with your name and address is included. Remember to include a postage stamp on this small envelope which will also have a mailing address already printed on it so all your guests have to do is fill out the card and mail it back by the date you have printed on it.

Informals

Informals are a folded card printed with the name of the Bride and Groom, the Bride only or the new couples monogram. You can use these cards to write a personal note of thanks or for brief social notes. Order an ample supply to have them available anytime you need to write a note. These cards can be used as your thank you notes. Including them with your original wedding invitation order is convenient since they are usually printed on matching paper and will save you on shipping costs.

Lined Envelope

Lined envelopes are an inexpensive way to enhance the elegance of your invitation. There will be many lining colors to choose from so make sure your choice complements the colors of your wedding invitation design along with your ink color. Most invitations come with two envelopes. The outer envelope that is addressed to your guests' homes and the inner "ungummed" envelope that is addressed with your guests' names and fits inside the larger outer envelope. This is another way to add to a customized look to your wedding invitation.

Printed Return Address

Printing your return address on the back of the outer envelope will help assure the return of any invitation that may have addressing errors for you to re-mail. All lettering styles and ink colors are available to match your invitations. A formal return address appears on the back flap and only includes the two address lines - no name line... Now the question is whose address should be listed. It should be the address of whoever is listed on your invitation as hosting your wedding. This is typically either you and your fiancé or your parents.

Direction and Map Cards

Directions and map cards are much appreciated especially by out of town guests. Including map and/or direction cards with your wedding invitations can eliminate frustration for your guests by providing them with accurate directions to the ceremony, reception or both if they are unfamiliar with the area. The direction cards give simple but precise directions to your wedding/reception while map cards generally feature major roads with landmarks to help you guests find their way. Generally when direction or map cards are used, the street address is not included on the invitations. Direction cards and map cards are usually included with the invitations but may be sent later in an envelope or as a post card to those who have indicated that they are coming. In that case you might want to include at the top a line reading, "We are looking forward to having you attend." These cards are inserted with your wedding invitations just as a reception card might be and are typically printed on white or ecru paper.

Thank You Notes

Your "thank you" notes should be sent as soon as possible after the wedding. They seem more sincere if they are sent in a timely manner. "Thank You" notes provide you the opportunity to express your appreciation to those who were thoughtful enough to send you wedding presents. Besides expressing your appreciation, these thank you notes also let your recipient know that you did receive their gift and that nothing happened to it in the mail. A wedding thank you note should be sent within two weeks for gifts received before the wedding. Three months is the latest that a wedding thank you card should be sent for gifts received at the wedding, but try to mail it out within a month.

Place Cards

Place cards are an elegant way to show your guests where to sit at the reception. They normally include the names of the bride and groom and wedding date as well as a place for you to fill in the guest's names. Because they are used at the ceremony and not enclosed in the actual invitation, they do not have to be the exact same style as the invitation. A variety of designs are available to match your reception theme.

Engagement Announcements

For some couples the first celebration held in their honor will be an engagement party. The news of your engagement may be heralded by engagement announcements sent to friends and family, and many parents want to share the excitement by hosting engagement parties. There are many design choices available when it comes to engagement invitations. Some designs are specific to engagement parties and can be personalized with your specific wording. No matter what style you chose for your engagement party invitations, they will announce to your guests they are invited to this wonderful celebration of your upcoming marriage.

Save the Date Cards

In this modern world it is more and more important to give your family and friends as much notice as possible of your upcoming happy occasion. This is especially true for out-of-towners. Try to send these cards at least three to four months before the wedding. Most anything goes with Save the Date Cards. Formal, like your wedding invitations, a card that is simple and casual, or fun stuff like fridge magnets and mint tins. Whatever you send include the location, maybe the theme of the wedding and the address of your wedding website, if you have one. Be sure to mention that a wedding invitation will follow. Your guests shouldn't assume that this is the actual wedding invitation. That's why it's important that anyone who gets your Save the Date card also receive the wedding invitation.

Bridal Shower Invitations

Relatives or friends of the bride may host a bridal shower or bridal tea, continuing the traditions of helping the bride and groom start their new lives together and of honoring the bride. Bridal showers are hosted generally by the bride's maid of honor or other close friend or friends. The invitations for these are usually informal. Many bridal showers have gift themes, such as kitchen, linens, lingerie.

Assembling and Addressing Wedding Invitations

The best way to assemble your invitation is to set everything up on a cleared table, in an assembly line fashion - placing them in the order in which they go. It also makes it easier if you place stamps on all of your response envelopes before you start assembling.

If two envelopes are being used, the smaller inner envelope is addressed with only the guest(s) name, such as "Mr. and Mrs. John Smith" "Miss Glick and Guest". The outer envelope is addressed with the guest's full name and address. Avoid using abbreviations for streets and cities. Before stamping, bring a sample of the completed invitations to the post office to determine the correct postage.

When assembling your invitations, the reply card with stamped envelope or reply postcard should be on top, then the reception card, then the invitation. If two envelopes are used, all of the enclosures are placed in the inner envelope face up. The inner envelope is placed (unsealed) in the outer envelope, with the flap facing back so that your guest sees his or her name upon opening.

Seal and Send Invitations

This is an all-in-one wedding invitation that is mailed as a single-folded piece without an envelope. The response postcard is attached by a perforation for easy removal. You will save on postage for the return mailing since the response piece is a postcard. Decorative seals are usually included along with a printed return address on both the back flap of the invitation and on the response postcard.

Mailing Wedding Invitations

You should ALWAYS put together a complete invitation ensemble with all of the accessory (enclosure) items, envelopes and any direction cards. Take this to your local post office to have it weighed and checked for size. Square and oversized invitations require extra postage due to their shape if 1 ounce or less. Anything over 1 ounce requires extra postage. The post office can then show you different decorative stamps available in the amount you will need to use.

Your invitations should be mailed 6 weeks before the wedding. (8 weeks is now common for out-of-town guests.) Use Save-the-Date cards so that long distance guests can make arrangements. These should be sent out 6 to 12 months before or as soon as your plans are finalized. "At home" or announcements should not be mailed until after the wedding.