It’s not surprising that the type of wedding invitation you receive varies just as much as the weddings you attend. They can range from elaborate gifts sent straight to your door by a personal messenger to a free email invite–the message will be the same, “Attend our day of celebration!” but the difference lies in style. If you are engaged or a wedding planner, you are likely looking here for the best wedding invitations for your event. Here’s everything you need to know.

What is the purpose of a wedding invitation?

It can be easy to assume you just need to send out a wedding invite with the time, date, and address, and your guests will show up. But, in the world of matrimony, a wedding invitation includes much more than just the general details.

Typically included within the invite is the traditional date, time, address, and information about the beautiful couple, all enrobed in their color scheme. But, in recent history, we have also included maps of the area for out-of-town guests, details on hotel room bookings, dress codes, directional cards, menu choices, and RSVP cards to receive back from guests. 

Of course, you do not have to include all of these details in your invitation, but it is nice to think through what would be helpful for your guests. For instance, if you have a lot of people on your list with dietary restrictions, adding a menu card with dinner choices is a thoughtful touch to give them peace of mind that healthful food will be available for them.

With that being said, the purpose of a wedding invitation is to give your guests a taste of what the day of your wedding will be like. It is often the first impression a guest will receive to start to get excited to attend.

What is usually included in wedding invitations?

We’ve created this simple checklist of the information everyone needs to remember to include in their wedding invitations.

• The full names of the couple being married
• The wedding date and time of the ceremony and reception
• The location information (venue address)
• An RSVP card for guests to respond with
• An indication of whether or not children are invited
• Any lodging discounts or transportation information you have arranged

This list is just the beginning. Think through anything that may be helpful for your guests to know before they arrive. Are you having any other celebrations before or after your wedding? Will you be requiring a dress code? Is there a happy hour between the wedding and the reception? All of these questions should be answered in the invitation.

When to send out wedding invitations

Before figuring out how soon to send your wedding invitations, consider the following: Are most of your guests located near your venue? Do your guests need to plan for travel? Does your date fall near a major holiday or in the middle of the wedding season (late spring and early fall)?

The best practice for a wedding with minimal travel for guests is to send out invitations eight weeks before the event. If you will be holding a destination wedding, are planning it near a holiday, or have several traveling guests, ten to twelve weeks is acceptable. However, sending out a save-the-date as early as possible will help people begin to make plans to get to where they need to be. Many couples choose to send their save the date six to nine months before the wedding date.

Common questions about invites

Whose name goes first on a wedding invite?

We usually see the bride’s name before the groom’s on the invite. This is due to the tradition of the bride’s family paying for the event. Modern couples may want to shake up old traditions, so this is a place where you and your partner can do what feels right.

How much are wedding invitations? 

You can expect to spend at least $500 or around $2.00 per person on invitations, depending on how many people you invite and the extras you plan to include. However, several online platforms offer very affordable digital invitations, and some even distribute them for free with their ads on the invite. Nowadays, digital invites are becoming increasingly popular, and they are a way to have all of your information, like RSVPs, dietary restrictions, and more, in one place.

Do we include our registry in the invitation?

Your invitations already contain a lot of information for your guests. We suggest adding your wedding website somewhere in the invite, with more details about your story, celebrations, and registry for guests to view.

When should we receive our RSVPs? 

You should send your venue, caterer, and bar your final guest count about a month before your wedding. We suggest requesting the RSVPs back between 6 and 4 weeks before your wedding.

There are plenty of things to remember as you plan your wedding. We hope this information helps take some stress off of your plate by giving you the information you need to send out your invites. If you are looking for a wedding venue in San Diego County, we hope you will check out one of our 13 venues.