stationery
calling cards


monograms
save the dates
invitations
response cards
enclosure cards
programs
menus
thank you notes


invitations
announcements

Invitations
Response Cards
Save the Dates
Programs
Addressing

• I've seen "honor" and "favor" written with u's in the spelling. Which is correct?
• Should I spell out the date and time or write it in numeric form?
• Should I punctuate words like St. or Rd.?
• Do I need to write the venue address of on the invitation like I would on the envelope?

• How do I assemble my invitations?
• Is it appropriate to list "No Children" on my invitation if I don't have room for them?
• I want to invite my friends, but do not have room for each to bring a guest. How do I tell them that?
• Do I really need to send an invitation to people I know cannot attend?
• Should I include my gift registry on my invitation?
• Is it proper to list my wedding website on my invitation?
• How many invitations should I order?
• Do I have to use two envelopes?
• When should I order my invitations?
• How do I avoid post-office/mailing nightmares?

• Do I have to send a thank you note?
• Who should write and sign the thank you note?
• What is my deadline for sending a thank you note?
• Can I send creative thank you notes? E-cards?

Below are samples of wedding invitation wording when the invitations are extended by:



Bride's Parents

Mr. and Mrs. Preston Hinton
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter

Kelly Anne
to
Bradley Scott Williams

Saturday, the fourth of June
two thousand eleven
at half past four in the afternoon

The Ritz Carlton
1234 Main Street
Charleston, South Carolina



Both Sets of Parents

Mr. and Mrs. Preston Hinton
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter

Kelly Anne
to
Bradley Scott Williams

son of Mr. and Mrs. John Williams
Saturday, the fourth of June
two thousand eleven
at half past four in the afternoon

The Ritz Carlton
1234 Main Street
Charleston, South Carolina



Surviving Parent (one is deceased)

Mrs. (or Mr.) Preston Hinton
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of her (or his) daughter

Kelly Anne
to
Bradley Scott Williams

Saturday, the fourth of June
two thousand eleven
at half past four in the afternoon

The Ritz Carlton
1234 Main Street
Charleston, South Carolina



Divorced or Separated Parents

(list the mother first; do not separate by the word "and")
Mr. Elizabeth Leigh Harrington
Mr. Preston Charles Hinton
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter

Kelly Anne
to
Bradley Scott Williams

Saturday, the fourth of June
two thousand eleven
at half past four in the afternoon

The Ritz Carlton
1234 Main Street
Charleston, South Carolina



The Couple

Miss Kelly Anne Hinton
and
Mr. Bradley Scott Williams
request the honour of your presence
at their marriage

Saturday, the fourth of June
two thousand eleven
at half past four in the afternoon

The Ritz Carlton
1234 Main Street
Charleston, South Carolina





Note: Lightly mark the back of each response card with a number corresponding to each guest on the guest list. That way, if someone forgets to write his or her name on the card, you'll know who it was from.



Example One

The favour of a reply is requested on or before June 4, 2011
M_______________________
_____ Accepts with pleasure
_____ Declines with regret



Example Two

Please RSVP by June 4, 2011
Name _______________________
_____ Accepts with pleasure
Number attending _____
_____ Declines with regret
Menu selection (please note number of each)
_____ chicken, _____ beef, _____ vegetarian



Example Three

Looking forward to celebrating with you!
Name _______________________
_____ Bringing my dancin' shoes
_____ Two left feet, unable to attend





Example One

Kelly Hinton
and
Brad Williams
are getting married!

Please save the date

Saturday, the fourth of June
two thousand eleven
Savannah, Georgia

invitation to follow



Example Two

Kelly and Brad
are tying the knot!

Mark your calendars for
Saturday, the fourth of June
two thousand eleven

Savannah, Georgia

invitation to follow



Example Three

Please save the date

Kelly Anne Hinton
and
Bradley Scott Williams
will unite in marriage
Saturday, the fourth of June
two thousand eleven

invitation to follow





Wedding programs should represent your love story and the style of your wedding ceremony and can be as simple or complex as you like. Typically, programs carry a few basic elements: the introduction (bride and grooms' names, location, date), the wedding participants, the ceremony order and a thank-you from the bride and groom. These can be arranged in any order to suit your style and taste.



Formal Example

The Marriage Ceremony Uniting
Kelly Anne Hinton
and
Bradley Scott Williams

Saturday, the fourth of June
two thousand eleven

The Ritz Carlton
Savannah, Georgia

We would like to take this moment to remember our grandparents, Mrs. Eleanore Winderman and Mr. Ricardo Williams, who are not able to be here with us today.

Thank our families for their love and support. Thank you also to our dear friends for joining us on our special day. Your friendship and encouragement means so much to us as we begin our life together.

Sincerely,
Kelly & Brad



Informal Example

Kelly & Brad
Saturday, the fourth of June
two thousand eleven
Savannah, Georgia

Our Parents
Preston and Elizabeth Hinton
John and Caroline Williams

Maid of Honor
Taylor Hinton
Bridesmaids
Hannah Moore, Nina Pauline, Amanda Scott, Gwen Southerland

Best Man
Jackson Williams

Groomsmen
Edward Best, Charles Todd, Jack Williams, Nathan Wright

Ceremony
Processional
Entrance of the Bride
Greeting
Presentation of the Bride
Exchange of Vows
Exchange of Rings
Pronouncement of Marriage
Presentation of Mr. and Mrs. Brad Williams
Recessional

Thank you so much for joining us today. We hope you will join us to celebrate our marriage at Savannah Square at half past six this evening.

Sincerely,
Kelly & Brad








Abbreviations and Punctuation
Do not abbreviate any words other than Mr. and Mrs. Always spell out street names such as Avenue, Road, Street, etc as well as State names, Post Office Box and Rural Route.

When the family name ends in o or y, add an s (IE: the Romanos). When the family name ends in s, z, sh, x, or ch, add an es (ie: the Foxes).

Do not use an apostrophe in family names (ie: WRONG - The Henry's, CORRECT - The Henrys).



Postage
Remember, square envelopes cost more to mail.

Always take a fully assembled invitation to your local post office to be weighed before buying postage for the outer envelope and the response card envelope as well.



Addressing a Woman

Maiden name
Ms. Amy Cook
Miss Amy Cook*
* Usually ‘Miss' is for girls under 18.

Married, keeping maiden name
Ms. Amy Cook

Married, uses husband's name
Mrs. John Smith
Mrs. Amy Smith

Separated, not divorced
Mrs. John Smith
Mrs. Amy Smith
Ms. Amy Johsnon

Divorced
Mrs. Amy Smith
Ms. Amy Smith
Ms. Amy Cook*
* It is appropriate to use her maiden name if she prefers.

Widowed
Mrs. John Smith*
Mrs. Amy Smith
Ms. Amy Smith
* If you don't know the widow's preference, using the form ‘Mrs. John Smith' is traditional and preferred.



Addressing a Couple

Married, wife uses husband's name
Mr. and Mrs. John Smith
Traditionally, a man's name preceded a woman's on an envelope address, and his first and surname were not separated (Amy and John Smith). Nowadays, the order of the names whether his name or hers comes first- does not matter. Either way is acceptable.

Married, wife prefers Ms.
Mr. John Smith and Ms. Amy Smith
Ms. Amy Smith and Mr. John Smith*
* Never link ‘Ms.' To the husband's name. ie: Mr. and Ms. John Smith is incorrect.

Married, informal address
John and Amy Smith
Amy and John Smith

Married, wife uses maiden name
Mr. John Smith and Ms. Amy Cook
Ms. Amy Cook and Mr. John Smith
Mr. John Smith and Ms. Amy Cook*
* If you can't fit the names on one line, it is acceptable to move the second name to the next line, indent, and include the word ‘and.'

Unmarried, living together
Mr. John Smith
Ms. Amy Cook*
* Use two lines, do not indent and do not link the names with ‘and.' Either name may be used first.

A woman who outranks her husband, elected official, military rank
The Honorable Amy Smith and Mr. John Smith
The Honorable Amy Smith and Mr. John Smith*
* If both names will not fit on one line, move the second name to the next line and indent.

A woman who outranks her husband, professional or educational degree
Dr. Amy Smith and Mr. John Smith

Both are doctors (PhD or medical) and use the same last name
Drs. Smith*
Drs. Amy and John Smith
Drs. John and Amy Smith
Dr. Amy Smith and Dr John Smith
Dr. John Smith and Dr. Amy Smith
* Omit first names with this format.

Both are doctors (PhD or medical), she uses her maiden name
Dr. Amy Cook and Dr. John Smith
Dr. John Smith and Dr. Amy Cook








Spelling
I've seen "honor" and "favor" written with u's in the spelling. Which is correct?

Typically, "honour" and "favour" are reserved for formal or religious ceremonies. Either way is correct, just remember to spell both words in the same format - with or without the "u."



Dates and Time
Should I spell out the date and time or write it in numeric form?

The date should be spelled out while addresses may be written in numeric form. Remember not to abbreviate any words. The date should be arranged with the day of the week first, then the date, then the month, followed by the year on the next line:

Saturday, the fourth of June
two thousand eleven
(the word "and" in the year is optional)

The time should also be spelled out and accompanied by "in the morning," "in the afternoon," or "in the evening" as follows:

half after four in the afternoon
"in the morning" :: before noon
"in the afternoon" :: between noon and 5:30pm
"in the evening" :: after 6:00pm



Punctuation
Should I punctuate words like St. or Rd.?

No, don't punctuate any words except surnames (Jr., III, etc). Commas should only be used between city and state (ie: Tampa, Florida) and day and date (ie: Saturday, the fourth of June).



Address of Venues
Do I need to write the venue address of on the invitation like I would on the envelope?

No, only include the formal venue name, address (all words spelled out), city and state (no zip code).





Assembly
How do I assemble my invitations?

Invitations are assembled face up by size - in this order (bottom to top):
1. Invitation
2. Enclosure cards
3. Reception card
4. Response envelope (face down)
5. Response card (face up, tucked under the flap of the response envelope.

Hold the invitation face up (like you would to read it) in your right hand. Hold the envelope (face down, flap open) in your left. Insert the stack. If you are using double envelopes, do not seal the inner envelope before inserting it into the outer.



Children
Is it appropriate to list "No Children" on my invitation if I don't have room for them? No, it's not appropriate to list "No Children" or "Adults Only" on wedding invitations. The best way communicate this is by writing only the parents' names on the inner (if you have one) or outer envelope.



Guests
I want to invite my friends, but do not have room for each to bring a guest. How do I tell them that?

Married couples and guests who are engaged or living together should customarily be invited. If you don't have room for guests of your friends, list only their name on the envelope. If you are asked if a friend may bring a guest, simply communicate to them that, unfortunately, your seating is very limited, and doesn't allow enough room.

Do I really need to send an invitation to people I know cannot attend?
Typically, it is thoughtful to send an invitation to close friends and family regardless of whether or not they will actually be able to accept. Remember, sometimes it's the thought that counts. You may opt to send a wedding announcement instead (a simpler form of an invitation) announcing your plans to be married. These do not carry gift obligations.



Gift Registries
Should I include my gift registry on my invitation?

No, no. It is not proper to include registry information in your invitation suite. It is, however, acceptable to mention registries in an informal shower invitation.



Wedding Website
Is it proper to list my wedding website on my invitation?

Wedding websites are becoming increasingly popular as a way of communicating with guests before the wedding date. Wedding websites, should not, however, be listed on a formal wedding invitation. Instead, if you are having an informal wedding and wish to utilize this option - list the website on an enclosure card that accompanies the invitation.



Invitations
How many invitations should I order?

Finalize your guest list and order one invitation for each couple and single guest. Add invitations for the bridal party, officiant, and parents of the bride and groom. Always order extra invitations to account for keepsakes, addressing mistakes, and that forgotten guest that comes to mind at the last minute. We suggest ordering at least 25 extra.



Double Envelopes
Do I have to use two envelopes?

Many years ago, if you were a bride, your footman visited your guests to hand-deliver your wedding invitations. To protect your gorgeous invites from the elements, they were assembled and tucked inside two envelopes - a formal envelope and a travelling envelope. Once the footman passed the invitation to the servants of your guests, the servants removed the invitation from the travelling envelope and delivered the untouched invitation to the appropriate recipient on a silver tray. Since the invitation was already at the home of its recipient, it bore only the names of the guests, not the address.

Nowadays, it's completely up to you if you'd like to include an outer envelope. It adds a touch of formality and elegance to the wedding invitation. Full names and addresses are written on the outer envelope while informal names of only those guests invited are written on the inner, unsealed envelope.

Outer Envelope
The outer envelope, whether you're using double or single envelopes, is the first envelope a guest will see. Use the complete, formal name and address of your guest(s). Zip codes should be included on the same line with the city and state. Remember to spell out all words and avoid using any punctuation. List the words "and Guest" on this envelope if you'd like a single guest to bring another guest and are not using an inner envelope.

Inner Envelope
If you have an inner envelope, this should carry an informal version of the guests name (IE: "Mr. & Mrs. Cook" or "Amy & John." Children's first names should be listed under their parents' names, if they are invited.



Timeline
When should I order my invitations?

Allow yourself plenty of time after finalizing your guest list to address the invitations and get them in the mail. Emily Ley Paper encourages you to order your invitations 4-6 months before your wedding date to allow yourself time for addressing and assembly. Wedding invitations should be mailed 6-8 weeks prior to your wedding date.

Confirm the details of your wedding (location, time, etc) as early as possible and begin the wedding invitation process 6-8 months before your wedding.



Post Office
How do I avoid post-office/mailing nightmares?

We have a few tried and true tips for you:

1. Use a spreadsheet on a computer or on paper to track RSVPs as they arrive.

2. Write, in light pencil, a tiny number corresponding to the guest's number on the RSVP list - to track RSVPs in case they forget to write their name on the response card.

3. Before buying stamps, take one fully assembled set to the post office to have it weighed and measured to ensure you purchase the correct amount of postage.

4. Personally deliver your invitations to the post office. Request that your invitations be "hand-cancelled" to ensure your pieces are handled as gently as possible and do not pass through heavy post-office machinery that often leave marks and smudges.





Do I have to send a thank you note?
Never underestimate the power of a thank you note. Trust us. We know people who have gotten jobs not because they were great in an interview, but because they were thoughtful enough to send a sincere thank you note.

Acknowledge all gifts (including gifts of time) with a thank you note.

Who should write and sign the thank you note?
If a gift was sent to a couple, both names should be signed.

What is my deadline for sending a thank you note?
ASAP should be your deadline. If you think it's too late to send a thank you note - it's not. Better late than never.

Can I send creative thank you notes? E-cards?
Creative, yes. E-cards, no. Feel free to use photos, drawings, etc in your thank you notes. E-cards may be appreciated by a younger friend, but aren't understood well enough to send to the general population.