So, you’ve taken care of all the big stuff. You’ve ordered a delicious cake, engaged a dream venue and hired a wonderful caterer. Now, all you have to do is send out invitations to invite family and friends to your wedding. Try not to give in to the urge to go with the corny old invitation designs. Instead, be imaginative and come up with an invitation card that will really grab the attention of your guests and fuel their enthusiasm to attend your wedding.

Though it’s not really necessary to send out an announcement, it’s kind of courteous to inform people who’ve not been able to attend your wedding. A typical wedding announcement is generally sent after the wedding to give details about the wedding like the venue, the name of your partner and parents, the new address you’ll be staying at etc. Make sure that your announcement is clear and precise and doesn’t mistakenly give people the impression that they are being invited for the event.

Don’t jump on the bandwagon when it comes to wedding invitations or announcements. Dare to be different. Create a customized wedding invitation and announcement. Are you planning a theme wedding? Well, then your invitation can reflect this particular theme in a subtle manner. Get color coordinated invitations and announcements. Is the chapel and reception hall going to be done up in pastel shades? If yes, then get your invitation designed in similar hues. Do you have a quirky sense of humor? Well, incorporate one of your favorite lines in your wedding invitation. Including a romantic rhyme or poem is an excellent way of personalizing your invitation or announcement. Embellishing your invitation card with floral designs and heavenly creatures is becoming way too common. Try to refrain from using the old tried and tested patterns and designs and go with something trendy and exclusive. Don’t forget to include a response envelope in your invitation. This will give you a fair idea of the attendance and you can plan your catering accordingly.

Obviously since announcements are sent after the wedding, the content will be different as that in the invitation. An announcement can be sent by the parents of the couple or even by the couple itself. Superimposing a picture of the blissful couple is a brilliant idea to personalize an announcement. Important details like the date of the wedding, the names of the couple in question, the parents of the couple and the location should be included in the announcement. An announcement is customarily sent especially when the wedding is an extremely small affair to inform colleagues and relatives that a marriage has taken place. There’s no harm in dispatching an announcement before the wedding in question. However, if the people you’re sending them to are not likely to receive an invitation, be absolutely certain that there is no room for misunderstandings. It’s not a bad idea to email announcements instead of sending out a hard printed copy.

Wedding invitations cannot be ruled out if you’re planning a wedding. Announcements may not be just as important. However, while designing invitations and announcements it would be refreshing and nice to have them reflect your very own personal style and attitude.