Wedding invitation etiquette can be hard to learn, especially if you're doing your wedding invitations for the first time without help. Here are several easy, spelled out rules for creating and sending your invitations to make the process easier.

General Invitation Etiquette
If your wedding is six months or more away, save the date cards should be mailed out to your guests. The etiquette you use when sending your wedding invitations can also set the tone for your celebration, so it’s important to follow a few special pointers for proper invitation etiquette. This will help to keep the peace among your wedding party and friends so that you can enjoy your day without worrying about anyone being left out or offended. Invitations should be mailed six to eight weeks before your wedding. If your invitations are whimsical and unusual, the recipients may expect something out of the ordinary.

Enclosures Etiquette
In countries that issue them, the envelope may be franked with love stamps. The response card is traditionally used for gathering totals for the caterer and getting a general number of guests attending. The envelope is pre-addressed and pre-stamped by the family members for ease. Other pieces sometimes included in the ensemble are the reception card or folder, map or direction card, and accommodation information.

Envelopes Etiquette
Invitation envelopes can come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Square shaped invitations and larger than normal invitations sometimes require more postage. Make sure you check with the post office before you send them out. When addressing the outer invitation envelope, address it to the bridal party you are sending it to, ie. the Smiths. Lined inner envelopes create a formal feel and can match the elegance of your wedding invitation.

Destination Invitation Etiquette
If you like, you can include confetti in the shapes of palm trees or other beach items to make your invitation stand out and sparkle. Stylized fonts can be used to convey the atmosphere you want to have at your wedding – relaxed, formal, or laid back. If you’re designing your own invitations, you have a wide range of latitude for choosing colors, styles, fonts, and envelope inserts that will beach your beach theme. If you’d like to have beach wedding invitations or photo wedding invitations, have them designed or create them on your own.

Homemade Invitation Etiquette
If you are very specific, and you do it in a kind way, people will be more likely to enjoy spending your wedding day with you. When you’re addressing the invitations, you should write each address by hand. Whether you make your own invitations or have them printed by a professional printer, they should be high in quality and you should proofread them for printing so that embarrassing mistakes can be eliminated. If you have printed the invitations on your home computer, you can print the envelopes by using special calligraphic fonts.

Saving Money Without Losing Etiquette
Whether you use traditional invitation designs or come up with something whimsical of your own, you can save money by finding your wedding invitations online. With the competition of wedding invitation businesses thriving, inexpensive wedding invitations are more easily found online. In the past, wedding invitations had to be printed by a printer who charged a premium for engraving and other services. Invitations can be very costly for many couples unless they understand where to look.

With these uncomplicated rules, your wedding invitation experience should be easy and your invites should be mailed out without worry.