The wedding invitations, which can be physical or digital; professional or handmade, will be the first approach that your guests will have with the celebration. And regardless of whether the wedding will be religious, civil or symbolic, sending or hand delivering the invitations is a step that can not be skipped.

What styles are there? What to write on the cards? What are their values? Answer all your questions about wedding invitations below.

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1. Wedding Invitation Trends 2022

Of Love and Paper

Vibrant prints

Since weddings will be back in full force in 2022 and couples will be anxious to send their parties, vibrant prints will be the protagonists in wedding stationery. Wedding invitations with floral designs, fruit, animal print or colorful birds, such as flamingos or parrots, will stand out among the trends that will be strong.

Ecofriendly parts

These wedding cards are made with sustainable papers, such as ecological paper, recycled paper, compostable paper or paper from seeds that can be planted, among other options. In addition, they are invitations that take care that the printing is with ecological ink, or that they are handwritten.

These wedding parties, which will gain momentum next year, are ideal for announcing country, hippie-chic or bohemian weddings. Not necessarily 100 percent ecofriendly.

In a minimalist key

Another trend for 2022, which has to do with going back to simplicity, will be the irruption of minimalist wedding certificates, with white paper, small letters and clean designs, without images or prints. If you are looking for civil wedding invitations This simple and elegant proposal will be very appropriate.

Pointing out sanitary measures

Although in less intensity, the pandemic is still present and will continue to be for a while. That's why another trend in wedding favors is to include a note alluding to Covid-19. For example, remembering to wear a mask or indicating that the wedding will have alcohol gel dispensers and distance markers. This way your guests will feel much safer.

2. How to choose wedding invitations

Paper Project

Styles and designs

Classic, romantic, glamorous, vintage-inspired, rustic, bohemian, eco-friendly, urban, beach and minimalist wedding parties are just some of the styles you can choose from, and the key is to choose one that harmonizes with your wedding. the type of wedding you plan to have .

For example, if you are getting married in the countryside, kraft paper invitations will be a great choice. For a wedding with a retro feel, die-cut designs in pastel colours are perfect for a wedding in the countryside. vintage wedding invitations If the celebration will have touches of glamour, they will look great with invitations in gold lettering, while if they are looking for a modern proposal, the parts in methacrylate sheets will be their fascination.

Once you have chosen the style, the next thing to do is to choose a particular design, which can be the traditional rectangular card format. Or, you can explore in original wedding invitations The design can be crossword puzzles, door hangers, medical prescriptions, airline tickets or concert tickets, or an acrylic plexiglas design cut in the shape of a heart.

Envelopes

Since the invitations must arrive impeccable to the hands of your family and friends, the envelopes play a fundamental role. They are generally made of the same paper or color as the invitation card, although they could also be different, for example, the card could be made of vegetable paper and the envelope of pearlized syrian.

In terms of trends, envelopes lined with floral motifs, watercolors or geometric figures, envelopes in textured paper and envelopes with metallic details stand out. But if it comes to closing the envelope, you can choose between different forms, depending on the style, whether satin ribbons, jute bows, brooches or sealing wax seals. On the other hand, you will find envelopes integrated to the envelope.A very romantic proposal is, for example, to put the party in a box filled with rose petals.

Budget

Marriage certificates are charged per unit, with values that fluctuate between $1,000 and $4,000 on average. Thus, you will find cheapest or most expensive wedding invitations For example, parts on opaline cardboard will be cheaper than one on couché paper or methacrylate, depending on the type of paper, the size and the complexity of the design, among other factors.

But there are also suppliers that will offer discounts for a larger number of invitations, and others where you can choose an expensive paper for the card and a cheaper one for the envelope, for example kraft paper.

Save the date

Unlike the marriage license, save the date only includes the date The aim is for guests to save the date and to do so they will find multiple options, from classic and discreet cards to postcards of the bride and groom in polaroid format.

They can also play with the engagement ring and even pose for this announcement with posters or with the mascot. And another of the most requested proposals is to include a calendar with the date of the marriage marked.

Thank you cards

Thank you cards are the last link in the wedding stationery, but not for that reason less important. will show gratitude to their guests for accompanying them on their most special day.

They are generally smaller cards than the invitations and include brief and emotional texts, indicating the date of the wedding and the names of the bride and groom, for example: "The best moments deserve to be shared; thank you for celebrating with us", or "our heart thanks you for your love and our memory for your company".

Thank you cards You can deliver them at the end of the celebration or send them in the following days, either by post or email, depending on the option you choose. You can go for classic designs or choose cards with illustrations.

DIY

Do you prefer to make the wedding stationery yourself? This is an alternative that will not only allow you to save money, but also to print a 100 percent personalized stamp on your invitations. Of course, you will need to dedicate time to this task so that the result is perfect.

For traditional invitations, the most used papers are opaline cardboard, cotton paper or pearlized syrian. For romantic parts, one that works very well is vegetable or albanene. Kraft paper is ideal for country invitations. While batik paper will look fantastic in bohemian-inspired invitations.

And, depending on the style, you can also decorate your handmade wedding invitations or their respective envelopes, with dried flowers, sprigs of lavender, silk ribbons or pearls, among other elements.

3. Dates for Wedding Invitations

Social Stationery

When to choose them?

Before choosing the invitations, you should be clear about the type of wedding you want to celebrate, so when your loved ones receive the invitations, they will already have a first clue of how the celebration will be. Anyway, as it will be one of your first tasks, it is best to start reviewing and quoting wedding invitations. about six months before the celebration .

When to send them?

It is recommended to send the parts four months in advance of the marriage Or five, if most of your family members will have to travel or if the wedding will take place on a special date, for example, during Easter, a holiday or a public holiday.

In this way people will have enough time to organize themselves or, those who excuse themselves, will be able to do it even if they are far away from the date. As for the save the date, the ideal is to send the following communication about six months or as soon as the date is set.

Confirmation

To keep it from becoming a headache, you should set a maximum time limit for your guests to RSVP. It usually takes about two weeks for guests to RSVP, however, four weeks is more than enough time This can be indicated in a note in the marriage report, or you can communicate this information on the marriage website.

Now, if you still don't receive an answer by then, one option is to ask your parents or godparents to contact those guests by phone. It's not ideal, but at least you'll be able to find out for sure.

Timing

Beyond the deadlines, which may vary according to each couple, there are a series of steps that must be followed Before and after sending your wedding invitations, the timing will therefore be more or less as follows:

• 1. Choose a date for the wedding.
• 2. Assemble an initial guest list.
• Search for a church and/or event center according to your budget, date and number of people.
• 4. Reserve the church and/or event center.
• 5. Close the guest list.
• 6. Find the supplier of the wedding stationery.
• 7. Order save the dates and invitations.
• 8. Send the save the date.
• 9. Send the invitations.
• 10. Request confirmations.

And this last point is especially relevant, since only with the number of confirmed guests you will be able to order menus, organize the tables or buy wedding souvenirs.

4. Digital Wedding Invitations

The Imaginary

Professionals

More and more suppliers are offering digital wedding invitations And they are ecological, quick to make and 100 percent customizable, both in designs, colors, fonts and animations.

In this way, you can choose between elegant or innovative cards; simple or full of details; with photos of your prenuptial session or, perhaps, musicalized with the track with which you will enter the altar. In addition, as if they were paper invitations, you can send the handwritten calligraphy for later digitization. And you can choose between single or double-sided cards and even,incorporate a digital envelope.

DIY

Although digital parts are cheaper than physical parts, you can save even more if you decide to make them yourself. And for that, on the Internet you will find dozens of wedding invitation templates You can customize them by choosing design, typography, filters or illustrations. Keep in mind, however, that some templates are free, while others have a cost. Finally, you only need to save the template in high resolution and it will be ready to be sent. Totally customized!

When and how to send them?

There is no difference with respect to physical invitations, so the advice is to send them about four months in advance And although email is the most commonly used format for sending them, nowadays it is also common to send the marriage reports by WhatsApp, either through a group or individually.

5. Protocol and texts for wedding invitations

Creative Part

In the envelope

The protocol for writing an envelope is on the front side, centered and mentioning the recipients to whom the invitation is addressed. The classic formula is to call the guests "Mr. (name and surname)", Mrs. (name and surname) or "Family (surname)", if it is a family group with minor children or living under your roof. Or you can also use "don" or "doña", if they areolder adults.

However, if you prefer a more colloquial tone, you can simply indicate the first name of the guest or guests, if it is a couple. And if the companion is unknown? In that case and in any of the forms, you will have to put "X name and companion", although by protocol it is always recommended to consult the name of the companion.

On the back side, on the upper left side, write the name of the senders, that is, the bride and groom, although it can also be an invitation in the name of the bride and groom with their parents or children. And if you want to mention a deceased parent, by protocol you should put a cross next to their name. Write the envelopes in your own handwriting if you want to give them a more personal touch.

In the invitation

The coordinates should be clear and therefore the basic information they should indicate is the date, time and place where both the ceremony and the banquet will be held, if they will be different locations.

You can also add the dress code, a map of the place and the bride and groom code in a multistore or the bank account, depending on the modality you choose for the gifts. But it is also very important to indicate a phone number, a WhatsApp or an email to confirm attendance.

Generally, the wedding reports are structured in three phases A header, where the names of the bride and groom can be accompanied by a romantic quote. A body, where the coordinates of the wedding already mentioned will be included. And a closing, with the means of contact and a short phrase such as "don't miss! Check out these sample marriage license that you can take inspiration from:

• As there is always some madness in love and there is always some reason in madness: Let's commit the madness of getting married and rightly be happy forever! You are cordially invited to the ceremony and subsequent party at the (name of the place), on (date) at (time). We are waiting for you!
• Parallel lives, similar ages, worries and suddenly... The love affair! You can't miss the day (date) at (time) in the Church (name), where we will be united in marriage. Then we will celebrate it together with all of you in the (name of the place). Please confirm your attendance at X phone. Don't miss us!
• We have bought such beautiful rings that we decided to organize a ceremony for the occasion. The invitation is for a limited time and we will not repeat it. We are waiting for you at (name of the place), on (date), at (time). We guarantee you maximum fun!

RSVP

While it is valid to include an email or phone number, there is another, more formal way to request an RSVP: the RSVP, which is a card that can be included in the marriage certificate or can be used separately. This acronym corresponds to the French expression "Répondez s'il vous plait" ("please reply") and is used for formal events, including weddings.

"Please send your response by X of the month X. To email XX," is what an RSVP usually says these days. And if guests will be able to choose from different menus, it's also a good time for them to make the inquiry.

6. Budget for wedding invitations

We got married

Physical Invitations

As already indicated, the wedding parties are marketed per unit The price depends on a variety of factors, such as size, printing, and paper type, but parts are usually no less than $800 and no more than $5,000. And the price can go up if they are original marriage parts, or if they incorporate other elements, such as a map, RSVP card, or custom sealing wax seal. Be careful! Some suppliers require a minimum order quantity.of invitations to be ordered and if this minimum is not reached, a surcharge will be charged.

Digital Invitations

In the case of digital wedding invitations For example, if they wish, they can order caricatures of their faces, add an excerpt from a song or insert buttons to confirm attendance or geolocate the event. The price of digital invitations fluctuates between $30,000 and $80,000, depending on the type of invitation.animated wedding invitations or simple designs.

Save the date

Regarding the save the date, you will find printed models starting at $500, since they are usually smaller cards than a traditional invitation, but if you prefer to send the "save the date" online, the prices fluctuate between $20,000 and $40,000, depending on how simple or complex the elaboration is.

Once you confirm the date and location, then you are ready to send your wedding invitations. The good news is that you will find options for all tastes and budgets; from the classic physical cards, to digital designs with music of your choice.