If you have a wedding coming up in a number of months, you would like invitations that not only provide enough information for your guests, but look beautiful and uplifting as well. A set of wedding invitations must be appealing to look at, easy to read, contain all the right information, and have a certain theme that reflects the event that is to come.

Other than including who is getting married, and when and where the ceremony is taking place, there is a lot of customization in terms of what to include and what to leave out in the invitations. Each wedding is unique, and yours should be as well. Each type of wedding will warrant different information and a type of formality from your invitations. Not only that, but invitations can also be kept as keepsakes that will commemorate your special day for decades to come.

With all things considered, here are types of information that you should consider including in your wedding invitations.

Names

Be sure to not forget the names of you and your fiance on the front of the invitation, but do not stop just there. Also include the names of the people that are hosting the wedding, as it is only right to credit the people arranging the ceremony for you. It is most traditional for parents of the bride and/or groom to host the wedding. If not a parent, then the most likely person to host your wedding would be a friend. If not a friend, then it would be a professional wedding planner.

Date And Time

Just as important as the names is the date and time. It is very important that the date and time are enlarged, highlighted, boldened, pronounced or stand out in any other way from other text, so that the recipient of the invitation can easily remember the date. Weddings are often planned well ahead into the future, so announcing the year of the ceremony is also important. It is also necessary to include whether or not the time is in a.m. or p.m., as you do not want your guests to think that your wedding is happening at midnight, rather than at noon.

Location

Are you having your wedding at a church, your backyard, on a boat, inside an embassy or on the beach? It is very important to be specific on where your ceremony will take place. Be sure to mention the name of the location, as well as the city and state of the location for your wedding. There are two things about the location that are okay to leave off on your invitation.

The first is the zip code. The zip code contains no significant information that the name of the city does not show already. If you include the zip code, it will just occupy more space that could be better used for more useful information.

The second thing are directions. While it is true that guests would likely want to have access to directions in order to get to the place of matrimony, not everybody is from the same part of town. Depending on where the guest in question lives, the directions will be different. It’s perfectly fine to leave off directions, but be sure that you are able to help the guest if he or she asks you for them.

Attire

Dress codes are absolutely important to mention on invitations. Most weddings call for formal attire, with elegant dresses and tuxedos, but not every wedding warrants this same style. For example, if you are getting married on a yacht where many fun, nautical activities are taking place, it is perfectly okay to require more casual attire. Some official names for the dress codes include the following:

White Tie – The most formal. Men wear tuxedos with black formal shoes, black jacket with two tails, white gloves, a white vest, and bow tie. Women wear evening gowns. White tie is not for weddings.

Black Tie – The most appropriate for traditional weddings. Men wear tuxedos with black formal shoes, a black vest, and a black bow tie. Women have a bit more range to work with, from evening gowns to classy cocktail dresses. If a female guest is not sure of what length of skirt or dress to wear, let her know.

Formal – Also known as “black tie optional”. While tuxedos are not required, men are still required to show up wearing a dark suit and tie. A light suit and tie can also be acceptable for a wedding that takes place during the summer or a day during warmer climates. Women can wear a cocktail dress or long dress.

Semi-Formal – Also known as “dressy casual”. For men, it is virtually the same dress code as formal, but for women, skirts as well as cocktail dresses are acceptable.

Beach/Garden Party – More laid back, men are required to wear a button down shirt with khakis or jeans and slippers or sandals. For women, they can wear light and bright colored dresses, skirts, or a shirt with jeans or khakis. Most wedding ceremonies that have a beach or garden dress code will take place outdoors.

Casual – Any casual wear will do. T-shirts, hoodies, shorts and jeans (regular, skinny and baggy) all apply for casual clothing. Hardly any scheduled weddings that take place require casual clothing.

A Means To Respond

Of course, you would like to include an RSVP, which should come in the form of a card with a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE). This RSVP will provide space to fill out the name of the guest and a decision of whether or not the guest can attend the ceremony. The response is then mailed back to you, where you will be able to confirm whether or not the person in question can be there on your special day.

It is also okay to not provide a SASE with your invitation, but instead show the guest to a website or email address to confirm with you whether or not they can attend the wedding. Whichever direction you decide to go in, be sure that you have them make their decision by around 30 days before the wedding day.

If you have concerns with guests that show up uninvited, say that you invite a couple to the wedding and they bring their parents as well, include working in the invitation where they must state the number of guests that will be accompanying the guest in question.

Details Of The Reception

Of course, no wedding is a true celebration without a fun reception afterwards. You would like to let your invited guests know where the reception is taking place, as well as what time it will start and what will be offered there. Unless the reception is in the same place as the wedding (such is the case with someone’s home), they will also need an address so that they are able to get to the reception that follows the ceremony.

It is also important for your guests to know what will be served, what activities there will be, who is in charge of the music, and more. You would like the reception to sound as enjoyable as possible. If you have not yet gotten a band or disc jockey booked for your reception, just write down “Musical arrangements to be determined.”

Details For Rehearsal Dinners

Of course, the wedding ceremony must be rehearsed with a select number of people: The bride and groom, their families, the best man, maid of honor and several other friends. On their invitations, it must be mentioned when and where the rehearsal and dinner will take place, so that the ceremony will go off without a hitch when the time comes. Normally, the rehearsal takes place in the same location and the day before the wedding.

Travel Accommodations

If there are some people that are going to attend your wedding from outside town, be sure that you pay for their travelling expenses. For lodging, be sure to book each of them hotel rooms under your name. Some select hotels will offer you a discounted group rate for each guest room that you book. If a group of guests have to fly in order to make your wedding, you are also responsible for paying for their flight tickets. If they wish to see you getting married, it should not cost them anything.

Transportation details must also be highlighted, and you can include information about where to park, how to get around on a train or bus, and more.

Bottom Line

Your invitations must be designed professionally for all guests to not only read your text perfectly, but also understand the theme of the wedding. While not mandatory, most physical wedding invitations are white with pale blue, gold, pink, purple, or green elements or graphics that have a classical feel to them. You can also decide to spice things up and break tradition by choosing modern aesthetics with sans serif fonts and high contrasting colors, like navy on white.