Wedding Trends That Take The Cake

Photo Credit: aus_chick

Looking to shave your wedding budget? Then look no further than your guest list. Trimming the fat here can save you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars! Use these tips to keep the dough from flying out of your wallet.

Can’t decide? Then don’t! It’s that easy. Sure, you may feel like the bad girl if you don’t invite certain friends and family, but if you have doubts, face it…the person doesn’t mean that much to you.

Use the rule of  “thirds.” Split your guest list three ways…A third of your guests should be from your family, a third from his and a third should be friends that you and your guy want to invite. If your family…or his…wants to invite more than their third of the guests, ask them to pay.

Invite them all or none at all. If you and your man aren’t going to invite all of your co-workers, don’t invite any of them…especially if your workplaces are small. If you do decide to invite your co-workers, though, make sure the boss is invited, as well.

Invite them to both events. If you invite a guest to your wedding, you MUST invite them to the reception. You’ll look cheap…and like you’re hunting for gifts…if you try to invite guests to the wedding only and not the reception.

Make your wedding a no-kid zone. This might not be possible for immediate family, but friends and extended family should understand. The kiddies won’t be drinking your alcohol, but they’ll still need to eat. And don’t they tend to waste the food anyway? Keep your wedding kid-free, where possible.

Haven’t seen someone for years? Might want to leave them off the list. Unless it’s a “must invite” family member, you may look like you’re “gift shopping” if you reach out to someone you haven’t seen in a long time.

Will they actually travel to your wedding? It might be as easy as making the call. If your friend or a family member lives a considerable distance from where your wedding will be held, ask them if they’ll be able to attend. If not, take them off your list and just send an announcement once you and your man have wed.

Weddings aren’t a reciprocal event. Just because someone invited you to his or her wedding, doesn’t mean that you have to return the favor.

Leave off plus-ones. This might be tricky, but if you really need to shave serious money off of your budget, you may consider leaving off “and guest” on your wedding invitations. Sure, you might feel that this is a little tacky, but could save you a bundle. Plus, who knows? Maybe a couple of your “single” guests may hook up and have a really great time.

A couple of caveats:

• Be sure to consult with your parents before cutting people associated with them. Some of your parents’ friends may be offended if they’re not invited, and this may put a strain on their relationship. If you’re not sure…ask!
• Limiting dates may help lower your wedding expenses, but be sensitive when it comes to spouses, life partners or long-term relationships. These guests should always be allowed a “plus-one” invite.

To shave even more money off your wedding budget, order Discount Wedding Invitations from Best Little Wedding Shop!

Lisa Bakewell

As discussed in Part 1 of Wedding Invitations: Choose the best one for your wedding, there are literally thousands of wedding invitation styles and designs available, but only a handful of basic types. In this post, we’ll discuss wedding invitations that are:

Engraved. Engraved invitations are the most classic choice of wedding invitations available and are generally used to announce a very traditional-style wedding. For very formal weddings, engraved invitations are an absolute must.

Engraved wedding invitations are also very expensive and time consuming because it takes an engraver several steps to complete the invitation. First, he/she carves the image or message into a copper plate. Then the engraver inks the plate and wipes it clean, leaving the ink only in the indentations. Last, soft, high-quality paper is pressed hard against the plate, which causes it to deform into the etchings, creating raised lettering on the paper. You can spot true engraving by the “bruise” or dent on the back of the paper.

Tip: Keep in mind that you should order your engraved invitations no less than 8 weeks from the date of your wedding, preferably further in advance.

Thermography. Thermographed wedding invitations are an affordable alternative to an engraved invitation. The technique was developed as a less expensive alternative to engraving. Thermography creates the illusion of raised text through a printing process that heats the ink and resin chemical in a combination that causes the printed text to appear raised while the paper beneath it looks smooth. The end result has a very elegant look and works very well for semi-formal weddings.

Tip: Plan on ordering these invitations at least six weeks in advance.

Offset Printing. Most modern printing is offset printing, also known as lithography. This type of print– when used on wedding invitations–may seem common, but will still announce your wedding in an elegant manner. Offset printing has become one of the most popular choices on the market today because they are very cost efficient, they are available through most stationary vendors and printers (both online and off), and the invitations can be purchased “blank” allowing you the option of printing your own information on them. Printed invitations are appropriate for semi-formal and casual weddings.

Tip: While the turnaround time for printed invitations is typically better than engraved or thermographed options, you should still plan on ordering your printed invitations at least 4-6 weeks in advance. Also, the quality of offset printing can vary greatly, so be sure to look for a printer who can deliver crisp quality and true colors.

Embossed. Similar to engraved invitations, the raised print on an embossed wedding invitation looks impressive and classy, but may be hard on your budget. Since embossing is a more expensive process, though, it adds a significant level of elegance to your wedding invitation. Also, since it is rarely seen, embossed wedding invitations stand out among the many pieces of mail your guests receive.

Usually used for small insignias, monograms or return addresses, the embossed appearance is obtained when paper is pressed between metal plates, raising an image or text outline out of the surface (think notary seal). When no ink is used, the process is called “blind” embossing.

Tip: Buy a small embosser with your monogram or return address on the plate. This will allow you to create custom stationery in a more affordable way.

Calligraphy. Calligraphed invitations are very elegant and work well for weddings with an old fashioned theme, but they can be very expensive due to the amount of time and effort involved in producing them. When done by a skilled calligrapher, calligraphy wedding invitations are appropriate for all types of weddings except very formal ones. You might also look for a printer who creates the look of calligraphy on printed invitations, which is more affordable than the hand-written calligraphy–though they may not look as elegant as the hand-written one.

Tip: When deciding on whether to choose calligraphy invitations, remember that you need to allow extra time for preparation. Keep in mind, too, that this type of invitation may smudge if it comes in contact with moisture.

Handmade. Wedding invitations that are handmade are gaining popularity because they are not only cost efficient, they also add a nice personal touch to your very special day. Though there are unlimited options when creating your unique invitations, you may want to consider using a desktop publishing program and attractive stationary to make the process a little easier. Handmade invitations are appropriate for most weddings except very formal events.

Tip: Remember to plan on making additional invitations in case of mistakes and allow plenty of time to prepare them.

Boxed. Boxed wedding invitations are available at most retailers and provide a quick and easy alternative to other types of invitations. Also, they can be easily dressed up for a unique and personal touch.

Tip: Buy extras to ensure that you have enough in case of mistakes or you need to invite additional guests.

Lisa Bakewell

Wedding invitations are important. Not only do they notify your guests of your impending wedding, but if chosen carefully, they also inform your guests about:

• Whether your wedding is going to be formal or casual (traditional or non-traditional),
• The location of your wedding (destination-wedding, local wedding, church, park, etc.),
• Your color scheme and style, and
• The theme of your wedding, if you have one.

Wedding invitations can, also,  be very expensive or quite reasonable, so you’ll want to choose them with care. The cost will depend on quite a few things including:

• The type of paper selected,
• The type of print used,
• How many sheets of paper are included in your invitation,
• How the paper is folded, cut, etc., and
• If there is or isn’t an RSVP card (or other card) enclosed.

Fortunately, today, with the help of the Internet, you’ll be able to gather price, paper, printing and other wedding invitation information without actual footwork. Use these steps to help make your wedding invitation selection easier:

Decide how many. Though you may not have an exact number, you should have a ballpark range for the number of guests that you’ll be inviting to your wedding. This way, it will be easier to come up with a realistic budget for wedding invitations.

Create a wedding invitation budget. A good estimate for wedding invitations is about three percent of your total wedding budget. If you are budgeting $20,000 for you wedding, you’ll want to spend no more than $600 on your invitations.

Do your research…early. It’s good to start early when choosing wedding invitations, so that you’ll have plenty of time to see what’s out there, AND you’ll be able to order samples.

Give yourself six months. You should allow yourself a six-month window when it comes to ordering your wedding invitations. This way you’ll have enough time to allow for printing, AND the correction of any errors in your invitations. You’ll also need time to assemble your invitations, if necessary, and ready them for mailing.

Pick a style. Though there are literally thousands of styles and designs when choosing wedding invitations, there are only a handful of basic types. You’ll find that wedding invitations can be:

• Engraved
• Thermo Graphed
• Offset Printed
• Calligraphic
• Embossed
• Handmade
• Boxed

Check back next week for Part 2 of  “Wedding Invitations: Choose the best one for your wedding,”  and we’ll discuss each of these basic types of invitations to help you make the best decision for your wedding day.

Lisa Bakewell