If wedding planning is a production worthy of Hollywood--and it is--then consider invitations to be your guests' sneak preview of coming attractions.  It is their initial, tantalizing glimpse of what you have in store for them, conveying both the tone of the event and your personal vision.

In the not too distant past, invitations selections were limited to one "correct" choice, ecru card stock or paper with black ink.  Not so anymore.  Just as wedding styles have become more varied and unique, so too have the invitations that couples can now choose from.  Even when it comes to having a formal wedding, there's quite a variety available for classic, yet personal, invitations.  Consider an embossed design or edge, which gives dimension and texture to the paper, but no color to distract the eye.  Or if color is what you are looking for, add it in a clean, architectural, beveled edge with a touch of unexpected color.  Whatever you choose, couples can now select invitations as unique as they are.

Invitation Timeline

6-9 Months
Begin researching invitations anywhere from six to nine months in advance.

6 Months
By the sixth month, you should decide on your choice and firm up your guest list.  Begin compiling any information you'll need for the enclosures, such as maps, parking information, reception details, etc.  Get a firm, itemized quote and cost breakdown, then place your invitation order.

4-5 Months
Anywhere from four to five months before the wedding, is good for addressing the invitations and assembling them.

6-8 Weeks
Mail all the invitations at once, about six to eight weeks before the weddings.  This will give you time to mail additional invitations to guests on your stand-by list should any of the first batch of guests decline.

At The Bloomery, we offer wedding invitations at 30% off everyday!  You can even browse and order Birchcraft wedding invitations on-line.  Click this link to peruse our Birchcraft wedding invitations offerings (note: this will take you to another website).  Or, stop by our shop at any time and browse our 15 volumes of wedding invitations from Carlson Craft, Regency, Chase and Birchcraft Studios, all at 30% off every day!

This part of our series of planning advice and excerpts from Beverly Clark's "Planning a Wedding to Remember".  Visit frequently, subscribe to our RSS feed, or sign up for our e-mail alerts to make sure you don't miss a single one!

Reprinted by permission from Beverly Clark, "Planning a Wedding to Remember, 6th Edition", Wilshire Publications.  "Planning a Wedding to Remember" can be purchased by clicking this link.