Books

Emily Post's Wedding Etiquette: Cherished Traditions and Contemporary Ideas for a Joyous Celebration
(4th Edition)
by Peggy Post



General Information About Invitations

When should I order my invitations?
In general, invitations should be ordered at least two months before you wish to mail them; four to six months before that date is recommended. This will allow ample time for proofing, changes, printing, addressing, mailing, and response. We are able to make accommodations for rush orders, which will incur additional charges.

Should I order extra invitations?
I recommend ordering at least 25 extra invitation sets to make sure you have enough for keepsakes as well as last minute or overlooked guests. The cost for an extra 25 invitation sets is nominal.

Do invitations require extra postage?
Square-shaped invitations do require extra postage. Standard size envelopes need regular postage, but if they are heavy they will most likely require extra postage also. I can design response postcards to reduce postage to the postcard rate. I recommend that you always check with the post office for postage requirements for each piece before mailing your invitations. Postage rates frequently change.

See www.usps.com for more information.

When should I send my wedding invitations?
Invitations should be sent six to eight weeks before the wedding. If you have out-of-town guests attending, you may want to also send a "save-the-date" card at least six months before the wedding so that travel arrangements can be made with ease.

Should I put a stamp on the RSVP envelopes?
Traditionally a stamp is placed on RSVP postcards or envelopes and is considered a common courtesy.

Should I have my invitations hand cancelled at the post office?
I usually recommend my clients take the extra time to have their invitations hand cancelled, but recently I've noticed some post offices no longer offer this service.

If your post office does not offer hand cancelling I still recommend taking them to the post office instead of dropping them in your corner mialbox somewhere. Doing this extra step helps insure your invitations are received as pristine as possible.