3 Tips for Choosing Your Wedding Invitations

If you're planning a wedding for next year, it's time to start planning your wedding invitations. And with so many other wedding details to look after, how do you ensure that the wedding invitations are prepared and sent with perfection? Here, from the desk of stationery guru Heidi Reimer-Epp, are Three Easy Tips for Choosing Wedding Invitations.

1. Understand the wedding theme

Country chic or urban flair? Bright multicolor or elegant creams? When it comes to choosing your wedding invitations, it helps to know what direction you'll be taking the wedding theme. You don't want to invite guests to an elegant hotel wedding and reception with a Precious Moments wedding invitation. Likewise, if you're having a country hoe-down wedding, it would be fun to have country-themed wedding invitations. So, take some time to sketch out the general theme and feel of the wedding, then use this for inspiration when choosing wedding invitations.

2. Start looking early

It's tempting to think that choosing wedding invitations is a quick matter. Go to your favorite stationery store, peruse the books, choose an invitation, right? Not so simple. Once you start looking, you'll find that the styles and possibilities are endless, as are the prices and production turnaround times. My best advice is to start looking early, in order to avoid the "Must decide today no matter what" panic that can set in without enough time. You want this to be a good decision, not a snap decision.

3. Involve the stakeholders

Ask yourself "Who needs to be involved in choosing the wedding invitation"?. With each wedding, the stakeholders are different. Sometimes, it's the bride and her mother. Other times, it's the parents who are paying for the wedding. And with some couples, the bride and groom are in charge. Whatever your particular situation, understand who needs approval BEFORE putting down a deposit. Having everyone give their OK upfront will save you time and money, and avoid the frustrating feeling of having been vetoed on your invitation choice.

Follow these three easy steps for a successful and stress-free experience choosing wedding invitations. Best wishes!